Chapter 15
Susan said Jasper had been in his room all day and refused to come out.
When Camilla opened the door to the kids’ room, she found Jasper slumped over his desk, lost in thought. Next to him was a picture frame, completely smashed.
That frame was something Camilla had ordered just for him, with a family portrait Jasper had drawn all by himself inside. He always kept it right by his bed. Now, it was a mess on the floor. The frame was shattered. The picture was torn to bits, scraps of paper everywhere.
Camilla’s heart skipped a beat. “Jasper, are you alright? Who did this p>
Jasper still had his head down, his voice flat. “I did p>
Pulling up a chair, Camilla sat beside him. “Can you tell Mommy why p>
Jasper crossed his arms and pouted. “Dad doesn’t like me, so I don’t want to like him either!” His words sounded like a child’s tantrum, but Camilla saw the redness in his eyes and suddenly made up her mind about something.
She pulled Jasper into a hug. “Jasper, if you really don’t like Dad anymore, would you want to leave with Mommy? Just us two p>
She hadn’t planned on bringing up the divorce with Jasper so soon, but right now felt like the right time to see how he felt.
Jasper looked up at her, confused. “Leave? Does that mean I won’t have a dad anymore p>
“You could think of it that way,” Camilla said softly, smoothing a hand over his hair. “But Mommy will love you twice as much, enough for both of us. Is that okay with you p>
Jasper tilted his head for a moment, thinking it over. Then he put his arms around Camilla’s waist, holding on tight. “I’ll go wherever Mommy goes p>
Hearing that, Camilla felt a weight slide off her chest. She’d worried Jasper might be too upset, or that it would be hard to convince him. But he didn’t even hesitate. That said a lot about how Barnard made him feel. Jasper didn’t seem to care much if his dad was there or not.
The mood in the room felt heavy, so Camilla tried to cheer him up. She pulled out the new toys she’d bought. “Look, honey, Mommy got you a new train and a Transformer. Do you like them p>
Jasper didn’t even look at the toys. He stared at Camilla, quiet for a second, then blurted out, “Mommy, why does Dad like Daisy so much p>
The question caught Camilla off guard. Those big, searching eyes. No matter how grown up a kid acts, they still care about what their dad thinks.
She didn’t want to say anything that would hurt him more. “Because her daddy passed away, and your dad feels bad for her. But you never need to worry about Daisy. For Mommy, you’ll always be the most special p>
Jasper fell silent again.
Camilla couldn’t tell if he really believed her, but she understood how hard it was for him to see Daisy. That afternoon, she decided to bring Jasper with her to the office.
That night, Barnard came to pick them up from work. He’d booked a restaurant to have dinner together and even bought new toys and clothes for Jasper.
But this time, Jasper didn’t run to him like he used to. Instead, he gripped Camilla’s hand and hid behind her, wary and quiet.
Barnard noticed right away. He frowned. “Jasper, are you upset with Daddy? Daddy knows he’s ignored you lately because of Daisy, and I’m sorry. But Daisy is a little girl, and she just lost her father. She really needs someone right now. Jasper, you’re a big boy, right? You wouldn’t hold it against her p>
He tried to hand Jasper the toy, but before Jasper could say a word, Camilla pushed his hand aside.
“If you’re here to get Jasper to give in to Daisy, you can keep your gifts,” she said coolly.
Barnard stared at her, taken aback. “Camilla, what’s that supposed to mean? You know Davina p>
“I know Davina raised you and you feel like you owe her. That’s your business. But my son shouldn’t have to bend over backward for someone else just because of your debt. Barnard, Jasper is my boundary. I won’t let you use him to please Daisy.” Her voice was calm, but firm.
Barnard’s jaw tightened. “They’re just kids, Camilla. They’re the same age, what’s wrong with them playing together? Daisy really likes Jasper. She asked for him a bunch of times this afternoon. Why do you need to get involved p>
Camilla didn’t back down. “You can say what you want. All I know is that Jasper doesn’t want to play with her. For now, I’m taking him with me to work, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to force him into anything p>
Barnard looked at her, clearly surprised by her tone. He wasn’t used to seeing Camilla so assertive. After all, he was a few years older and had helped her through tough times. For years, she’d always trusted him and talked things through, not made decisions on her own like this.
He stood there in stunned silence for a moment, but eventually, the tension eased from his shoulders. Maybe he realized that focusing so much on Davina had made him neglect Camilla, and this was her way of showing it.