Dear Don, We Can Never Go Back to 18 Chapter 02
Enzo froze stiff and slowly turned to face Elena.
She flinched the second his eyes landed on her, and fresh tears welled up in her eyes.
He hesitated, torn between sympathy for her and the role he was playing for me.
The whole scene was utterly amusing to watch.
A cruel, triumphant grin spread across my face.
He had chosen to put on this charade to trick me into divorce.
Now he would keep acting until the very end.
Enzo stepped forward to stand in front of Elena. He drew in a deep breath.
He raised his hand and delivered a light slap across her cheek.
Elena let out a sharp cry and covered her stinging cheek as tears streamed down her face.
“That’s not enough,” I said flatly.
Enzo squeezed his eyes shut, fighting to hold back his reluctance.
He struck again, landing two harsh slaps one after the other.
The blows knocked Elena to the floor, and her cheek swelled red and swollen instantly.
She scrambled back to her feet, sobbing loudly as she fled out of the room.
I turned on my heel, ready to head to my own room.
“Ada,” Enzo called out to stop me.
His voice was rough and strained.
“When did you become like this? The Ada I knew at eighteen was always so kind.”
I glanced back at him, exhaustion weighing on every word.
“The twenty-eight-year-old you is nothing like the boy you once were either.”
“Enzo, every part of me that changed is all thanks to you and Elena.”
Three slaps were nothing compared to the life they had ruined for me.
I was set to sign the divorce papers and step aside for them soon enough.
But I would never let them live in peace.
Enzo played the part obediently for days, and avoided all contact with Elena to keep up his act until the divorce was finalized.
Everything changed when Leo’s birthday arrived.
Leo was Enzo’s three-year-old son with Elena.
Elena called Enzo, her voice breaking with tears over the line.
“Enzo, I can stand you treating me badly. I can even take those slaps if it means we get our future together.”
“But Leo is your son. He’s been asking for you for days. Can’t you come to his birthday party?”
“You’ve spent enough time with that woman already. Isn’t that enough?”
Enzo was on the verge of giving in when I pushed the door open and walked inside.
He stiffened and snapped his tone cold.
“Leave me alone! I told you I don’t know you. Don’t call here again.”
“If you do, I won’t hesitate to hit you once more!”
He ended the call with a vicious slam. I watched him and spoke up.
“Come with me somewhere.”
Enzo’s face tensed with obvious resistance.
“Ada, I have plans later.”
I let out a cold laugh. He still intended to rush off to be with Elena and their child.
“This place matters a great deal,” I said plainly. “The eighteen-year-old you never turned down any request from me.”
Enzo went completely still.
After a long moment, he forced out a reply.
“Fine. I’ll go with you.”
I led Enzo all the way to the Western Cemetery.
I wiped dust off my parents’ tombstones, then set a piece of chocolate down in front of a tiny grave beside them.
Enzo kept checking his phone constantly, his mind clearly elsewhere.
“I don’t recall this being your parents’ death anniversary.”
“Ada, you can visit their graves any other day. Why does it have to be today?”
I knew what he really wanted to ask. Why ruin his son’s birthday with a trip to the cemetery?
“This isn’t my parents’ memorial day,” I said as I straightened up and brushed dirt off my knees.
“Today is the death anniversary of my child.”
Enzo’s face drained of all color, and genuine guilt and sorrow flashed across his features.
I almost laughed at the sight.
He had slipped out of his act completely.
The eighteen-year-old Enzo had never even known this child existed. He should never have looked so pained.
