---- His eyes held a kind of blame, as if I were the one being unreasonable, ruining this so-called " harmonious" moment. Next to him, Jennifer and her child exchanged subtle glances. The corners of their mouths lifted ever so slightly, eyes gleaming with a kind of triumphant glee-as though they were the true victors of this farce, and Melanie and I were just the unwanted losers in the background. Mike paid no mind to how I or Melanie felt. He walked straight up to Oliver, bent down with heartache etched into his face, and scooped him up in his arms. His voice was so gentle it almost dripped with honey. "Daddy's going to buy you lots and lots of toys, okay? Even that limited-edition LEGO set you've been wanting-I'll get it all for you." "yay!" ---- Oliver clapped excitedly, his face lit up with pride and joy. Mike's gaze softened even more at the sight, filled with a kind of doting tenderness that neither Melanie nor I had ever received. As I watched his figure grow smaller and smaller, a bitter cold crept up from the depths of my heart, as if I had been thrown into an ice cellar. All the grievances, anger, and crushing disappointment I had been holding back finally surged through me like an unstoppable tide. At last, I took a deep breath and said the words I had rehearsed countless times in my heart-the words I had hesitated over again and again, but never dared to speak aloud until now.