"I'm begging you. Tell me the truth." Another long silence followed. Finally, Kevin sighed in resignation. "Alright, let's meet at our usual spot. But I can only say so much..."

Relief washed over me. I thanked him profusely and rushed out the door. On the way to meet Kevin, I sped down the road. Every second felt like an eternity. I was desperate to get to him and uncover the truth.

The Dodge Challenger SRT's engine echoed in my ears. It was a beast on the highway. Driving it gave me an adrenaline rush, but even that wasn't fast enough for my impatience. I wished it could go faster. Half an hour later, I screeched to a halt at the park. Kevin was already there, sitting on the old bench where we always met.

"Evelyn!" He stood as soon as he saw me. "Are you okay? You drank so much last night..."

"I'm fine." I waved off his concern, getting straight to the point. "Kevin, tell me the truth. Where are Zach and Ethan? Why are you all hiding this from me?"

Kevin sighed heavily and sank back onto the bench. "Sit down. It's a long story." Impatient, I sat beside him, and my eyes bored into his.

"Don't drag this out. Just tell me!"

Kevin shook his head helplessly. "I wasn't supposed to tell you. Ethan begged me to keep it from you, no matter what...:

"What?" My eyes widened in disbelief. "Why would he keep this from me? What happened to them?" Kevin hesitated, pressing his lips together as though weighing his words carefully. "Not long after you went to prison, Zach was bullied at school."

"What?" I shot to my feet. My voice was trembling with fury. "Who bullied my son? Tell me, and I'll make them pay!"

"Calm down. Let me finish." Kevin quickly pulled me back down. "When Ethan found out, he immediately went to the school to confront them. But..." He paused, and his expression darkened. "The one bullying Zach was the Albright family's child."

I felt like I had been struck by lightning. "Vivian! That bitch!" I gritted my teeth. "She's behind this, isn't she? She's using this to get back at us!"

"You're right." Kevin admitted grimly. "When Ethan went to confront her, she refused to acknowledge it. Instead, she gave him an ultimatum."

"What was it?" My voice wavered. A sinking feeling settled in my chest.

Kevin's eyes were filled with sorrow. "She told him to sever all ties with you. Otherwise, she'd make sure Zach suffered even more."

I collapsed onto the bench. The world seemed to spin around me. So that was what happened. Ethan had made such a sacrifice for me, and I hadn't known a thing.

"He refused, didn't he?" My voice was hoarse. "There's no way he would agree to that."

Kevin didn't answer immediately. "He agreed," he said quietly after a long pause.

"What?" I couldn't believe what I just heard. "Ethan wouldn't agree to it! He couldn't! How could he do this to me?"

"Evelyn, he did it for you and Zach," Kevin said urgently. "You know how powerful the Albrights are. We can't go against them. Ethan made this choice to protect you both. That was why he started distancing himself from you. That was why he didn't

even show up when you were released."

Hearing this, I broke down. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. "Ethan, you idiot.... How could you do this to me? How could you keep this from me and

bear it all alone?"

I sobbed. He was a fool-a fool who had taken on this burden for the sake of me and Zachary. Did he not

realize that without him, my life had no meaning?

"Where's Zach now?" I asked in a trembling voice as I wiped my tears.

Kevin sighed deeply. "He's... with the

Albrights. That was another

condition Vivian set. She demanded

Ethan hand over the child.

je'

Otherwise, the bullying would

continue."

en

I leaned back against the bench. My energy was drained. Zachary, my precious child. I had failed you. I couldn't protect you.

I covered my face with my hands and sobbed bitterly. Tears were slipping through my fingers.noveldrama