Chapter 36: Moment of Truth (2)

Chris shuddered involuntarily after hearing those words, yet in the next moment, he was filled with revulsion. How could this woman say such things involving her son? What did he do to deserve such treatment from her? His eyes narrowed before he reached into his bag and pulled out a wad of 10,000 yen bills. He had hoped to use compassion and remorse to convince Daichi's mother to sign the papers; however, he had secured some money just in case. With a stern expression, he placed the money on the table and said coldly, "2 million yen. No more, no less." Her face lit up upon seeing the money, the most emotion she had shown since he arrived. She reached forward and began to eagerly count the money, not caring how she looked from the outside. "Ahem." Chris cleared his throat, doing his best to keep his composure. He just needed to get the damn forms signed, and he would never have to deal with this woman in the future. This was the only thing keeping him sane at this moment. After being interrupted while she happily counted her money, Daichi's mother scowled at him in annoyance. "Give me a damn pen," she said rudely. Chris quickly retrieved one from his briefcase and handed it to her, advising her to only sign the parts that were marked. She didn't bother to respond, nor read the contents of the ten-page document, choosing instead to hastily flip through the pages and sign where he had placed labels. With a flourish of her hand, she handed the pen and the document back to him before picking up the money once more and counting it greedily. Chris took the papers and placed them carefully in his bag before standing up from his chair. He took one last look at the woman who had so callously treated her son for the past fifteen years, even selling him for a mere 2 million yen to a stranger. "I hope that one day you will come to understand what you have done to your only son. Ironically, your callousness today was probably the best thing you've ever done for him throughout his whole life." His words fell upon deaf ears as the woman either chose not to listen to him or was too caught up in her new wads of cash to acknowledge him. He let out a small sigh before turning around and letting himself out. Once he entered the street, he felt a warm breeze hit his face, breathing life into his weary soul. His tensed body relaxed, causing his legs to feel like jelly, almost making him stumble a little. He knew that this interaction would not be pleasant; however, he persevered and was successful in the end. Chris had also wanted to gather Daichi's things after getting the document signed; however, the atmosphere in the house was suffocating. Having been so tense and on edge while controlling his anger had really taken its toll on him. They would just have to come by when Daichi's mother had gone to work; after all, they weren't that far away. Chris began his small walk back home, enjoying the early afternoon spring breeze, which filled him with vitality. That was until he remembered that his beautiful wife was probably anxiously pacing around the kitchen while she waited for him. "Ah crap, I shouldn't dilly-dally." He exclaimed before breaking into a brisk walk. Yuki was on her umpteenth lap around the kitchen, anxiously biting her nails as she waited for her husband to return with the news. She had been worried about sending him into such a place; however, he always had a knack for soothing her. 'If Daichi can last 15 years with that woman, then as his soon-to-be father, I can last 15 minutes.' His confident words echoed in her head as she tried to battle the worry and anxiousness that battered her fragile heart. She tried to disregard the what-ifs and keep faith in her husband. "I'm home." The sound of the door opening and a deep voice startled her out of her swirling emotions, almost causing her to jump a few feet in the air. "Honey! Are you okay? What happened? Did she sign the form?" Yuki ran over, firing rapid questions at him with her face showing a multitude of emotions. "Calm down first; let's have a seat and talk about it. We need to be wary of our blood pressure at our age," Chris said with a smile, even letting out a chuckle after his bad joke. Normally, Yuki was fantastic at reading people's emotions, especially her husband and sons. However, perhaps it was because of her current anxious state, she couldn't already guess the answer from how he acted. She quickly took a seat, yet she couldn't help but tap her foot as she waited for the news. What Chris said next would have a huge effect on not only Daichi's life but also her family. Chris sat down and took out his briefcase, calmly collecting the forms from inside and placing them in front of his wife. In the next moment, his face turned up into a big smile as he announced, "Looks like it's going to be a bit more rowdy in this house with another teenage son." Yuki could only cover her mouth, feeling a surge of joy and happiness as her eyes teared up instantly. A sense of relief washed over her, which soon turned into sobs and tears of joy streaming down her pretty face like a waterfall. "Come here." Chris said, standing up and pulling her into a deep embrace. The two stood like this for a long time, enjoying each other's warmth and happiness as they entered a new chapter in their lives.