Dumped By My Wife, Now A Single Father

Chapter 007

Colton's POV. 

Lisa stood several feet away in the hallway near the entrance.

She froze.

I froze too.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Her eyes traveled over me, then past my shoulder toward the open car door waiting outside.

The driver stood beside it.

Lisa's expression changed.

Her gaze returned to me.

And neither of us said a word.

“Mr. Sterling!”

The nurse's voice came from behind me, sharp enough to break the silence. I turned immediately, my eyes leaving Lisa's face. “Your son is awake!” I didn't wait for anything else. I rushed back toward Felix's ward, leaving Lisa standing where she was.

I pushed the door open and found Felix sitting halfway up in the bed. His eyes were open, but they moved around the room without settling on anything. Both hands were pressed against the sides of his head, and his eyebrows were pulled together as though he was struggling to understand where he was.

“Felix?” I moved closer. “Son, it's Daddy.” He didn't answer. I reached for his hand, but he pulled it closer to his chest and continued staring around the room.

“Easy,” the nurse said, stepping toward him. “Don't overwhelm him.” I stopped immediately. Felix's breathing was steady, but his expression remained confused.

I crouched beside the bed. “It's me.” I pointed gently toward myself. “Daddy.” His eyes moved to my face for a second before drifting away again. He didn't say my name.

My chest tightened, but I kept my voice low. “You don't have to talk. Daddy is here.” I carefully adjusted his blanket and watched him press his palms against his head again.

The nurse checked his pulse and looked at the monitor. “His vitals are stable. The doctor should be here shortly.” 

I nodded, keeping my eyes on Felix.

A few minutes later, Maita entered the room. She looked at Felix first, then at me. “What happened?”

“He woke up, but he doesn't seem to recognize me.” I tried to keep my voice steady.

Maita stepped closer to the bed and examined him briefly. “After everything he went through, the confusion isn't unusual. His body has been under severe stress, and the trauma may temporarily affect his speech and responses.” 

She glanced at me. “Don't force him to talk. Let him regain his sense of safety first.”

I nodded. “Will he speak again?”

“Most likely, yes. But we can't predict how quickly.” Her answer was clinical and brief. “For now, stability is what matters.”

Felix looked toward the door when Maita finished speaking. His eyes followed her for a moment before returning to the blanket. I watched him quietly, relieved that he was awake even if he wasn't the same little boy who had called me Daddy two weeks ago.

Maita left after speaking with the nurse, promising to return later. I remained beside Felix, showing him the familiar things I had brought from home. His toy truck. His little shirt. The chocolate I had promised him.

He looked at the chocolate for several seconds but didn't reach for it.

“You remember this?” I asked softly. “I bought it for your birthday.” His eyes stayed on it, but he remained silent.

I stayed by his side throughout the day; he kept staring into space. My heart ached seeing him in that position; he became someone different all because of that incident.

My anger increased when I remembered Lisa; I would make her pay for this. Even if I have to use my new identity, I'm ready to ruin her.

Ten days later, Felix still remained mute. Although he is responding to treatment, he doesn't feel comfortable around people except me.

The door opened again before I could say anything else. Maita walked in carrying a large paper bag. Then another. And another.

I stared at her.

She placed the first bag on the table, followed by the second and third. A fourth bag landed beside them, and I finally looked inside one.

Toys.

So many toys that I wondered if she had emptied an entire children's store.

“What is all this?” I asked.

“Things for Felix.” She said it as though the answer should have been obvious.

I looked at the mountain of bags. “You bought all of these?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Maita looked at me. “He's a child.”

I couldn't argue with that.

She pulled out a stuffed bear and held it toward Felix. “This is a bear.” Felix stared at it.

Maita waited.

He continued staring.

“You're supposed to take it.”

Felix slowly looked at me instead.

I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile.

Maita frowned slightly. “What?”

“Nothing.”

She turned back to Felix and held out the bear again. “Take it.”

Felix looked at the bear, then at her, and finally turned his head away.

Maita lowered the toy slowly. “He rejected it.”

I couldn't stop the small smile that escaped. “He has never liked stuffed animals.”

“Then why didn't you tell me?”

“You didn't ask.”

She looked at me for a moment before reaching into another bag. “Fine. I bought something else.”

She pulled out a small remote-controlled car.

Felix's eyes moved immediately.

I noticed it too.

Maita noticed it a second later.

“This one?” she asked.

Felix didn't answer, but his eyes remained fixed on the car.

Maita placed it on the bed. “You can have it.”

Felix's fingers slowly moved toward it.

He touched the car.

Then he pulled it closer.

Maita stared at him for a second before looking at me. “So he likes cars.”

I nodded. “Especially trucks.”

She reached into the bag again and pulled out a small toy truck. “Then this should work.”

Felix looked at the truck, and something changed in his face. The tension around his eyes eased slightly. He reached for it and held it against his chest.

Maita sat down beside the bed. “Good choice.”

Felix looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

She looked back at him.

Neither moved.

Then Maita pressed the button on the remote-controlled car by mistake, and it shot across the floor, bumped into the wall, and spun in a circle.

Felix's eyes widened.

A tiny sound escaped him.

It wasn't quite a laugh, but the corners of his mouth lifted.

I froze.

Maita froze too.

For the first time since Felix had opened his eyes, his face looked relaxed.

Maita slowly reached for his hand, giving him enough time to pull away if he wanted. He didn't. His small fingers rested against hers, and he looked at the toy truck in his other hand.

“I think he likes me,” she said in a low voice. 

However, before I could respond, Felix pulled away and shut his eyes. 

I sighed heavily. “Is he going to get any better?”