War God's Reckoning

You lived a lie

Xavier’s phone rang, sharp and sudden, cutting through the quiet of the gift room.

It was his son's fourth birthday. The house smelled like cake and balloons. With the help of the household staff, he had gotten everything ready downstairs. Ribbons, toys, the big chocolate fountain Ethan loved.

He was currently wrapping up gifts for little Ethan. Careful folds. Perfect bows. Nancy might have done him wrong, but his son was his no matter what. Even if they divorced, his boy was coming with him.

The screen lit up with a familiar number. Therion.

“Boss, the divorce couldn't be processed.”

Xavier frowned, sitting up straighter in the wheelchair. The ribbon in his hands went still. “What do you mean?”

There was a pause, keyboard clicking on the other end.

“Sir, the government records show you've never been married.”

His hands shook. The scissors slipped and clattered to the table.

He had thought he couldn't feel any more hurt than what he had already experienced so far. The kidney. The legs. The lies.

How wrong he had been!

The fire burning in his chest spread across his body, fast and merciless. In an instant, cold sweat matted every inch of his skin. His shirt clung to his back.

“But the madam's profile is showing married.”

“Why did it reflect on hers but not mine?” Even as he asked, he already knew. He could feel the answer like a blade at his throat, dreading it.

“The groom is Jason Marlowe, not you.”

There was a short pause at the other end. The kind of pause people give before delivering a death sentence.

Xavier's breath ceased. The room tilted.

“I'm so sorry boss.”

“It's fine.” His voice came out flat, filled with his effort at holding himself together. “In an hour, come pick me up. Ethan's birthday would be over by then.”

He managed to end the call. His fingers were numb.

His hand went to his breast pocket on instinct. He fished out a marriage certificate, still neat, like the day he'd first received it. He’d kept it there for four years. Xavier had treasured it like it was his most prized possession.

He opened it. Cheap paper, fake seal.

None of the things she showed him was real. The anniversary photos. The joint account. The promises whispered at night.

He had been the one stuck in his delusion, blind to her lies and living in a fool's paradise.

He tore up the certificate. Once. Twice. Until the pieces fluttered to the floor like ash.

He wheeled himself out, chest tight, feeling suffocated by the air in his own home.

Halfway down the hall he heard it.

“That cripple is not my father. He's just our housekeeper, doing chores and cooking. Don't you have a nanny at home?”

The voice froze him in place. Ethan's. His precious son.

Sounds of running feet followed, light and fast. Then his signature whine, the one Xavier used to find adorable.

“Mommy, when are you going to leave that disgraceful man? He's an embarrassment. My classmates are mocking me because of him.”

Jason chuckled, low and satisfied.

Nancy squatted before Ethan, grabbing his little shoulders. Her eyes darted around the hallway, cautiously. “Tone it down baby. Your daddy will be hurt. He has been taking care of you since you were born.”

“He's not my daddy.”

Jason smiled and reached out, caressing Ethan's hair like he owned him.

“Exactly, Nana. Our son is already a big boy, you don't need to lie or cover up. Our son no longer wants him, why are you still hesitating? Let's go on with the plan.”

Nancy turned to Ethan, her voice soft now. Practiced. “If I leave your daddy Xavier, are you sure you will not regret it?”

“Yes, I want him to leave immediately and get out of here. He's not my real daddy, all he knows is to embarrass me. I only want daddy Jason.”

Ethan pouted, stamping his feet on the marble. “Other people’s daddy takes them to amusement parks, and teaches them to play basketball. But all he does is cook and clean, he is useless and disgraceful. I don't want a daddy like him.”

Jason looked quite satisfied with himself, the curve of his lips were almost reaching his ears. He leaned down and kissed the top of Ethan's head.

“Alright, my precious baby. After today, that disgraceful uncle will never sully your sight again.”

In the background, Xavier smiled wryly. Bitterness bloomed in his chest.

Even the son he loved more than life wasn't his. The son he had sacrificed sleep, money, pride, and a kidney for hated him.

He chuckled self deprecatingly. The sound was ugly, even to his own ears. He turned the wheelchair to leave. The wheel clipped a flower pot by the door. Ceramic shattered.

Xavier froze.

In an instant, the door was thrown wide, and Jason stood there before him. On seeing it was Xavier, his mouth curved.

Nancy’s eyes turned wide with shock and she clenched her fists, panicking. Guilt flashed across her face.

“Oh, big brother, what are you doing snooping by the door?” His words seemed innocent. Sweet, even. But the provocation and mockery in his eyes were glaring. Like poisoned daggers.

He leaned closer to Xavier, close enough that Xavier could smell his cologne. The one Nancy bought him.

“Did you hear that? My son hates you. Thank you for taking good care of my wife and son for the past five years, but I'm back now. Get lost. As for the company and the joint assets, we will use it well on your behalf.”

Xavier gritted his teeth. His eyes went red with rage and resentment. His hands gripped the armrests until his knuckles went white.

Jason smirked creepily, and then, without warning, he fell down. Hard.

“Big brother, why did you push me? I was only trying to help you inside.” He looked aggrieved as he spoke, clutching his elbow. And just like that, the guilt in Nancy's heart dissolved into anger.

“You lowlife, how dare you hit him?”

Nancy rushed forward and gave him a loud slap. The sound cracked through the hallway. Her palm print bloomed on his face, red and stinging. He looked at her in shock.

Ethan burst into tears and rushed to Jason. He began to pummel Xavier with his small fists, crying.

“Bad daddy, I hate you. Leave my daddy Jason alone.”

At that moment, the ache in his chest disappeared. It didn’t hurt anymore.

Perhaps, he had gone numb. Perhaps his soul had died.

In the lower part of his belly, something shifted. The seal on his energy core which sealed his cultivation began to crack. Hairline fractures began to spread.

The techniques he cultivated were restricted by love and emotions. However, he had willingly shackled himself, choosing love over power. Choosing them over the throne he’d walked away from.

Now that the love and ties had fractured, naturally, his powers began to return. Energy hummed under his skin, cold and dangerous.

He looked at Nancy. His voice was quiet. Too quiet. “You always believe whatever lies he tells you. After all these years, don't you know what I'm capable of? Nancy, you disappoint me.”

Nancy, who had been dusting Jason off, turned to him. Her expression turned glacial.

“Since you heard what our son said, let's get divorced.”

Xavier chuckled. Even now, she was lying. Pretending they were married. He turned to Ethan who was still pummeling him with little fists, and grabbed his arm. Gently, but firm, restricting his movements.

“Ethan, even if your mother quarrelled with me, how could you bear to attack a father who had loved you more than his life?”

“You're not my daddy. Uncle Jason is my daddy. I don't want you. Leave.”

Xavier nodded slowly, as if letting the words sink deeper. The little cherub face he had adored, the face he used to kiss goodnight, turned to something else before him. Totally unrecognizable. He had truly been a fool. Loving people who detested him. Treating them like treasures while they used him like a wallet.

“Ethan, I will ask you again, do you really not want to be my son? If I leave today, I will never return, even if you regret it.”

“I won't regret it. You always hurt uncle Jason. Just leave already. We will find a better chef than you. I'm already a big boy, I don't need a nanny.”

“Nanny…” He echoed. Laughter bubbled in his chest. It tasted like blood and bitterness.

Xavier nodded.

“Cut the crap already. Ethan is my son, can't you see the resemblance? Do you think my son will choose you over his biological parents?” Jason cut in, chest puffed.

Xavier looked up at Nancy. His eyes were clouded with bitterness, but behind it, something else was waking up.

“Fine,” he replied. “Prepare the documents.”