"Mom, who is the man in this photo?" You, who had been busy sorting through old belongings in preparation for moving to another city, turned when you heard your son's question.

Your gaze fell on the photo frame in his hands. You could see him continuously staring at the man in the picture with deep confusion. "Why does this man look like me, Mom?"

The second question left you silent for a moment. At that very moment, you realized it was time to let go of the pain of the past and tell the truth to your only son.

"That's your father. His name is Michael." As expected, your son fell silent with a shocked expression. A frown appeared on his forehead as if he were trying to process the answer he had just heard.

You gave a faint smile while taking the photo frame from his hands. With a long sigh, you began telling the story that had remained stored in your mind all these years.

"Back then, I was suffering from pretty severe nausea, so I decided to see a doctor. Who would have thought that the doctor would tell me I was already four weeks pregnant. When I found out I was carrying a child, I was so happy. I had even prepared a surprise for your father."

You paused for a moment, staring at the photo before continuing. "But when I came home, do you know what I saw?"

Your son slowly shook his head. "I saw him drunk and kissing another woman." Your voice trembled slightly as you remembered the incident.

"I was pregnant at the time, and I immediately became furious. I slapped Michael until he came to his senses and realized what he had done. After that, I filed for divorce and never told him that I was carrying his child."

"So... Dad cheated?" your son asked quietly. "I don't know. Honestly, I never looked into it any further." You lowered your head.

"Since that day, I never wanted to see his face again. Even so, he kept apologizing. He knelt down, cried, and begged me to give him a chance. My son, do you know? When I saw him lose his smile and look so broken, I actually wanted to forgive him."

You tightened your grip on the photo frame. "But every time I remembered what I saw that day, my heart would ache all over again. So I chose to leave. I chose to step out of his life." Tears began to gather in your eyes. "Forgive me for my selfishness. Because of my decision, you grew up without a father by your side."

Your son, now seventeen years old, immediately noticed your tears. Without saying a word, he hugged you tightly. Within his embrace, a thought resurfaced. A thought you had spent years trying to bury.

'Even his personality, the way he speaks, his smile, even the look in his eyes. The two of them are truly so alike, so how could I possibly forget him?' The reality that, after everything that had happened, you still loved your ex-husband was far more painful than anything else.