Blissful Ignorance

POV: TRISTAN

My phone vibrated aggressively against my thigh. I ignored the intrusion for a moment, keeping my eyes fixed on the giant spinning purple teacup in the center of the platform. The vibrant noise of the amusement park blared through the hidden speakers, mixing with the excited chatter and shrieks of the dense crowd. Leo threw his head back, letting out a scream of pure joy as the ride spun him faster. The bright California sunlight caught his hair, and a massive smile stretched across his face.

The phone buzzed again. The rhythm was persistent and annoying.

I dug the device out of my pocket and shielded the screen from the glaring sun. I squinted at the notification banner on the lock screen.

"Let's get divorced."

I stared at the pixels forming Sienna’s name. I waited for a punchline, a follow-up text, or some indication that her phone had been hacked. Nothing else came through. A dry, humorless scoff escaped my throat. I shook my head, locked the screen, and shoved the device back into my pocket without a second thought.

She was throwing another ridiculous tantrum. It was a classic, desperate ploy for attention. She knew exactly how much I valued family time, and she thought dropping a bomb like that would send me rushing back to the hotel in a frantic panic. It was nothing but a dramatic attempt to force me to come home early and cater to her mood swings.

Ever since Audrey returned from abroad, Sienna had been acting like a paranoid, territorial teenager. The constant texting, the random calls during important moments, the suffocating possessiveness—it was getting exhausting. She was trying to manipulate me into dropping everything for her.

A warm weight settled against my side. Audrey slipped her arm through mine, seamlessly fitting into my space.

"Is everything okay? You look incredibly tense about something."

I turned to look at her. Despite the pain from her recent injury, her cheeks were flushed with a healthy, vibrant glow. She looked effortlessly beautiful in the afternoon light. She exuded a quiet, undeniable grace that was the exact opposite of Sienna’s petty vindictiveness. She was a star, yet she remained grounded and kind.

I forced my shoulders to relax. "It is fine. It is just Sienna being Sienna. Do not worry about it."

Audrey’s smile faltered. Her expression shifted into a mask of pure, innocent concern. She chewed on her bottom lip and looked down at the concrete pavement.

"She has called a lot today, Tristan. Maybe we should go back to the hotel and check on her. She might be feeling lonely in that big room, which is why she is texting you so much. I would hate to think she is upset because you are spending time with me."

My jaw clenched. I immediately pushed down the flare of anger meant for my wife and kept my tone steady for Audrey.

"She is perfectly fine. We came out here to keep you company and help you take your mind off your injury. You should not have to cut your recovery short just because Sienna thinks the entire world revolves around her."

Audrey reached out with her free hand and rested her fingertips lightly on my forearm.

"Tristan, please do not be too harsh on her. Maybe she is just feeling left out. Leo has been spending a lot of time with me lately. It is natural for a mother to feel pushed back to second place in her son's heart when someone new is around."

I shook my head, shutting down her self-blame immediately.

"It is natural for a child to admire someone who is accomplished and inspiring. Leo looks up to you, Audrey. He sees what true excellence looks like, and he sees a woman who chased her dreams and succeeded. Sienna should not be jealous of that. She should be encouraging it. She should want the best role model for her son at all costs, instead of making this about her own insecurities."

The loud mechanical whine of the teacups slowing down interrupted our conversation. The metal gates swung open, and Leo bolted toward us. His chest heaved, and his face was bright red from the adrenaline.

Instead of talking about the ride, he stopped in front of us and crossed his arms over his chest. He rolled his eyes toward the sky, a perfect mimicry of my mother, Miriam.

"Dad, Mom called me again on my watch. But what she did was totally uncool. She was pretending to be sick just to trick me into coming back to the hotel room."

I frowned, staring down at my son. "What do you mean she was pretending?"

"She was doing this weird fake coughing thing. But Aunt Audrey told me that people do that when they want attention. She said people fake being sick to make you feel bad so you will want them instead."

Leo turned his face up toward Audrey. His eyes shone with pure adoration as he sought her validation.

"Right, Aunt Audrey?"

Audrey’s cheeks dusted with pink. She looked away, nervously tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"I am sure your mother was not doing that on purpose, Leo."

My blood boiled. I stopped listening to her gentle, forgiving defense. The image of the divorce text flashed in my mind again, but this time, the dismissive annoyance morphed into a severe, blinding anger.

Sienna used to be so understanding. For years, she never complained when I worked late. She never questioned my decisions, and she never made ridiculous demands. She had been the picture-perfect, quiet, and supportive wife. I had pulled her out of a miserable, poverty-stricken background. She had no real family, no influential friends, and no joy until I gave her my last name. I had provided her with a life of luxury and privilege she could never have dreamed of. She had designer clothes, a massive home, and a black card with no limit. I had given her everything a woman could ever need.

And this was how she chose to repay me?

When had she become this person? She had morphed into a jealous, manipulative woman who would fake a miserable illness just to guilt our young son into abandoning his vacation. She was throwing childish tantrums just because I was helping an old friend through a tough recovery. Deep down, I knew exactly when this started. It started the exact moment Audrey walked back into my life. Suddenly, Sienna had a million opinions about where I went, who I was with, and how much time Leo spent with Audrey.

Leo grabbed my sleeve, yanking me out of my dark thoughts. He pointed eagerly toward the looming white structure in the distance.

"Dad? Can we go on Space Mountain next?"

I looked down at his hopeful face, then shifted my gaze to Audrey. She was watching me with warm, understanding eyes. She wasn't demanding my time. She wasn't throwing a fit. Even when she was the one dealing with an injury, she was the one worrying about Sienna’s feelings.

The contrast between the two women was staggering. Audrey was selfless, mature, and willing to put others first. Sienna was acting like a spoiled child.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and unlocked the screen. I opened the message thread with Sienna. My thumbs slammed against the digital keyboard, typing out a response with brutal, unforgiving speed.

"Stop this, Sienna. Why can't you be more tolerant? Audrey is injured and needs time to recover. Stop being so selfish."

I hit send.

Before she could type a pathetic excuse or send another manipulative threat, I held down the power button. The screen went black. I swiped the prompt to power off the device.

I refused to let her ruin this day. I was not going to let Sienna’s toxic dramatics steal my son's joy or disrespect the time I had set aside for Audrey. Leo deserved to have fun. He deserved to spend time with someone who actually wanted the best for him. One afternoon of radio silence would not kill Sienna.

I slipped the dead phone into my pocket and smoothed my expression.

"Come on, buddy. Space Mountain sounds perfect."

I took Leo’s right hand. As we started walking down the crowded pathway toward the ride, Audrey fell into step on his left. Without missing a beat, Leo reached out his small hand and grabbed Audrey’s fingers.

I watched the three of us weave through the crowds. A father, a son, and a beautiful woman holding his hand. From the outside, we looked like the perfect family of three.

A tiny, nagging voice in the back of my mind whispered that something was very wrong. It whispered that Sienna might actually have a reason to be this angry. I forced that voice down instantly. I buried it under layers of logic and righteous anger. I refused to listen to it.

It was just Sienna. Once she realized her little stunt had failed, she would apologize to me for ruining the afternoon, for texting me those ridiculous words, and for acting so horribly toward our son. Things would go right back to normal.

They always did.