[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 332: Mom’s Words Hidden in Silence

~Zayn’s POV~

Her gaze sharpened, her expression serious. "We should talk about Meera and your son."

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. "How did you know that?" I stammered.

She didn’t hesitate. "Meera reached out to me."

"Mom, I didn’t mean to hide it from you," I rushed to explain, my voice tight with distress. "I just... I didn’t want to talk about something so heavy over the phone. I planned to tell you in person."

"It’s okay, Zayn," she said softly, reaching out to rub my arm reassuringly.

"What did she say?" I asked, dread coiling in my gut.

Mom sighed, recalling the conversation. "She called me that morning, actually. She explained everything to me."

Mom’s expression hardened slightly. "She said you refused to take responsibility for your child. She spoke at length about the pain of raising him alone, and I did sympathize with her truly. But that changed the moment she claimed you chose someone of the same gender over your own child."

Mom shook her head slowly, her disappointment clearly directed at Meera, not me. "She said you chose a man over your child. And not just that. She mentioned your engagement with Evric—she called it ’a shame,’ ’an abomination,’ and ’a disgusting path.’ Every word she said on the phone already explained everything I needed to know about her character. She sounded so homophobic, hateful, and utterly disrespectful."

I listened, my stomach churning.

Mom continued, recounting Meera’s final words. "She said it was a good thing she already had a plan. She told me she would be traveling in a few days, that she was relocating, and that she would make sure your son never gets to meet you, Zayn. She said there was no way she would ever introduce a gay father to her child. She made it very clear she would never do that."

Mom waited until the silence returned, letting Meera’s venomous words sink in.

"After Meera’s speech was finished," Mom said, her voice now cold and authoritative, "I told her just a few things."

"I made Meera understand that I fully approve of your relationship with Evric. I told her I was happy you didn’t choose to be with her. I made it clear that her prejudice was not welcome."

Mom then paused, looking me directly in the eye. "I told her this: If you truly are the father of her child, no matter how many years it takes, the father will come for his child, or the child will come for his father. Whether she raises the child alone or suffers alone, all that perceived struggle and suffering will be forgotten when that child chooses to seek out their other parent. Only the mother will be left to remember the pain and suffering of the fight."

"I also told her that I know my son," Mom added firmly. "There is no way you would ever deny responsibility for your child. Whether she chooses to let you meet him is her decision. But I spoke to her from experience, and I spoke to her like a daughter."

She held my gaze, her voice steady but heavy with truth. "I warned her that the choice she makes now, hiding a child from his father or refusing to let a father know his own child, is a choice she may one day regret. Because when a child grows up, the pain of absence often fades faster than the years of sacrifice. A father can return one day, apologize, stay for a short while, and the child may forgive him. And in that moment, all the years the mother struggled alone are forgotten by everyone else."

Her voice softened. "Only the mother is left carrying the memory of that suffering. I told her this because if someone had spoken to me that same way when your father and I were separating, I might not have pushed him away or refused his support. So I spoke to her as a mother, and as a woman, so she would truly understand the weight of the choice she is about to make."

I stayed quiet, my head lifting slightly as I absorbed her words.

Mom leaned forward slightly, her voice heavy with concern. "But then she asked the most important question... How do I even know for sure that this child is truly yours?"

She paused before continuing. "Meera told me she already did a DNA test. The results confirmed it, you are the father."

"But I told her I needed to confirm it myself, that we would have to do another DNA test. What if the child isn’t yours? I needed that certainty."

"Meera said she was ready to do the DNA test again, and that it’s certain, you are the father of her child."

Mom concluded, "After a long back-and-forth, I told Meera to make her choice carefully about allowing contact, and that I would speak to her again after talking with you."

Mom finally fell silent, the weight of her revelations pressing down on me.

"Mom," I murmured, my voice trembling with emotion. I leaned into her, resting my head against her shoulder. "I’m so sorry you had to go through that awful conversation. Thank you... Thank you for standing up for me and supporting my relationship with Evric."

I pulled back, taking a deep breath. "And Mom, there’s something else you should know. I’ve met my son. Meera reached out a few weeks ago and allowed me to meet him."

I continued, realization settling in. "At first, I was taken aback by her sudden change of heart, going from complete silence to allowing contact out of the blue. But now, after hearing what you told me, I understand why. She wanted to present herself as the long-suffering single mother and make sure I looked like the villain to you before I had the chance to tell my side. Thankfully, she didn’t get that chance."

"And Mom," I said, a wave of pride washing over me, "Liam is truly my son."

My mother’s eyes narrowed instantly. "How did you confirm that, son? You can’t just believe her word because she says the child is yours."

I smiled sheepishly. "It’s not about that, Mom. Honestly, after Meera confirmed I was the father, I was overjoyed and so happy that I just accepted everything she said and wanted to move forward."

I explained everything to Mom. "After meeting Liam, it was undeniable, the features, the expressions, even the way he carried himself... he looked exactly like me. Everything was there. But that night, when Liam spent the night at Evric’s place, Evric told me we should redo the DNA test. Just to be certain, for our own peace of mind. Even though Meera had already confirmed I was the father, we should confirm it on our own."

"Evric knows you have a child?" She asked, her voice a mix of surprise and respect.

"Yes, he knows everything," I confirmed.

Mom’s expression...