Chapter 2

I was shaking with rage. My dad had meant to go back to his unit for backup, but the moment he saw it was Dana's family, he threw a wet quilt over himself and charged in.

If there had been proper protective gear, my father wouldn't have died.

Millie leaned against Dana's chest, a flicker of malice in her eyes.

"Dana, my heart aches for you."

"You've taken care of her all these years, and she isn't grateful in the least. She won't even let you chase after true love."

I let out a cold laugh. The girl was still too young to know there's no such thing as true love between a middle-aged couple. In the end, love comes down to conscience.

And Dana clearly had none.

Noticing the stares around us, Dana wrapped an arm around Millie and said to me in a low voice:

"Don't embarrass us out here. Let's talk at home."

I didn't feel right about leaving Yaya home alone either, so I followed him back.

Dana and I sat down in the living room. "Since you've got someone on the side, let's just get divorced."

But Dana hesitated. "Millie and I are only dating. It hasn't gone that far."

"I haven't gotten my abs in shape yet, and she isn't willing."

I let out a cold laugh. So he couldn't bear to give up his cozy family, but he couldn't let go of the wildflower outside either.

"The moment you cheated, there was no turning back."

Yaya poked her head out of the bedroom. "Mommy, will you tell me a bedtime story?"

I reined in my emotions and answered gently.

Before she fell asleep, my daughter asked me in her soft, babyish voice:

"Mommy, what's a kid without a daddy?"

"There's a kid in our kindergarten who doesn't have a daddy. The other kids all say his daddy doesn't want him anymore, and they call him a bastard."

I froze, my eyes stinging. "Yaya, it's not polite to talk about other people like that."

Yaya nodded obediently and drifted off hugging her doll.

I looked at the side of Yaya's face. For my child's sake, I had to endure this.

I walked wearily out of the bedroom and laid out my terms to Dana:

"Fine, we won't divorce. We'll sleep in separate rooms, and I won't interfere in your private life, but don't let her show up in front of Yaya."

"Once Yaya is grown, we'll get divorced."

"You don't have to love me, but you have to take on a father's responsibility to Yaya, or don't blame me for not being nice about it!"

Dana was silent for a long time, then nodded.

"By the way, do you know what today is?"

Dana looked blank. I curled my lips into a bitter smile.

"Today is the anniversary of my father's death."

I went back to the bedroom, and the instant I closed the door I crumpled to the floor.

Dana and I had been a college romance, and after my parents died, he cherished me even more.

He came over to my place every day to cook and do laundry for me, even washing my underthings spotless.

He went shopping and traveling with me, and anything I looked at twice, he'd buy.

Back then he said that if my parents were still alive, they'd surely dote on me just like this.

The hollow place my parents left behind—he filled it for me.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't sad. I once believed we were the exception, but in the end all love turns out the same.

I lay awake all night, and at dawn I took Yaya to school.

After being found out, Dana didn't come home for several days, staying at Millie's place instead.

Come Sunday, just as I was about to take Yaya to the amusement park by myself, Dana came back—and he brought Millie with him.

I shot Dana a glare and dropped Yaya off at my best friend Chloe Sinclair's house.

Millie strutted in through the door, blinked at me, and said:

"Nadia, Dana says your cooking is delicious. You don't mind if I come over to mooch a meal, do you?"