Chapter 4

Julian called wanting to meet up to sort out the fender bender.

I looked at Daisy in my arms and made up my mind.

I agreed to meet him at a small coffee shop near my place.

The second I sat down, Julian pushed several glossy gift bags across the table toward me.

"Evelyn, I heard you mention Daisy the other day."

"I picked up a few pet supplies for Daisy. I wasn't sure what she liked..."

Almost simultaneously, his clear inner voice rang inside my skull:

[Cats, dogs, bunnies, hamsters... I bought two of everything for common pets. One of them has to hit the mark, right?]

I glanced at the designer pet toys. I was genuinely speechless.

"Thoughtful of you, Mr. Vance."

"Unfortunately, none of this is suitable for her."

I heard his heart sink like a rock:

[Wrong again?]

[It's not a common pet... Could it be a spider, a snake, or a lizard? A miniature pony?]

[Forget it. Guessing is dangerous. I'll just hire an investigator to find out what Daisy actually is...]

"Don't you dare investigate!"

The words slipped out before I could stop myself.

Julian froze, staring at me in confusion.

"What?"

I cleared my throat and cut straight to the chase.

"Nothing. I've handed the car accident over to the insurance company. They'll follow up with you."

"The only reason I agreed to meet you today is for something else."

I hesitated, struggling to find the words.

"How is your wife doing? Your child... must be pretty big by now, right?"

Julian looked utterly bewildered by my question.

It took him several seconds to realize I was referring to Victoria. His face turned ghost-white, his voice raspy.

"Victoria and I... ended things a long time ago."

[Right after you walked away.]

[I searched for you like a madman. I couldn't reach your phone, and when I went to your parents' place, your father threw me out in the cold. I couldn't find you anywhere. I never even got to say I'm sorry.]

[Evelyn, I regret it so much. It's killing me.]

His agonized thoughts poured straight into my mind.

Sitting across from me, Julian slumped as if all his energy had been sucked out. He didn't dare meet my eyes.

"Evelyn, I'm so sorry for everything I did to you."

I just watched his misery in silence, exactly the way he had watched me break in his office years ago.

I pressed on. "And the child? Did you raise Victoria's baby yourself?"

"I remember you telling me you loved kids."

Julian shook his head, offering a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

"A kid? Ha... there never was a kid."

"She lied to me from the start. She was never pregnant... She faked the whole thing to force you out so she could take your place as my wife."

Julian lifted his eyes, gazing at me with sheer heartbreak.

His inner voice practically cried out:

[Evelyn, if I had only cherished you back then. We would have had our own baby by now. They'd be running around, calling us mommy and daddy in their sweet little voice.]

[They would look just like you. Gorgeous, brilliant.]

[It was me. I destroyed everything with my own hands.]

His voice trembled as he asked, "Evelyn... are you alone right now?"

I shook my head without hesitation. "No."

The tiny flicker of hope left in his eyes instantly died.

He forced a smile that looked worse than crying, his throat thick with unshed tears.

"Is that so? That's... that's wonderful."

"I wish you all the happiness in the world. Does he... treat you well?"

Before I could answer, he kept rambling on his own.

"Of course he does. Leaving someone like me was the best thing you ever did. You deserve the best."

He inhaled sharply, trying desperately to salvage whatever dignity he had left.

"Right, you mentioned you needed help with something."

"Don't worry. Whatever it is, I'll help you. Today, tomorrow, whenever... as long as you ever need me."

I didn't answer right away. My fingers lightly traced the rim of the coffee cup.

Julian wasn't married. He had no children.

That meant if I told him the truth right now, he might... actually be able to give Daisy a pure, undivided father's love.

I looked up, meeting his nervous eyes.

I finally made my decision.

"Julian."

"I want you to meet Daisy. She's seven years old."

Julian didn't catch on. He frowned slightly, confused about how meeting a pet counted as helping me.

Seeing his blank face, I dropped the final, defining truth:

"She's a little girl. She's in first grade at the elementary school down the street."

Julian's eyes lost focus for a split second. Then, like lightning ripping through a dense fog, realization crashed over him. His eyes went wide.

He shot straight out of his seat, knocking his chair back, staring at me in total shock.

[A seven-year-old girl... Is Daisy my...]

His unfinished thoughts were screaming in disbelief.

I didn't look at him, nor did I explain.

Because right at that moment—

A sweet, childish voice called out from behind Julian:

"Mommy!"