“Ms. Sheldon, are you absolutely sure about this? Lily is only five—” I cut the lawyer off and signed my name on the relinquishment papers. “I’m sure.” Outside the window, the rain was pouring. I looked up at the skyscraper across the street. Behind the floor-to-ceiling windows on the thirty-seventh floor, Ethan Vance, the CEO of Vance Enterprises, was holding a meeting. He wore a flawlessly tailored black suit. His expression was cold, his every movement carrying the aloof authority everyone in the business world knew him for. Nobody knew that this man was legally my husband. And nobody knew we had a five-year-old daughter together. It had been three years. For the past three years, I had worked as a regular chauffeur at his company. I drove him to and from work every day, listening to his cold commands: “Chloe, turn left,” or “Chloe, park here.” He never spared me a second glance in public, as if we truly were nothing more than employer and employee. Lily had learned to call me “Mommy” when she was two, but she never dared to call Ethan “Daddy.” Because Ethan had once told her: “Don’t let me hear that word in public.” Lily was a good girl. She really never said it again. But I knew that every night, she would hug the only stuffed animal Ethan had ever bought her, whispering, “Goodnight, Daddy. You looked so handsome today. Will you look at Lily tomorrow?” That stuffed toy was just a cheap doll Ethan had grabbed from a convenience store three years ago for twenty-nine dollars. Yet, Lily treated it like her most precious treasure, hugging it close for three whole years.
“Chloe, I’m working late tonight. You can head home first.” Ethan walked out of the conference room. When he passed by me, he didn’t even pause. He just tossed those words over his shoulder and kept walking toward his private office. I stood up, about to speak, when his phone rang. He picked it up, and his voice instantly changed—soft, warm, and carrying a rare smile. “Claire? You’ve landed? Good. I’m coming down to pick you up right now.” Claire. Claire Sterling. Ethan’s college sweetheart. She had been in Europe for three years, and today, she was back. I watched his figure disappear into the private elevator. With a bitter smile, I pulled out my phone and texted Lily’s preschool teacher on Snapchat. “Hi Miss Cooper, I’ll be on time to pick Lily up today.” The teacher replied almost instantly. “Great, Chloe! Lily drew a picture today. She said she wants to give it to her daddy.” Staring at the word “daddy,” my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an iron fist. Lily didn’t know that Ethan had never once looked at any of her drawings. Once, Lily had saved up a month’s worth of drawings and carefully placed them on Ethan’s nightstand. The next morning, those drawings were sitting neatly in the trash can. Not a single one was missing. Lily didn’t cry. But after that day, she stopped drawing. I packed up my things and went downstairs. Just as I stepped out of the lobby elevator, I saw three people standing in the center of the hall. Ethan, Claire, and a little boy about four or five years old. The boy looked a lot like Claire. He was tugging at Ethan’s coat, saying in a sweet, childish voice, “Uncle Ethan, I want ice cream.” Claire smiled and gently rubbed his head. “Leo, stop bothering your uncle.” Ethan knelt down, a rare, tender expression softening his face. “It’s okay. Let’s go get some.” He stood up, his gaze sweeping over me as if I were a complete stranger. I lowered my head and walked right past them. As our shoulders brushed, I heard Claire ask, “Ethan, after all these years, how are you still single?” Ethan didn’t answer. But I could hear the sweetness in his soft laugh. When I picked up Lily, she was standing by the preschool gate, standing on her tiptoes to peer outside. Seeing my car, her eyes lit up, and she waved her little hand. “Mommy!” I got out and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered, “Mommy, is Daddy coming home for dinner tonight?” My heart ached. “Daddy is very busy with work. He might not make it back tonight.” “Oh.” Lily lowered her eyes, but then looked up again, her eyes shining. “Then we can wait for him! I drew a picture. I want to show Daddy!” Looking at her hopeful smile, I couldn’t bring myself to say *Daddy isn’t coming back.* I could only nod. “Okay. We’ll wait for Daddy.” At nine o’clock that night, Lily sat on the living room rug with her drawing, her eyes glued to the front door. Ten o’clock. Eleven o’clock. Lily leaned against my chest, her eyelids growing heavier, but she still fought to stay awake. “Daddy… Daddy will be home soon, right?” I gently patted her back. “Go to sleep, sweetie. Mommy is right here.” “But when Daddy comes back, Mommy has to wake Lily up…” “Okay.” Lily fell asleep, her little hand still tightly clutching the drawing. At two in the morning, the front door finally clicked. Ethan walked in, bringing a faint scent of alcohol with him. Seeing me sitting on the sofa holding Lily, he paused, then frowned. “Why are you two still up?” I looked at him, my voice flat. “Lily was waiting for you.” “Waiting for me for what?” “She drew a picture. She wanted to show you.” Ethan glanced at the drawing in Lily’s hand. It was done in crayon, depicting three people: a mommy in a dress, a daddy in a suit, and a little girl with pigtails. The three of them were holding hands under a giant, bright sun. Ethan looked away. “I have work tomorrow. Go to bed.” He turned toward the master bedroom. At the doorway, he suddenly stopped. “By the way, there’s a family day at her preschool tomorrow. You go.” “But—” “I have plans tomorrow.” He didn’t turn around. “Claire just got back and isn’t familiar with the city yet. I’m helping her run some errands.” Holding Lily, I stared at the closed door, unable to utter a single word. Lily shifted in my arms, murmuring sleepily, “Daddy…” I looked down and saw a tear slipping from the corner of her closed eye. She had been awake the whole time. ### 第二章
The next morning, Lily woke up early. She dressed herself, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and ran to the kitchen door. “Mommy, is Daddy awake?” she whispered. I paused while making breakfast. “Daddy already left.” “Oh.” Lily looked down, then looked up again. “Can Daddy make it to the family day today?” I knelt down and looked into her eyes. “Lily, Mommy is going with you today, okay?” Lily bit her lip and didn’t say a word. After a long pause, she finally nodded. “Okay.” But her eyes were filled with nothing but disappointment. The family day activity was “making crafts together.” In the classroom, every other child had both their mommy and daddy with them. Only Lily had just me. During the craft session, a little girl next to us asked her mother, “Mommy, why does Lily only have her mommy here?” Her mother whispered back, “Shh, don’t ask. Maybe she’s from a broken home.” Lily kept her head low, crumpling the colored paper in her tiny hands. I wrapped my arm around her. “Lily, let’s make it together, okay?” Lily looked up, her eyes rimmed with red, but she forced a tiny smile. “Okay.” As the event was ending, the teacher announced that parents could come up to the stage for a group photo. The other kids eagerly dragged their parents toward the stage, laughing. Only Lily sat perfectly still in her seat. “Lily, do you want to go up and take a photo?” I asked gently. Lily shook her head. “Mommy, let’s go home.” She pulled my hand toward the exit. But at the door, she suddenly stopped and looked back one last time. I knew what she was looking at. She was watching the other kids holding their daddies’ hands. On the way back, Lily didn’t say a word. As we reached our apartment door, she suddenly asked, “Mommy, does Daddy not like Lily?” I froze. Lily looked up, her eyes swimming with tears. “Is it because Lily isn’t good enough? I can be better. I won’t eat snacks, and I won’t make noise to bother Daddy. I just want Daddy to like me…” I knelt down and pulled her into a tight embrace. “No, Lily. It’s not your fault. It’s never your fault.” Lily buried her face in my shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. “Then why… why doesn’t Daddy want Lily?” I didn’t know how to answer. Because I wanted to ask the same thing. *Ethan Vance, why don’t you want us?* ### 第三章
That evening, Ethan actually came home early. Lily was playing with blocks in the living room. When she saw him walk in, her eyes lit up instantly, but she was too afraid to move. Ethan glanced at her, said nothing, and walked straight toward his bedroom. Lily lowered her head and went back to her blocks. Standing at the kitchen door, I watched this scene, a heavy lump forming in my throat. During dinner, Ethan’s phone rang. “Claire? Okay, I’ll be right over.” He put down his fork and stood up to leave. Lily finally couldn’t help herself. “Da—” she called out softly. Ethan stopped in his tracks. He turned around, his eyes freezing cold. “How many times have I told you not to call me that?” Lily’s face drained of color. She opened her mouth, her voice barely a whisper. “Mr. Ethan… are you going out?” “Yes.” Ethan turned and left. The moment the door slammed shut, Lily’s tears fell. But she didn’t make a sound. She just kept her head down, wiping her face with the back of her hand. Looking at her, the thread that had held me together for three years finally snapped. I walked over and knelt before her. “Lily, Mommy wants to ask you something.” Lily looked up, her eyes red. “If Mommy takes you to a place far away, a place without Daddy, would you want to go?” Lily blinked in confusion. After a long silence, she whispered, “Will Daddy come look for us?” I paused. “No.” Lily looked down, thinking for a long time. Then she looked up and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Wherever Mommy goes, Lily goes.” At that moment, my mind was made up. Over the next few days, I began making quiet preparations. I resigned from my chauffeur job, sold the car I had driven for three years, and arranged for an apartment and school in a quiet coastal town in Nova Scotia. Every day when I picked Lily up, I would ask her, “Lily, do you really want to leave with Mommy?” And every time, Lily would nod. “Yes.” But at night, before sleeping, I still saw her hugging that cheap doll, whispering, “Goodbye, Daddy.” On the fifth night, Ethan called me. “Tomorrow is the weekend. Take Lily to the mall and buy her some clothes.” I was stunned. In three years, this was the first time he had ever offered to buy Lily anything. “Okay.” The next day, the three of us appeared at the mall. Ethan walked ahead, while Lily and I followed behind. Lily held my hand tightly, but her eyes never left Ethan’s back. Passing the children’s clothing section, Ethan stopped and picked out a few outfits randomly. “Try these on.” Lily looked overwhelmed by the sudden attention. She took the clothes carefully and whispered, “Thank you, Mr. Ethan.” Ethan frowned but said nothing. While trying on the clothes, Lily peeked her head out of the fitting room. “Mommy, does this look pretty?” I smiled and nodded. “Very pretty.” Lily then looked at Ethan. “Mr. Ethan, does it look good?” Ethan was looking at his phone and didn’t even raise his head. “Yeah.” The smile on Lily’s face faded a bit, but she was still happy. At the checkout, the cashier smiled at Lily. “Your daddy is so sweet to you, little girl.” Lily froze, then lowered her head, remaining silent. Ethan swiped his card with a blank expression. As we walked out of the mall, Ethan’s phone rang again. “Claire? Okay, I’ll be there right now.” He hung up and turned to me. “Take a cab back yourself. I have things to handle.” Then, he walked away without a single backward glance. Lily stood frozen in the crowd, watching his figure disappear into the sea of people. After a long time, she looked up at me. “Mommy, does Daddy not want us anymore?” I knelt down and scooped her into my arms. “It’s not that he doesn’t want us, sweetie. It’s just that Daddy has his own life.” Lily buried her head in my shoulder and said nothing. But I felt her hot tears soaking into my neck. ### 第四章
That night, I signed the final lease termination documents. Our flight was scheduled for the day after tomorrow at ten in the morning. The apartment was cleared, and the bags were packed. Everything was ready. Before going to bed, I went into Lily’s room. She was fast asleep, clutching her doll, with tear stains still on her cheeks. I gently pulled the blanket over her and kissed her forehead. “Lily, Mommy is taking you away. We’re going to live our own life.” The next morning, Ethan suddenly returned. He stood in the living room, frowning at the packed suitcases. “Are you going somewhere?” “Yes. I’m taking Lily on a short trip for a few days.” He didn’t probe further. He only said, “Claire and Leo are staying over at our place for a couple of days. It’s good that you’re not here. It saves us any awkwardness.” Looking at him, I found it almost laughable. “Okay.” Ethan turned to leave, then paused as if remembering something. “Right, tomorrow is Leo’s birthday. I promised to take him to the amusement park. If Lily wants to join, she can. It’s always better for kids to play together.” Before I could answer, Lily ran out of her room, her eyes sparkling. “Mr. Ethan, can I really go?” Ethan glanced at her and nodded. “Sure.” Lily literally jumped with joy. But I knew she wasn’t excited about the amusement park. She was excited because she could finally spend time with her father. Looking at her happy face, a bitter taste filled my mouth. We were leaving tomorrow anyway. For our last day, I decided to let her have her happiness. ### 第五章
At the amusement park. Ethan was on the carousel with Leo, while Lily stood outside watching. Leo waved from his wooden horse, shouting, “Uncle Ethan, look at me!” Ethan smiled and took photos of him. Lily watched with envy, whispering to me, “Mommy, can I ride too?” I took her to line up. By the time we got on, Ethan had already taken Leo to the next ride. Lily sat on her carousel horse, but her head was constantly turned toward the direction where Ethan had left. When we got off, she tugged at my hand. “Mommy, let’s go find Mr. Ethan.” I nodded and led her forward. When we found Ethan, he was on the bumper cars with Leo. Leo sat next to him, laughing loudly. Lily stood outside the railing, staring at them, completely still. After a while, Leo saw us. He pointed at Lily and asked, “Uncle Ethan, who is that girl?” Ethan glanced over and said indifferently, “Just a friend’s kid.” *Just a friend’s kid.* Hearing those words, Lily’s expression shattered. But she didn’t cry. She just lowered her head and gripped my hand as tightly as she could. That afternoon, Lily didn’t smile again. On the way home, she remained silent. At night, I finished packing the last of our bags and went to her room. She was sitting on her bed, hugging her doll. “Mommy,” she looked up. “Are we leaving tomorrow?” “Yes.” “Will…” she hesitated. “Will Daddy miss us?” I was silent for a long time. “Lily, some people just don’t have room in their hearts for others.” Lily lowered her head, thinking deeply. Then she looked up and hugged me. “It’s okay. Lily only needs Mommy.” At that moment, my tears almost spilled over. The next morning, we were ready to leave. Just as I opened the door, we ran into Ethan and Leo standing outside. He startled, his eyes sweeping over our luggage. “You’re leaving for your trip this early?” “Yes.” Leo ran out from behind Ethan. Seeing the doll in Lily’s arms, he snatched it away. “What is this? It’s so ugly!” Lily froze, instinctively trying to grab it back. Leo threw the doll onto the ground and stomped on it. “Piece of junk!” Lily’s eyes welled with tears, but she held them back. Ethan frowned slightly and told Leo, “Don’t do that.” Then he turned to me. “You guys should go. Have a good trip.” He led Leo inside, passing right by us without giving Lily a single glance. Lily knelt down, picked up the dirt-covered doll, and carefully patted the dust off it. “Mommy, let’s go.” I nodded, took her hand, and walked out. At the entrance of the residential complex, I looked back at the building one last time. Three years ago, I thought this was a home. Now I realized it was just a roof over our heads. “Driver, to the airport, please.” As the cab started, Lily leaned against me and said softly, “Mommy, Lily isn’t sad.” I held her close. “I know, baby.” “Because Lily has Mommy.” I looked out the window at the fast-receding city skyline and thought in my heart: *Goodbye, Ethan.* *This time, it’s forever.*
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