The day my daughter was admitted to the ICU, Damien boarded a flight to the States, his first love, Seraphina, and her daughter right by his side. The man who once swore he’d be my and Chloe’s safe harbor had fled, taking every last penny with him. When the private investigator finally tracked him down, he only had one message for me. “Seraphina already lost her husband. I can’t let her lose her daughter too.” “When I return, I’ll give you the grand wedding you deserve.” Three years later, Damien returned. And I saw the news of Damien’s wedding… on TV. “Mommy, why is Daddy marrying someone else?” “That’s not your dad.” I put my phone away, my mind swirling with the image of Damien, Seraphina, and her daughter, their faces beaming with joy. Frozen in place, my vision blurred. “Mommy, hug.” It wasn’t until Chloe spoke that I realized it was pouring rain. And Chloe and I didn’t even have enough money for an umbrella. I scooped her up, and we huddled under the awning of a bakery. The rain was coming down in sheets. My face was soaked, but I couldn’t tell if it was the relentless downpour or my own silent, endless tears. “Mommy, was that Daddy on your phone just now?” Chloe leaned against my knee. “If it was Daddy, why is he marrying another woman?” For a moment, I had no idea how to explain. I touched Chloe’s face, wiping away the raindrops. The chime above the bakery door jingled. The door swung open, and out stepped Seraphina and Stella. “Mommy, the rain is so heavy! When is Daddy coming?” “Daddy’s almost here. He said he couldn’t bear to let his little princess get wet, so he’s driving all the way to pick us up himself.” Just as she finished speaking, a car pulled up nearby. The moment the car door opened, Damien stepped out, holding an umbrella, and walked gracefully towards Seraphina and Stella. “Mommy, it’s Daddy!” Chloe, ecstatic, started to jump up and down, but I gently pulled her back. “That’s not your dad.” Damien’s expression froze the moment he saw me. He tightened his embrace around Stella, his gaze slowly shifting down to Chloe. Then, Damien’s brows furrowed, and a displeased sound escaped him. Three years. This was the first time we’d seen each other since he left. A bitter, hollow laugh escaped me. In a twisted, heartbreaking way, I actually *understood* Damien. He was successful, about to get married. Chloe and I? We were just… excess baggage. “Aria, I genuinely didn’t recognize you. What happened to you?” Seraphina feigned a gasp, her eyes immediately welling with theatrical sympathy. She pulled a wad of cash from her purse and pressed it into my hand. “Honestly, if it weren’t for Damien back then, I might have ended up just like you.” I looked at her expensive clothes, her flawless skin, and remembered the woman I used to be. If Damien hadn’t run off with all our money, Chloe and I would never have fallen so low. What Damien didn’t know – or maybe he just didn’t care – was that he’d also taken the money for Chloe’s life-saving treatment. To save Chloe, I’d borrowed money from every corner. These past few years, I’d aged more than a decade, and Chloe hadn’t known a single day of true happiness. I threw the money to the ground and picked up Chloe. But Stella suddenly burst into tears, wriggling in Damien’s arms like a spoiled brat. “You mean witch! You hurt my mommy! And three years ago, you hurt *me*! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have needed surgery! You’re both evil!” Damien’s face changed dramatically. He spun to face me, demanding to know what had happened back then. “Stella’s sudden illness back then… was it because of you?” His eyes were like cold blades, pulling me into an endless abyss. Chloe tried to explain, but Stella suddenly grabbed Chloe’s hand and bit her. My instinct was to shield Chloe, but Damien shoved me away with surprising force. Chloe and I slammed against the wall, the dull ache blossoming into a full-body throb. My eyes instantly burned with tears. Seraphina looked triumphant, even feigning an apology to Chloe and me. A bitter tang spread through my heart. He once promised to be our safe harbor, our shield from the world’s storms. Now, he *was* the storm. I sniffled, forcing back my tears, and gazed at Damien.
Chloe scrambled up from the ground and stood in front of me. Her face was etched with hurt as she looked at Damien. “Daddy…” Hearing Chloe’s soft voice, Damien’s heart seemed to melt for a moment. I hugged Chloe tight, checking her for any injuries. “Oh my! How could you be so careless? Look at that huge scar on her arm! What will she do when she grows up?” Seraphina shrieked, pointing at the wound on Chloe’s arm. Chloe tugged down her long sleeve, lowering her head. “Look at our Stella. Not a single scar on her.” Saying this, Stella even spun around triumphantly in front of Chloe. I remained silent. How did Chloe get that scar? Well, it was all thanks to Damien. After he left, kids at school called her names, whispered about her not having a dad. They called her a ‘nobody,’ and even the teachers turned a blind eye. I hated Damien. But the one I truly despised was myself. Damien’s face clouded over. He gently pulled Chloe closer, kneeling to meet her gaze. “Does it hurt, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice softer than I’d heard in years. Chloe looked at me, then bravely replied. “Daddy, it doesn’t hurt.” Stella, on the other hand, looked ready to explode. Her eyes narrowed into slits of pure venom as she glared at Chloe. Damien shielded Stella behind him, taking a deep breath before speaking to me. “Perfect timing. Let’s discuss Chloe’s custody.” Chloe didn’t understand what that meant, but she could read Damien’s tone. She struggled free from behind Damien and ran to me, hugging me tightly. “You walked out on us! You *abandoned* us! And now you’re talking about custody? Do you even have the right to breathe the same air as us?” I looked at Damien with cold contempt. My words were a direct hit, a verbal slap across his arrogant face. I could see the disgust for me deepening in his eyes. Seraphina dramatically crumpled, her shoulders shaking with carefully orchestrated sobs. “I know you hate me, but the situation was urgent back then. If you want to hate someone, hate me, just don’t hate Damien.” Seeing Seraphina cry, Stella instantly clung to Damien’s leg. “Daddy, did Mommy and Stella do something wrong?” Damien looked at me with palpable irritation, but the moment his gaze shifted to Seraphina and Stella, his face softened into a tender, sickeningly sweet expression. I couldn’t stand it. I picked up Chloe, ready to leave. Damien reached out to grab Chloe, but I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. “How could you hit Damien? Don’t you know how much Damien sacrificed for you all these years?” My palm tingled, and I realized my face was already streaked with tears. Sacrificed for us? What did Damien sacrifice for us? Chloe almost *died*! She was clinging to life in the hospital because we couldn’t afford her surgery! I couldn’t even afford her medicine, she never had a new toy, and every single item of clothing she owned was a hand-me-down. And Stella? A single one of her outfits probably cost more than Chloe’s entire course of treatment. I hugged Chloe tighter, biting my bottom lip, and said each word slowly: “Stay away from us.” “The day you left three years ago, I considered you dead.” Chloe touched my face. “Mommy, don’t cry. Chloe’s heart hurts.” Damien, still reeling from the slap, slowly composed himself. Then, he grabbed my arm, squeezing with brutal force. He looked as if he wanted to crush me, his eyes blazing with fury. “You can’t take care of Chloe! She’ll have a good life only if she’s with me!” “You selfish woman! You don’t deserve to be a mother! If you truly love Chloe, you’ll let her come with me, where she can have a real life!” His words were nothing but accusations. The past three years, all my hardship and tears – he saw none of it. Just as I felt myself collapsing, Chloe hugged me tighter in my arms.
The day Damien left three years ago was a bright, sunny day. I was watering flowers at home as usual when the front door was suddenly violently flung open. In my panic, I learned that Damien had borrowed a huge amount of money and then fled with the last of our savings. I simply couldn’t believe he would do such a thing. But that day, strangers were moving into our house, taking everything we owned. Pregnant with Chloe at the time, I went into early labor. From the moment she was born, Chloe was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. Being premature on top of that, she was rushed straight to the ICU, her tiny life hanging by a fragile thread. Bringing Chloe up these past three years was nothing short of a miracle. I knew I couldn’t give her better material conditions, and often, in the dead of night, I would cry with regret. Once I started earning some money, I even hired someone to find Damien. He left me two sentences, not a single word of concern for me. “Seraphina already lost her husband. I can’t let her lose her daughter too.” “When I return, I’ll give you the grand wedding you deserve.” He even forgot the very promise he made. Seeing me lost in thought, Damien’s face grew even darker. “Are you even listening to me?” Damien lost all patience and yelled at me. Chloe choked back a sob. “You’re not allowed to yell at my mommy! You’re not my daddy anymore! I don’t want you!” Pouting, Chloe buried her face in my shoulder, heartbroken. She had always longed for a dad. Only I knew how much courage it took for Chloe to say those words. “Chloe, Mommy can’t take good care of you. Will you go with Daddy, okay?” An awkward expression flitted across his face, but he quickly composed himself, opening his arms and cooing softly at Chloe. “Mommy said you’re not my daddy! Stay away from us!” After saying that, Chloe cried until she was sobbing uncontrollably. Stella let out a snide, dismissive sound, making Chloe cry even harder. She bravely wiped away her own tears, a silent strength I didn’t possess. My heart, though, was being shredded into tiny pieces. We had waited for Damien to return. But he now had his own wife and daughter. Thinking of their grand wedding, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. “I will take good care of Chloe. You don’t need to worry about us.” “Go take care of your own wife and daughter.”
Damien’s eyes were bloodshot, his hands falling helplessly to his sides. He finally snapped back to reality and pulled us into the coffee shop next door. Seraphina, leading Stella, picked up the menu and ordered with practiced ease. Chloe, meanwhile, looked utterly out of place. She knew I didn’t have money to pay for this meal. She looked up at me. “Mommy, why are the cakes here so cheap?” “How can the cakes here compare to what Stella eats in the States?” Seraphina and Stella smirked, then Seraphina lifted her eyes to look at me. “What would you two like to order?” The menu was written in elegant cursive, every item a string of French words. Chloe and I stared blankly, not understanding a single thing. Damien made a phone call, then called over a server and ordered some desserts. Seraphina looked utterly blissful. “Damien, I can’t believe you remembered Stella and I are allergic to mango!” “Daddy, I knew you loved Stella the most!” Stella burrowed into Damien’s arms, showering him with affection. Chloe sat forlornly, her head drooping. The desserts arrived, and every single one had almond slivers. My heart felt half-empty. I had foolishly believed Damien would remember I didn’t eat almonds. He didn’t notice my disappointed expression. He simply sent Seraphina and Stella off. “Mr. Damien, I’m not interested in your family’s happy life. Can Chloe and I leave now?” Hearing my words, Damien looked utterly disbelieving. “I was forced to make that choice back then! Why can’t you understand me?” “‘Forced to,’ huh? What a pathetic excuse.” I scoffed, turning my head away. “Were you ‘forced’ to marry Seraphina too?” “No one forced you to do any of this. These were all *your* choices.” After I finished speaking, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Damien fell silent, his expression wounded. But I was the one who should be hurting the most. I’d clung to the foolish hope that when Damien finally returned, I’d get my wedding, the one that was rightfully mine. That we’d just… go back to how things were, to our quiet, peaceful life. But I was wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong. I was so wrong that Damien already had a whole new family, and I was still holding onto a ghost. The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous I felt. “Chloe, let’s go.” “I’ve already called my lawyer! We *have* to talk about Chloe’s custody!” But Damien was insistent, as if he was afraid I’d run away. I struggled twice, but Damien wrapped his arms around me and Chloe. A wave of violent nausea churned in my stomach, and I shoved him away with all my might. Damien’s hands froze in mid-air. Noticing the disgust in my eyes, he stood still, stunned. “Aria,” he whispered, his voice laced with disbelief, “do you truly hate me that much?” He mumbled, his body swaying slightly. Just as he reached out again, Seraphina’s shriek echoed through the cafe. “Damien! Stella’s gone! Help me find her!” Damien didn’t hesitate for a second. He spun around, abandoning us, and rushed out of the shop. Outside, Seraphina watched me with a smug, triumphant smirk. And peeking from behind a parked car, a supposedly “missing” Stella was barely suppressing her giggles. Their mockery made me feel utterly humiliated. I forced myself to appear calm, picked up Chloe, and walked away.
Back home, I gave Chloe a warm bath. Halfway through filling the tub, the lights and water stopped. That’s when I remembered. Chloe had a fever last month, and we hadn’t been able to pay the water or electricity bill. Chloe, ever so practical, cheerfully lathered herself with shower gel. “Mommy, this little bit of water is plenty!” she chirped. “Let’s not waste it!” She looked utterly delighted, never once making me feel like I’d deprived her. Thinking of Damien’s words, perhaps Chloe really would have a better life with him. Perhaps Chloe didn’t need a dad, but rather… money. Besides, the money Seraphina and Stella were spending? Some of it was rightfully mine. The thought solidified my resolve. I quickly finished bathing Chloe and helped her into clean clothes. Our landlady, Mrs. Gable, knocked on the door, bringing a small cake and a few candles. She knew we were always struggling, yet she’d never been anything but kind, even when we fell behind on rent. Chloe thanked Mrs. Gable, and I smiled with relief. “Is your son a lawyer?” Mrs. Gable nodded, her face etched with concern. “Did something happen?” “Damien’s back. I need to file a lawsuit. I want him to pay child support.” Mrs. Gable looked surprised, and then puzzled. “Your husband is back? Why hasn’t he taken you two in?” I stayed silent, simply smiling. Because he already had his own family, of course. Chloe and I were just… redundant. If that was the case, I wouldn’t cling to him. But what was rightfully Chloe’s and mine, I would not let go of a single penny. Mrs. Gable murmured, feeling for Chloe and me. “You’re so beautiful, and Chloe is such a sweet girl. You’ve both been through so much because of him. How could he just… leave you like that?” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure my son does everything he can to help you.” Once Mrs. Gable left, I closed the door and sent a text to Damien’s creditor. **[Want your money? This month’s payment. Meet at the entrance of The Grand Estates tomorrow. Someone will be waiting for you.]** The creditor called, asking if Damien was back. I answered vaguely. He cursed under his breath, then agreed to meet tomorrow. I hung up, feeling satisfied, and saw Chloe’s face smeared with cake like a little kitten. Looking at my daughter, my heart felt more at peace. Damien, I’m sorry, but if you want your money, this is the only way. This is what Chloe and I deserve. And you, too, should pay for your actions.
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