After a business marriage, I found myself with a four-year-old daughter. Before I even met her, I braced myself for a cold, pure marriage of convenience. In my mind, I pictured a “standard” blended family life: a wife who barely noticed me, and a stepdaughter who ignored me completely. But the moment I saw that tiny figure, tugging at her dress, carefully whispering “Daddy,” I was utterly, completely done for. My heart melted. I even asked my wife, “If we ever go our separate ways, can Lily come with me?” My wife just stared: “???” Our family business hit a rough patch, and my dad was desperate to marry me off to a business partner who already had a child. Honestly, I was pretty okay with it. I was a confirmed bachelor, after all. Since she already had a kid, I wouldn’t have to worry about raising my own. Plus, I heard she was a total workaholic, never had time for her child, who was always looked after by a nanny. I figured life would be easier this way — my wife was loaded, so at least I wouldn’t have to foot the bill for the kid. The wedding was small, quiet, and low-key. Not many guests. And no, I didn’t see the kid there. My new wife, Aria , definitely lived up to her reputation as a workaholic. The ceremony barely ended before she was on a work call. Before she left, she just said, “Something urgent came up at work. I won’t be home for a few days.” “Lily is already home. Go get acquainted with her.” Lily , that was my stepdaughter’s name. My parents divorced years ago, and my relationship with my dad was pretty distant. I didn’t take much from my old home, just a small necklace pendant, when I moved into my new place.
“Mr. Thompson, the young lady is waiting for you in the living room,” Mrs. Jenkins, the housekeeper, said with a smile as I walked in. Uh… was she already planning to give me the cold shoulder? Whatever. I’d play it by ear. How hard could a four-and-a-half-year-old be? But then… Who was that perfect little doll, all rosy cheeks and sweet innocence, sitting on the sofa?! So tiny! So cute! So soft! While I was still blinking in surprise, the little one slid off the sofa and walked right up to me. In her tiny, sweet voice, she tried her best to articulate, “Mr…. Mr. Thompson, this is… Lily’s present… for… Mr. Thompson.” It was a pink bunny plushie, almost as tall as she was. Even though it was huge, she strained to push it towards me. Despite it being our first meeting, she was showing me the purest kindness. My heart warmed instantly. I quickly took the bunny, then crouched down, taking her chubby little hands in mine. “Wow! Thank you, sweet pea! I absolutely love it!” My voice was incredibly gentle. “You’re Lily, right? I’m your Daddy, and from now on, we’re a family. You can call me Daddy directly.” Oh my god! She was so adorable! I wanted to hug her so badly! How could my wife, in name only, be so careless with such a precious child? My poor little one! That’s right, from this moment on, she’s my daughter, no questions asked! The little one seemed startled by my words. Her tiny body trembled slightly, her pale little cheeks flushed pink, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her dress. Then, she cautiously, tentatively, whispered, “Da… Daddy?” After saying it, she shyly lowered her head, only to sneak a peek at me again. Heaven help me! My wife could wait; my daughter was mine!! I cleared my throat and gave a solemn “Mhm.” Then I turned to the housekeeper, who was standing nearby, and said, “I’ll take care of Lily. You can go handle your other tasks.” “Of course, Mr. Thompson.” This feeling was amazing! I tried to suppress my excitement, pretending to be calm as I gently picked up the little munchkin. One arm around her, the other holding the bunny plushie, I headed upstairs. I’d been here a few times before the wedding, so I had a general idea of the villa’s layout. It truly was a business mogul’s estate: six floors, three elevators, and two exquisite small gardens. The decor was minimalist yet grand. I took the little one to the room Aria had prepared for me and placed the bunny plushie by the pillow. “Lily, I’m sorry, Daddy didn’t get you a welcome gift. But this necklace pendant is very important to me. Could you help me keep it safe?” I took the necklace from my neck. “I’ll wear it every day!” she promised seriously. I put it on her, and she looked so happy. “How about sleeping with Daddy tonight, and tomorrow Daddy will take you to kindergarten, okay?” I tried to keep my voice as gentle as possible. If my friends saw me this soft and patient, they’d probably think I’d been replaced by an alien. “Okay,” came another soft, sweet reply. So cute. Lost in my own thoughts, I didn’t notice the faint, almost imperceptible flicker of something unusual on the little one’s innocent face. That night. “…And so, the little bunny and Daddy bunny lived happily ever after.” After finishing the story, I looked down at the little one, whose breathing was steady and who was already fast asleep, then gently closed the storybook. Just then, my phone suddenly rang. It startled me so much I nearly threw it. I fumbled to silence the ringtone. Only after confirming that Lily hadn’t been woken and her breathing was still even, did I finally relax. I tiptoed out of the room, walked far enough away to ensure she couldn’t hear me, then called back. “Leo Thompson! You hung up on me!” Chloe’s voice practically detonated over the phone. “Keep it down! I just put my daughter to sleep. And it’s my wedding night, technically. Why are you calling so late?” I grumbled. “Oh, please, everyone knows your wife didn’t even go home. She went straight back to work after the wedding.” “Wait! What did you just say? Daughter? Where did you get a daughter?” Chloe’s voice was full of shock. I frowned. “She’s my wife’s daughter. But now, she’s my daughter.” It was normal for Chloe not to know. I only found out about Lily’s existence when I was told I was marrying Aria. Aria had kept the child well-protected; the outside world knew very little. But now, Lily’s existence was public knowledge. “And also, stop yelling so loud.” “I was just worried you’d be stuck alone on your wedding night, so I called to spread some cheer!” Chloe’s tone was overly dramatic. I had no idea the little one would be so adorable. I thought that to myself but didn’t say it out loud. “Alright, what’s up?” “You have to come to the reunion this Saturday! Mason’s going to be there too. Remember! Dress to impress, look absolutely stunning, like you own the place, and show him up!” Just hearing her tone, I could picture Chloe gritting her teeth. I found it a bit amusing and soothed her, “Alright, alright, that was ages ago. I don’t care about it anymore.” She scoffed, “Humph,” and didn’t say anything else. We chatted for a few more minutes, then hung up. I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window on the fifth floor, staring out at the night sky, lost in thought. Suddenly, I remembered that summer after high school graduation.
In high school, Chloe, Mason, and I were pretty close. At a get-together after graduation, Isabella, the most popular girl, suddenly confessed her feelings for me in front of everyone. The whole place was buzzing with people cheering and making a scene. I was annoyed and rejected her outright. Isabella was famous in our grade for being beautiful, with tons of admirers, including Mason. But Isabella seemed to have a special soft spot for me, which had always bothered him. Because of my rejection, Isabella probably felt embarrassed. Mason seized the opportunity to comfort her, and they ended up together. A lot of people whispered behind our backs that Mason had picked up my sloppy seconds. Our friendship became complicated after that. I thought once we went to different colleges, we’d never cross paths again. But even though we weren’t at the same university, he still found ways to spread rumors about me, just to make my life miserable. Isabella and Mason didn’t last long, though; I heard they broke up pretty quickly. Mason would also be at the class reunion this Saturday. “Ugh, what a pain.” I irritably ran a hand through my hair. But it had been so long, maybe he’d forgotten all about it. Thinking that, I felt a bit more relaxed. Over the next few days, I spent most of my time at home with Lily. Besides taking her to and from kindergarten every day, I worked on my design sketches at home. I’m a professional fashion designer, and I wasn’t about to give up my work just because I got married. That would be too boring. Lately, this little munchkin had been a huge source of inspiration. Not sketching it out would be an insult to my professional integrity!
Saturday morning, I watched the little one quietly building blocks, a smile playing on my lips. But then I thought of the afternoon’s reunion, and couldn’t help but sigh. Why a class reunion and not a parent-teacher conference? Noticing my change in mood, Lily looked up, her small face worried, “Daddy, are you sad?” I ruffled her chubby little cheek and said, “Daddy has to go to a get-together this afternoon. Can Lily play by herself for a little while at home?” After these past few days, Lily had grown much closer to me. “Can Lily come with Daddy then? Lily will be very good and listen,” she asked, blinking her big eyes. Thinking that Mason might be at the reunion, I instinctively wanted to refuse. Her bright eyes instantly dimmed. “Okay, Lily will wait for Daddy at home.” Crap, a strong wave of guilt washed over me. It wouldn’t hurt to bring Lily, right? I’d keep a close eye on her anyway. Leaving her alone at home would make me just like her workaholic mom, wouldn’t it? “Of course you can. Lily can come with Daddy, okay?” “Yay!” Her eyes immediately lit up again, and I breathed a sigh of relief. But why did I feel like this little one had me completely wrapped around her finger? The reunion was in a private room at a club. By the time we arrived, most people were already there. “Well, well, if it isn’t our famous designer, Leo! What took you so long? We were waiting for you!” I was spotted by an eagle-eyed classmate as soon as I walked in. My plan to quietly huddle in a corner was officially ruined. I smiled and greeted them, then, seeing Chloe waving frantically at me, I took Lily’s hand and walked over. At this, everyone’s gaze shifted to us, and the chatter died down. “Leo, who is this…?” Someone asked curiously. I sat down, pulling Lily onto my lap, and frowned at the drinks piled on the table. “My daughter,” I said frankly, then looked at the server nearby, asking gently, “Excuse me, do you have any juice or milk suitable for a child?” “Yes, sir, I’ll bring it right away.” After settling Lily, I turned to Chloe. “Wipe that hungry wolf look off your face. You’re scaring my daughter.” Chloe chuckled. “Your daughter is so cute! Does she need a godmother?” She had a mischievous look. “Get lost,” I scoffed, giving her a disgusted look. We ate and chatted. A moment later, a strong scent of cologne wafted over. The next second, Lily let out a tiny sneeze. At the same time, a familiar voice cut in: “Leo, I hear you got married recently. To someone with a kid? Why would you do that? You didn’t go and become a…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but everyone understood what he was implying. “Mason! What are you being such a jerk for?!” Chloe’s temper flared instantly, and she glared at him. Mason raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Oh, my bad. Did I hit a nerve?” I shifted Lily away from him, covering her little nose. My voice was icy. “Mason, could you please back off? Can’t you see my daughter is practically choking on your cologne?” “You!” His face instantly turned ugly. Then, he seemed to think of something, pointing at Lily in my arms. “So this is your second wife’s kid, huh?” He forced a fake smile, addressing Lily. “Little girl, do you really think he likes you? Wait until he has his own kids, then he’ll show his true colors and won’t want you anymore!” His expression was feigned sympathy, but the malice was unmistakable. Lily buried her face in my chest. I thought she was scared, and my anger flared. I scoffed, “Mason! Didn’t you say you were coming with your new girlfriend? Where is she? Don’t tell me… you got dumped again?” “Then again, for such a ‘sensitive’ guy, why can’t you ever hold onto anyone?” Seeing his face turn thunderous, I knew I’d hit the mark. I instantly felt a surge of satisfaction. I waved at Chloe, then picked up Lily and stood. “That’s enough of this reunion for today. I have to go.” This reunion was completely ruined. I should probably avoid these in the future. As I carried Lily, I didn’t notice the little one glance coldly over my shoulder at Mason, who stood frozen, before turning her gaze thoughtfully towards my… stomach.
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