After six years of a hidden marriage, Liam lifted our daughter, Lily, high for the very first time tonight. Five-year-old Lily burst into happy laughter. She waved at me, “Mommy, Uncle is making me fly!” A pang of sorrow twisted my heart, but I forced a strained smile as I watched them, father and daughter. Liam was drunk tonight; he didn’t seem to know what he was doing. He didn’t love Lily, and he didn’t love me. His happiness tonight stemmed purely from the return of Serena, the woman he deeply loved. Six years ago, Liam and Serena were madly in love when Serena suddenly left. Liam, on his way to chase after her, had an accident and lost the use of his legs. I was Liam’s personal assistant, staying by his side day and night, enduring his bad temper, encouraging him, and helping him with his physical therapy. The day he finally stood up again, he drank too much in celebration. That night, he mistook me for Serena and, in his drunken state, took me again and again. That’s how I got pregnant. He even agreed to marry me. But I later learned that not only did Liam not love me, but he hadn’t married me out of a sense of responsibility either. He married me solely because he saw news of Serena publicly announcing her new relationship abroad. After we were married, he was like a ghost, completely absent from Lily’s and my life. The day Lily was born, he specifically flew out of town for a business trip. When Lily was learning to speak, he’d stiffen, refusing to let her call him ‘Dad’. When Lily lost control of her skateboard and called out “Dad” once, he just stood there, cold as ice, watching her fall, letting her hit her head hard. …… Yet, the drunken Liam before me now looked at Lily with eyes full of paternal affection. After holding our daughter, he gently placed Lily on the sofa, smiling warmly at her. “I’ll be a good dad.” “Okay, Lily believes in Daddy.” He didn’t seem to hear. The intense smile remained on his face as he turned and murmured a name. “Finn.” He would be a good dad to Finn. My heart turned to ice. Finn – Serena’s son. But Lily had only heard the first sentence. She happily ran to me. “Mommy, Daddy likes me, right? I can call him Daddy now, can’t I?” “He held me, and he said he’d be a good dad.” Her eyes were filled with desperate longing for a positive answer. She truly longed to be like other kids, to cuddle into Liam’s arms, call him Daddy, and playfully complain to him. A bitter ache tightened in my chest. I knelt and pulled her into my embrace, tears blurring my vision. I didn’t want to shatter her hope. I avoided answering her question directly. I didn’t want Lily to know that this fleeting moment of happiness was only granted because of another woman and her son. “Lily, would you be willing to leave this place with Mommy?” I choked back tears. Lily paused, confused. “Mommy, why are we leaving?” The smile froze on Lily’s face, a look of bewilderment. Tears instantly welled up. “We’re a family with Daddy! I want to be with Daddy.” I raised a hand to wipe away her tears, my voice cracking. “Because… Uncle’s true love has returned, and we need to go.” “But… Daddy likes me…” Lily’s voice grew softer and softer. Perhaps deep down, she already knew Liam didn’t love her. “Mommy, can we wait until after my birthday? Let’s give Uncle a few more chances, okay? Maybe he’ll truly like us then. If Daddy is willing to stay with us, then we won’t leave, right?” I nodded, tears streaming down my face. “Alright. You decide how many more chances.” Just a few more chances then. If he still disappointed us, we would leave his world forever. “Yay! Thank you, Mommy.” “Time for bed.” After tucking Lily into bed, I returned to my own room. My marriage with Liam was a sham, existing only in name. We didn’t even bother to maintain appearances. The next morning, Liam woke up and came downstairs. Lily was eating breakfast. When she saw him, she happily put down her toast and ran toward him. “Daddy, you’re awake!” Liam’s face instantly darkened. He asked in a cold voice, “What did you call me?” Lily’s outstretched arms froze in mid-air. She was scared by his expression. “Uncle…” Lily quickly corrected herself, dropping her hands in dismay. “I’m sorry, Uncle.” I forcefully suppressed the bitterness in my heart. I walked over and picked her up. “Time to eat. You’ll be late for school.” I knew Liam’s attitude toward us wouldn’t change. His lapse yesterday was just because Serena was back, and he was too happy and had too much to drink. Liam’s demeanor softened slightly. He walked to the dining room, took a sip of coffee, and left without a word. “Goodbye, Uncle,” Lily called out to his retreating back, as she always did. Still no response. On the way to school, Lily kept her head down, silent. As we neared the school, she looked up at me. “Mommy, does that count as one chance? Let’s give Uncle three more chances!” Tears welled in Lily’s eyes. My heart ached. “Okay, we’ll do whatever Lily wants.” I watched Lily enter kindergarten, then turned and went to a law firm. I took out the divorce papers Liam had drafted and asked if they were valid. When Liam married me, it was conditional: he could ask for a divorce at any time, and I couldn’t refuse. The agreement was prepared before the marriage, with no date marked, only Liam’s signature. Once the lawyer confirmed its validity, I signed my name and asked him to handle the divorce for me. “Please, just send the divorce certificate directly to this address when it’s ready.” I left the villa’s address and stood up to leave. A familiar sting burned behind my eyes, and I tilted my head back, willing the tears away. I loved Liam, and after we married, I had tried hard, I had dreamed. But after his repeated neglect, his constant indifference, my once burning heart had slowly, agonizingly, turned to ash. Serena was back; it was time for me to go. Unluckily, after finishing my business, I saw Liam and Serena again in the main hall of a department store. Serena was stunning, radiating a bold, almost wild beauty. She linked her arm through Liam’s, beaming. Liam held her son, Finn, with one arm, his eyes filled with an almost sickeningly soft adoration. My breath hitched. How many times had I fantasized about Liam taking Lily and me shopping? Unbidden tears welled up and spilled over. I stared at them, my heart aching with an unbearable intensity. I forced my trembling legs to move, inching away. Back at the villa, I prepared a resume, along with my portfolio, and sent them to several companies I admired in Country A. Then I printed out my resignation letter and took it directly to the office. After marrying Liam, he had moved me away from his side. Now, I was just a regular employee in the admin department. The resignation process was simple. Once I handed over my current tasks, I could leave at any time. I walked from HR back to my office and started packing my things. A moment later, I heard footsteps and polite murmurs of greeting approaching the door. I looked up and saw several executives surrounding Liam and Serena as they walked in. Serena had changed clothes. Unlike her previous striking and wild style, she now looked sharp and professional, immediately capturing everyone’s attention. Liam’s arm was loosely draped around her waist, his gaze glued to her, unable to tear itself away for even a second. A fresh stab of pain pierced my heart. I looked at Liam, but he remained utterly indifferent. I lowered my gaze. The next moment, they were standing in front of me. “Clara, this is Ms. Serena, Mr. Liam’s girlfriend. She will be taking over your position. You’re being transferred to the sales department. Please ensure a smooth handover as soon as possible.” Mr. Liam’s girlfriend? Liam didn’t deny it. My eyes burned with unshed tears, and I clenched my fists. Liam was so eager to reinstate Serena, completely disregarding Lily’s and my feelings. I looked at Liam again. “Li—” Before I could finish, his icy gaze shot me a warning. “Ms. Clara, if you have any issues with your job transfer, you can speak to your direct superior.” He knit his brows, clearly wanting me to keep our relationship a secret. “She’s better suited for this position than you,” Liam added. I understood what he meant. He wasn’t just talking about work. A thousand tiny needles pricked at my heart. I forced myself to appear composed; he truly didn’t care about me. “Alright,” I nodded, shaking hands with Serena. Liam seemed satisfied. He turned back to Serena, and the harsh coldness in his eyes softened, replaced by a tenderness I’d never seen directed at me. That kind of look, Lily and I had never received. Love and indifference were so starkly obvious. Fortunately, I had long stopped expecting anything. That evening, the company spontaneously organized a team-building event, a welcome dinner for Serena. I had already resigned and didn’t want to go, but Serena insisted. “Ms. Clara, are you upset that I took your job, which is why you don’t want to attend my welcome dinner? I never intended to take anything; Mr. Liam arranged everything.” “I just started today, and I’d really love to connect with you. I don’t know many colleagues here. Could you accompany me?” I looked at her ambiguous gaze and smiled faintly, shaking my head. “You’re overthinking it. I need to pick up my daughter. I’m sorry.” “Where’s your husband? He can pick up the child!” My husband? “I don’t have a husband,” I said blandly, a bitter ache in my heart. Liam never acknowledged being my husband. Our lives were completely separate. Having one or not made no difference. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” Serena apologized, but she was persistent, determined to make me attend. “Why don’t you bring your daughter along? My son will be here too; they can play together.” “No, my daughter doesn’t like these kinds of events.” Just as I spoke, a small figure ran toward me. “Mommy, Uncle picked me up from school today!” Lily bounced into my arms, her voice joyful. “He even brought me to find you!” My heart leaped. Liam didn’t even know which kindergarten Lily attended. How could he suddenly pick her up? I looked up. Liam strolled over from a distance, his eyes sparkling with a smile, fixed entirely on Serena. He didn’t spare me even a fleeting glance. “Liam, you know Ms. Clara’s child?” Serena asked, her face full of confusion. “I ran into her when I picked up Finn, so I brought her along. She’s Ms. Clara’s daughter; she’s been to the office a few times,” Liam explained, as if afraid she might misunderstand. When he spoke of Lily and me, his tone was distant, detached. It was as if we were strangers, as if he feared any association with us. Lily was about to call him. I glanced at Lily and subtly shook my head. She sadly lowered her eyes. “Oh, so that’s it. You probably didn’t know, but this girl doesn’t have a father. Perhaps we shouldn’t transfer Ms. Clara to the sales department; it’s hard enough raising a child alone.” Liam frowned slightly, shot me a quick glance, then said, “Alright, you decide.” Serena looked delighted, nodding gently at him. Their eyes locked, a silent, intimate conversation passing between them, oblivious to everyone else. Lily clutched my clothes, burying her head in my lap. “Mommy, Mr. Liam!” Finn’s voice broke their silent flirtation. He bounded forward, directly hugging Liam’s leg. “Mr. Liam, carry me!” Lily’s small body stiffened. She looked up at Liam and Finn. Liam picked him up, his eyes filled with a warmth, a paternal love that Lily had never once experienced from him. Seeing Lily look at him, his arm, holding Finn, gave a slight tremble, but there was no other reaction. Lily’s eyes welled up with tears of injustice. He glanced away, deliberately avoiding Lily’s gaze. “Finn, be good, you shouldn’t ask Mr. Liam to carry you. Come down now,” Serena said, trying to pull him away, but he held tightly onto Liam’s neck. “No way! I like Mr. Liam carrying me, and Mr. Liam likes carrying me too!” Finn planted a wet kiss on Liam’s cheek. “I’m hungry, I want cake!” “Alright, let’s go get some cake. Liam, shall we go in?” Serena smiled, following behind Liam. After a few steps, she didn’t forget to call out to me. “Ms. Clara, hurry up and follow us.” I knelt down. Lily was already in tears. She looked up at me with her small face. “Mommy, are they the people Uncle really likes?” At that moment, I could no longer control my grief. I pulled her into my arms, crying with her. The scene was too cruel, too devastating, even for me to bear, let alone Lily. I didn’t answer, but Lily already knew the truth. “Mommy, I want to go see again.” Lily wiped her tears with her hand and proactively took my hand. “I want to see how good Uncle’s favorite people are.” “Lily, let’s go home, okay?” I couldn’t bear for Lily to be hurt again. Lily stubbornly shook her head. “I want to go.” “Alright.” I took her hand and entered the banquet hall. The hall was crowded and lively, with Liam, Serena, and Finn at the center of attention. I found a quiet corner with Lily, and her gaze remained fixed on Liam. His tenderness and concern for Finn were something Lily had always longed for but never received. When she saw Liam personally feeding Finn fruit, Lily stood up. “Mommy, Uncle really likes them. Uncle is smiling so happily. Let’s go, let’s not bother him.” Lily’s words hit me like a physical blow, crushing my heart and leaving me breathless with pain. “Then let’s go home.” Lily nodded. I took her hand and walked toward the exit. “Ms. Clara, wait.” Liam’s secretary blocked our path. “Mr. Liam said he wants to take Lily out to play and asked you to hand Lily over to me.” He was the only one in the company who knew about our relationship. “Uncle wants to take me to play?” Lily’s dim eyes instantly brightened. She scanned the crowd, searching for Liam. The secretary nodded. “Yes, Mr. Liam gave those instructions.” At the same time, Liam sent me a message saying he wanted to take Lily to see fireworks. This was the first time. He had ever volunteered to take Lily out to play. A sense of unease settled in my heart, and I didn’t want her to go.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298698”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #后宫Harem #重生Reborn
Leave a Reply