It was Kindergarten Family Day. My wife, Serena, claimed she had company business and told me and our daughter, Lily, not to go. So, I decided to take Lily myself. As soon as we walked in, I saw Serena, one arm cradling a little boy, the other hand holding our childhood sweetheart, Ryan. They looked like a real family of three, laughing and chatting, perfectly harmonious. Until they saw Lily and me. Serena’s brow furrowed slightly, and she finally let go of Ryan’s hand. “Daniel, don’t misunderstand. It’s tough for Ryan, being a single dad. Today is his son’s fifth birthday, and he just wanted him to experience a mother’s love.” I shot her a meaningful glance, then crouched down, taking Lily’s small hand. “Sweetheart, say hello to Ms. Serena.” Seeing this, Ryan quickly took his son, his face apologetic. “Daniel, please don’t be mad. Serena meant well. Leo grew up without a mom, and today’s his fifth birthday. Serena was just helping him fulfill a dream of having a mother.” I stared at him, a half-smile playing on my lips. “If that’s the case, now that Lily and I are here, shouldn’t Serena come back to us? After all, we’re the real family of three.” Ryan froze slightly, but the boy in his arms wasn’t having it. “Mommy, you promised you’d spend today with Daddy and me!” The five-year-old glared at me with fierce eyes. I raised an eyebrow. “Mommy”? They’re already calling her “Mommy”? Before I could say anything else, Serena stepped in front of them, adopting a protective stance. Her tone was impatient. “Daniel, you’re a parent too. Do you have absolutely no empathy?” “Ryan and I grew up together. I’m just spending one day with them, just one day! Do you really have to be so petty about this?” I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping me. Was Ryan’s misfortune my fault? Just then, other parents and their kids started arriving, and someone came over to greet us. “Leo’s dad, Leo’s mom, good morning! You two always come to Family Day together with Leo. Not like my husband, always saying he’s busy with work, never caring about our child’s growth.” Ryan awkwardly returned the greeting, and I saw a flicker of panic in Serena’s eyes. I couldn’t help but demand, “Serena, is this what you meant by ‘just one day’?!” Serena flushed with anger, grabbing my arm. “Daniel, there are a lot of people here, don’t make a scene!” She then looked down at Lily, lowering her voice. “If you make a fuss, it won’t be good for Lily, will it?” Lily suddenly heard her name and looked around confused. But she still didn’t seem to understand what was happening, just clinging tightly to my leg, her small hand clutching mine, already sweaty. I felt her unease. I knelt down, stroked her little ponytail, and whispered, “Daddy’s here, sweetheart. There’s nothing to be scared of.” I watched Serena, Ryan, and Leo walk away. Soon, they were surrounded by the crowd. Some parents, eager to flatter, smiled and greeted Serena. They were praising her successful career, how she’d become the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company in her early thirties. Serena was undoubtedly arrogant and smug, practically strutting with pride. And Ryan? He stared at Serena with shining eyes, looking as if he were basking in her reflected glory. Leo, still in Serena’s arms, suddenly looked back and shot me a defiant grimace. A cold laugh bubbled up in my chest. It looked like Serena had gotten way too ahead of herself. Even though I’d cut down my time at the company to be with Lily, 75% of Everwing Group’s shares were in my name. I was the real CEO, the actual boss. She had just latched onto me, and out of marital consideration, I’d given her a manager title. I pulled out my phone and messaged Chloe in HR: “Chloe, transfer Serena from her manager position. Internal announcement next Monday.” Then I messaged Marcus in Legal: “Marcus, draft a divorce agreement for Serena and me.”
A short while later, the Kindergarten Family Day activities officially began. Each family sat at a table that had been prepared beforehand. Lily looked at Serena sitting in the front row and asked sadly, “Daddy, why isn’t Serena sitting with us?” I pinched Lily’s soft, plump cheek. She was still so young; she shouldn’t have to deal with this dirty business. “Because Daddy’s a superhero, and to be fair, Serena went to help other little superheroes.” Just then, the kindergarten teacher announced the start of the first activity: building blocks, smiling as she added, “There’s a prize for first place! A LEGO spaceship!” Lily suddenly brightened, pointing at the spaceship. “Daddy, I want that!” “Alright, then let’s go for it!” The sand in the hourglass was almost gone when Lily raised her small hand and excitedly shouted, “Teacher, we’re done!” The teacher walked over and nodded, about to make the announcement, when a little boy came zooming over from the front row. It was Leo. He shoved over our completed block structure with one hand, then stood there, chest puffed out. “Now first place is mine!” Lily stared at the collapsed blocks, her eyes welling up with tears. Angrily, she picked up a large block and threw it at Leo. Serena’s first words as she arrived were, “Lily, how could you hit someone?! Apologize to Leo right now!” Lily was stubborn. “No, I won’t! He knocked down my blocks first! He’s a meanie!” I stood firmly behind Lily. “Serena, anyone with eyes can see who started it. Leo should apologize to Lily!” Ryan followed her, pulling on Serena’s arm. “Serena, let it go. No need to make a big deal. Adults overlook a child’s misdeeds.” The kindergarten teacher also tried to smooth things over. Just then, Lily suddenly burst into tears, whimpering, “Mommy, why aren’t you protecting me? Why are you being mean to me?” That single word, “Mommy,” instantly stunned everyone. Their gazes darted between me, Serena, and Ryan. Serena’s face flushed red and then white. Ryan looked like he wanted to speak but held back. At that moment, Leo stood with his hands on his hips in front of Lily, his voice venomous. “Who are you calling Mommy? What are you shouting about! She’s my mommy!” Lily was so startled she started hiccuping. She cried, her eyes blurry with tears, her little voice cracking as she shrieked, “Mommy, say something!” My heart ached, and I shot Serena a furious glare, my voice much harsher. “Serena, aren’t you going to explain? Are you just going to stand there and let Lily and me be misunderstood?” Serena’s eyes widened, and she snatched Leo into her arms. “Explain what? Today, I am Leo’s mommy!” She even patted Leo’s head. Instantly, the other parents began pointing and whispering about Lily and me. “Why is that child calling her ‘Mommy’ willy-nilly?!” “Lily’s family usually never comes to Family Day. This time it’s just the dad. Could she be someone’s mistress’s child?!” “I heard Serena is a CEO, super rich. Maybe Lily’s dad was trying to hook up with Serena, and his own daughter stumbled upon them and got confused.” As Lily and I were being attacked by rumors, Serena remained silent, simply comforting Leo. Ryan, standing nearby, barely concealed a smirk, glancing at me. I hugged a sobbing Lily, patting her gently. Though I wanted nothing more than to slap that conniving woman and that slimy man, it wasn’t the time. I couldn’t let Lily get hurt any further. Just then, someone trying to curry favor with Serena simpered, “Leo looks so much like you, Serena. You can tell they’re mother and son at a glance.” I looked up at Serena. A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes, then she quickly changed the subject. Ryan, meanwhile, looked absolutely smug. I’d seen this father and son before, but I’d never noticed that Serena and Leo really did share a certain resemblance in their features. Lily couldn’t stop crying. I had to ask the teacher to take us to the quiet room, hoping to calm Lily down first. In the quiet room, I comforted Lily until she eventually fell asleep. Looking at her swollen, red eyelids from crying, my heart twisted into a knot. I quietly slipped out, walked to the bend in the corridor, and called Chloe and Marcus. “Chloe, Marcus, bring my marriage certificate with Serena, the drafted divorce agreement, and her termination letter to Little Star Preschool now. Hurry!” As I was still discussing the details with them, I suddenly heard a scream—it was Lily’s voice! My heart sank to my stomach.
At the end of the hallway, by the bathroom door, Lily had been pushed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Leading the pack of kids surrounding her was Leo, his face a menacing scowl. “That’s what you get for calling her Mommy! I’m going to beat you to a pulp today!” With that, he kicked Lily in the stomach. Lily cried out in pain, trying to dodge, but the little boy behind him grabbed her. “The mistress’s kid deserves a beating!” “My mom said illegitimate kids should be strangled at birth!” Lily flailed her small hands in protest, crying so hard she could barely breathe. “You’re lying! That’s my mommy! Mommy, Daddy, come save Lily!” “Lily hurts so bad!” “Mommy, Daddy, where are you?!” The moment I saw that, my mind went blank with a roar, blood surged, my veins felt like they were about to burst. The little boys spotted me, exchanged glances, and seeing my furious expression, scattered like startled birds. I scooped Lily into my arms, realizing she was shaking violently. I immediately called an ambulance. “Don’t be scared, sweetheart. Daddy’s here, Daddy’s here.” When the ambulance arrived, other parents crowded around, curious about what had happened. I raced towards the ambulance, carrying Lily. As I passed, Serena was smiling, building blocks with Leo, while Ryan stood by, wiping sweat from her brow. Hearing the commotion, she looked up, a confused expression on her face. As she stood up and started to ask, “What’s going on? What happened to Lily?” Ryan grabbed her hand. “Serena, you promised to spend today with Leo. You don’t know how happy he was when I told him last night you’d be with him all day.” Serena’s footsteps faltered. I had already gotten into the ambulance with Lily. Lily had passed out, and the paramedics immediately began checks and resuscitation in the ambulance. When a female paramedic lifted Lily’s dress, she gasped. “How could anyone be so cruel to such a small child?!” I instantly panicked. Lily’s milky-white skin was covered in bruises, purple and blue, with a fist-sized contusion on her side. Her tiny body trembled uncontrollably. The paramedic’s voice suddenly became urgent. “Quick, get the equipment ready!” Two agonizing hours passed before Lily was stable. Regret and hatred intertwined in my heart, growing wildly, tearing through me. My mother, Eleanor, cried tears of sorrow, complaining, “How could you let this happen, Daniel? My poor baby, what she’s been through!” Lily, hooked up to an IV, weakly opened her eyes on the hospital bed, looking at me blankly. “Daddy, why do they all say Lily’s a child Mommy didn’t want?” “But Lily has a mommy!” “Why didn’t Mommy protect Lily?” I gently kissed her forehead and told her, “Daddy will always, always protect Lily. Lily is Daddy’s most beloved treasure.” “As for your mommy, we don’t want her anymore.” When I returned to the kindergarten, the activity day was on its last item. Families were painting a portrait of their ‘happy family.’ Serena was patiently coloring a picture, Leo nestled quietly in her arms, and Ryan, a look of utter contentment on his face, was taking photos of them both. It truly was a picture of serene domestic bliss, a perfect happy family. But why was my Lily lying in a hospital bed, while the culprits were here, enjoying their happiness?! I stormed over, and without a word, landed a fierce punch on Ryan. The sheer force sent him stumbling back, and with a dull thud, he hit the corner of a table behind him. The sudden sound stunned everyone into silence. Serena shrieked, “Daniel, what are you doing?!” Then she quickly pulled Ryan into her arms, her eyes full of concern. “Ryan, does it hurt?” Tears rolled down Ryan’s face, but he shook his head, playing the victim. “Daniel, have you misunderstood something? I apologize to you.” I sneered. “Just a verbal apology? Isn’t that a bit insincere?” With that, I raised my hand to slap him again. Serena saw it coming and tried to block me. I changed direction, delivering the slap directly to Serena’s face. The five-fingered red imprint was starkly visible on her cheek. Serena clutched her face, stunned for a second, then went ballistic. “Daniel, are you sick?! Who gave you the right to hit me?!” Just then, the kindergarten teachers rushed over to intervene, asking me what was going on. I pointed at Leo, gritting my teeth. “This little brat, when I wasn’t looking, ganged up with a few other boys and beat up my Lily!” The words had barely left my mouth when Ryan anxiously interjected, “No way! Leo is a very sweet boy. Serena, you have to believe me!” I took a step forward. “No way? Then why do you think an ambulance just came?!” Serena once again positioned herself protectively in front of Ryan and Leo. “What harm can a little kid do? Kids roughhouse, it’s inevitable. But you? You’re overreacting, hitting people right away—a total brute!” Seeing my aggressive stance, Serena actually shoved me with force, sending me to the ground. My palm scraped against the ground, bleeding. Those who were trying to curry favor with Serena joined in, looking down on me, ridiculing and cursing. “Is he trying to stage an accident? Knows Ms. Serena’s loaded and wants to extort money!” “Look at his audacity! He’ll be crying when Everwing Group’s legal team is done with him.” “You think, maybe he tried to seduce Ms. Serena before and failed, and now he’s just causing trouble? He’s nowhere near Ms. Serena’s level!” “Definitely acting like a mistress’s man!” Just then, the roar of cars grew louder, and soon three luxury black SUVs pulled up to the kindergarten entrance. A sharp-eyed parent gasped. “Those cars have the Everwing Group logo! They’re executive vehicles!” Someone else, eager to flatter, added, “Ms. Serena is truly amazing, she’s already called the company’s legal team!” With that, the person spat at me, gloating. “You homewrecker, you’re finished! Everyone knows Everwing’s legal team is called the ‘Invincible Force of Oakwood City’! Get ready to pay up and go to jail!” An influencer parent was already buzzing with excitement, holding up her phone. “Wow, what a scoop today! Folks, hit that follow button! I’m livestreaming this brute’s downfall!” Ryan finally reacted, looking at Serena with surprise and affection, while Leo beside her became even more cocky.
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