My father, heartbroken by my decade-long unspoken crush, took matters into his own hands. He drugged his cross-age friend and deposited him in my bed. Waking up, the man, Dominic Hale, coldly agreed to marry me. But soon after our wedding, Dominic began frequent business trips abroad, each lasting three years. I gave birth to our daughter, Lily, alone, waiting for him to return. Three years later, I heard he was finally coming home. I abandoned an important business engagement, taking our daughter to the airport to meet him. Lily, brimming with excitement, begged him for a hug. He merely glanced at me, his voice flat. "I'm sorry, I have a phobia of germs." From that day on, Lily and I washed our hands at least three times, and our home was kept impeccably spotless. Yet, he never came back. And he never once held our daughter. Until I saw a video clip. Someone asked him: "Dominic, what's the happiest thing for you?" He replied casually, "Last week, I guess, abroad. After putting Daisy to bed, I pulled Chloe into the bathroom." Amidst the sounds of laughter and teasing, my hands and feet turned to ice. Chloe was his ex-girlfriend, with whom he'd had a long, complicated history. Daisy was Chloe's daughter. I'd heard he'd been living with them for the past three years abroad, and now I knew it was true. My heart shattered. I left the divorce papers, canceled our identities, and took Lily out of the country. 1 The nanny brought Lily home from kindergarten, her eyes swollen from crying. "Mommy, does Lily not have a Daddy…?" She hiccupped between sobs, utterly heartbroken. "Daddy promised he'd come to my parent-teacher conference, but when he got there, he said he was Daisy Miller's daddy." Her voice broke. "Mommy, everyone says Lily is a child without a Daddy, boohoohoo…" A sharp pain shot through my chest. My eyes burned as I pulled my daughter into my arms. I wanted to say something comforting, but Dominic's cold indifference choked the words in my throat. I regretted everything. I had waited three years, believing he had finally come to his senses, willing to return home and reunite with Lily and me. But no, it was merely because Chloe had expressed a desire to come back to the States. He had then, without a second thought, booked tickets, arranged everything, even transferring his ex-girlfriend's daughter to the best kindergarten. The day we went to the airport to greet him, Lily wore her prettiest dress, asking me nervously, "Mommy, will Daddy like Lily?" I nodded. "Lily is Daddy's only daughter, of course, he will." But when we arrived at the airport, full of joyous anticipation, we saw Dominic, holding Chloe's hand, a three-year-old girl in his arms. Lily and I froze. Dominic barely glanced at me. "Excuse me, I need to get Chloe and Daisy settled first. You two go home." He didn't even spare Lily a look, yet his gaze upon Daisy was filled with tender affection. The memory made me close my eyes in despair. "I'm so sorry, Lily. It's all Mommy's fault. Next time, Mommy will go to your parent-teacher conference." After washing Lily's face and finally coaxing her to sleep, her tiny brows remained tightly furrowed. "Daddy, hug me…" My heart felt as if it were being pricked by needles. If it weren't for what happened three years ago, Lily might not have to suffer like this. Three years ago, my father, feeling sorry for my decade-long secret crush, simply drugged Dominic Hale and placed him in my bed. I was utterly shocked. "Dad, are you trying to ruin my life?" My father sighed. "I saw it, darling. You like Dominic, and that boy has a soft spot for you too, he just won't admit it. That night, when he was drunk, I even heard him calling your name. I thought you two were dragging your feet, so I decided to push things along." I resisted with all my might, but the next second, a feverish heat consumed me. My father chuckled. "I put something in your drink too. Cherish this night." Then, he locked the door from the outside. After that night, Dominic sobered up and said coldly, "Yvonne, I will take responsibility and marry you." I thought a happy life was about to begin. But at a gathering soon after, I accidentally overheard his conversation with a friend. "Dominic, you're not seeing the good in this. Yvonne is beautiful, rich, and she loves you. You should just settle down and be happy." Dominic took a drag from his cigarette and scoffed. "Initially, I did have some feelings for her, but I never expected her to be so… opportunistic. The thought of her drugging me that night, aggressively throwing herself at me, just makes me… sick." Before I could even figure out how to properly explain, he obtained a visa and left the country two weeks later. But that one night had given me a child. I gave birth to our daughter, Lily, alone, eagerly waiting day and night for him to return. What I waited for, however, was his increasingly entangled relationship with Chloe and her daughter. In the empty, silent mansion, I pulled out my phone, about to call Dominic and ask when he was coming back. Suddenly, the door opened, and Dominic walked in, his expression detached. He glanced at the sleeping Lily and said casually, "Daisy is coming over tomorrow to play. You and Lily should go out." Meeting my bewildered gaze, his lips curled into a faint smile. "Daisy is quite possessive; she doesn't like other little girls calling me Daddy." The anger that had been simmering within me finally boiled over. I laughed, a harsh, mirthless sound. "Dominic Hale, do you even remember who your biological daughter is anymore?" My voice cracked. "Do you know what happened to Lily at kindergarten today—" Dominic frowned slightly, cutting me off. "Yvonne, I don't need you to remind me of this. I'm sorry about kindergarten today; Daisy also had a parent-teacher conference. Chloe and her father are divorced; she's overwhelmed raising a child alone. Besides, before I even met you, I swore to Chloe that I would never let her suffer any injustice." He continued, his voice firm, "I've already married you as you wished. You can't stop me from caring for them. I owe them that much." Dominic finished speaking, tossed his jacket aside, and went into the bathroom. The rushing water drowned out my desperate, helpless sobs. If only I had known that marriage to him would become like this, I would have chosen death over succumbing to that night. I looked at the freshly written divorce papers on my laptop, a bitter smile on my face. If not for Lily, given my personality, I would have filed for divorce long ago. But thinking of Lily's wounded little face, I wanted to fight for her, unwilling to let her grow up without a father. Lily woke up early, overjoyed to learn her Daddy was back. She bounced excitedly on her small bed. "I'm going to take the picture I just drew to show Daddy!" Children forget easily. Lily had already forgiven Dominic for yesterday's kindergarten incident. Lily happily ran downstairs. But she saw Chloe and Daisy already there, Dominic gently peeling an orange for Daisy. "Daddy, who are they?" Seeing Lily still at home, Dominic frowned. "Why are you still here? Where's your mother?" Lily was startled, but she still carefully offered the family portrait she had spent a week drawing. "This is Lily's family portrait. I drew it thinking I'd give it to Daddy when he came home…" The drawing was just about to be handed over when a small hand unceremoniously snatched it away. "What a trashy drawing!" Daisy stomped her foot and tore it in half. She put her hands on her hips defiantly, then violently shoved my daughter. "He's my Daddy! Lily Hale, all the kids say you're a bastard! Who said you could call him Daddy?" Seeing Lily fall to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, I panicked. I helped Lily up and glared coldly at Daisy. "Apologize." Dominic frowned tightly, displeased. "Yvonne, why are you being so harsh with a child?" Without a word, he scooped Daisy into his arms. "I told you last night that Daisy doesn't like others calling me Daddy. She's just upset and hurt, she didn't mean to push Lily." I remained unyielding, still insisting. "Didn't you see if she meant it or not? Dominic, she just called Lily a bastard to her face. Tell her, is Lily really a bastard?" Dominic hesitated for a moment, but then he continued to gently console Daisy, with no intention of making her apologize. Chloe's eyes flickered, and she smiled gracefully and apologized. "Miss Hale, I'm so sorry. Daisy grew up abroad and has a very straightforward personality; she just speaks her mind. Please don't take it to heart." As soon as she said that, the little girl in Dominic's arms looked even more smug. "I wasn't wrong! All the kids said Lily Hale is a bastard! She's the one who stole my Daddy!" I clenched my fists, staring coldly at Dominic. Before, when he said he had a phobia of germs, Lily and I endured it, constantly accommodating him. He chose to get involved with other women under the guise of working overtime, and I turned a blind eye. But now, I could not tolerate anyone calling my daughter a bastard. "Dominic Hale, I'm asking you one more time—" "Is Lily one?" A flicker of displeasure crossed Dominic's face, but he laughed coldly. "Don't you know how she became my daughter?" Then, his voice changed, laced with a warning. "Alright, today is Daisy's playdate. Let's not make everyone unhappy." Chloe and Daisy smirked from the side, clearly gloating. Dominic, his heart aching, picked up Daisy. "Daddy will buy you toys, okay?" "And a pretty Elsa dress!" "Alright," Dominic agreed, his face full of doting affection. Watching his retreating back, my heart turned cold. Finally, I spoke the words I had weighed countless times but never dared to utter. "Dominic Hale, let's get a divorce!" Dominic's steps faltered. He turned back, his gaze chilling. "Yvonne, do you think this is amusing?" His voice dripped with disdain. "If you believe this can threaten me, then so be it. Have it your way." With that, he left without another glance. A flicker of triumph danced in Chloe's eyes, quickly suppressed. She returned to me, offering profuse apologies. "I'm truly sorry, Miss Hale. Dominic and I are completely innocent. He's a man of integrity and deep loyalty. He felt sorry for me divorcing so early and my child not having a father, so he just took a little more care. Please don't take it to heart, and don't let this cause any unpleasantness…" Before leaving, Chloe added me on contact. She said she wanted to compensate Lily for the drawing. "Chloe, come here." Dominic, holding Daisy, stood a short distance outside, calling her softly. "Coming!" Chloe hurried out, her face beaming. Their conversation, before they were out of earshot, drifted clearly into my ears. "Dominic, you really shouldn't have. Miss Hale saying she wants a divorce was just out of anger. How could you agree so readily?" Dominic sneered, "She used every trick in the book to force this marriage. How could she possibly bear to divorce?" He scoffed. "Her being so harsh with our Daisy just now was a small punishment for her. It won't be long before she's begging me to come back." I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. Dominic Hale, people change. The Yvonne who once loved you recklessly, putting everything on the line, is dead. Now, for my daughter's sake, I will choose to leave you for good. Lily hid in her room, sobbing uncontrollably. "Mommy, the kids at school say Daddy is Daisy Miller's daddy, but Lily isn't trying to steal her Daddy…" Later, she fell asleep clutching a photo of Dominic, but I lay awake all night. I opened my phone and saw Chloe had updated her social media. "Daisy finally has the fatherly love she was missing. What belongs to us, no one can take away!" Beneath the text was a photo of the three of them intimately embracing, smiling for the camera, looking like a perfect family. I casually 'liked' the post when suddenly, a message popped up on my phone. It was a video from Chloe. I opened it and saw Dominic Hale's handsome face. The timestamp was from when he had just returned to the country. A friend asked him: "Dominic, what's the happiest thing for you?" He replied casually, "Last week, I guess, abroad. After putting Daisy to bed, I pulled Chloe into the bathroom." Combined with the tenderness in his eyes and the teasing laughter from his friends, my hands and feet turned to ice. Chloe had once shared a post on social media: "Ever since having a child, we haven't been able to have a private world for just the two of us. We can only wait for Daisy to fall asleep, then sneak off to do this and that…" I was lost in thought when another message from Chloe came through. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I accidentally clicked the wrong button just now and sent it to you. By the time I realized, I couldn't unsend it." She continued, "But honestly, you must know Dominic's true feelings by now, right? You forced him into marriage with those underhanded tactics and became Mrs. Hale. For the past three years abroad, he's been with Daisy and me." She added, "Even though the child isn't his, Dominic has been more thoughtful and considerate than a biological father. Even after we broke up, he still couldn't bear to let me go. It won't be long before we're back together." She pressed on, "Miss Hale, I know your family is wealthy, and you're not short of men. I advise you not to make things difficult for yourself. Just step aside voluntarily." Then she sent another picture. Daisy smiled brightly in the middle, while Chloe and Dominic simultaneously kissed the girl's cheeks, truly looking like a perfect, happy family. I smiled and replied, "Alright." Then, I called my father. "Dad, I've made up my mind. I'm taking Lily to live abroad. We're leaving in a few days." My father's surprised voice came through the phone. "Really? But I heard Dominic's back. You two just reunited as a family; does he agree to this?" I laughed, a desolate, bitter sound. "He couldn't be happier."
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