LOGINThe feeling was a visceral pull one felt upon seeing their own flesh and blood. I took a few quiet steps forward, my eyes tracing every delicate feature of Daphne's face, almost greedily, as if I could somehow make up for all the years I'd missed.When Daphne noticed me, she quickly hung up the phone and said proudly, "Daddy agreed! And I didn't tell him about the allergy. I kept my promise, didn't I?""Yeah."My throat tightened as I nodded. I reached out to gently run my fingers through her soft curls. "You did so well, Daphne."Daphne blinked in surprise. She was still young, but even a child could sense when something felt off. Her big, dark eyes were filled with confusion. "What's wrong?"I forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about baking you a big cake for your birthday, but I realized that I don't even know when it is."Her face lit up with joy. "Really? My birthday is December 12! That's only a little over a month away!"The date made my stomach s
I couldn't understand Timothy. He had kept me apart from my daughter all these years. Back then, he had watched me suffer unbearably and still allowed the lie to continue, as if my pain meant nothing.I hurried out of the ward, pressing my hands against the cold wall in the corridor and gasping for air. My chest felt as if a boulder were pressing down on it, and every breath I took was heavy with pain.Ruby quickly caught up with me, her voice filled with concern. "Josie, why do you look so pale?"I glanced back at the ward, my throat tightening. "My child… My child might not have died. Daphne… Daphne is my daughter."Ruby froze, staring at me in disbelief. "Josie, are you serious? Do you realize what you're saying?"My voice shook, but my words were firm. "She is allergic to pineapple."Ruby tried to calm me down. "Josie, I know losing both of your children with Timothy was devastating. But being allergic to pineapple does not prove anything. Many people are allergic to pineappl
I let out a sigh of relief for Ruby, too. I asked, "Did the doctor figure out what triggered the allergy?""They're still running tests. We won't know until later," Ruby said. Then she sighed, looking annoyed. "The doctor said that Daphne will be fine after the IV, but if she goes home and mentions it, Timothy will probably go ballistic and make the whole kindergarten pay.""Let's go see her first," I suggested.We entered the ward together.Daphne was awake, but the allergic reaction had clearly been serious. Her lips and face were pale. When she saw me, she blinked in confusion. "You, what are you doing here?""I heard you had an allergic reaction, so I came to check on you." I hesitated, then continued, "Who is picking you up tonight, your grandma or your mom?"Daphne pouted. "Mommy's working again. Grandma said she'll come, but she doesn't know that I'm in the hospital. I haven't told her or Daddy yet."Ruby and I both let out a sigh of relief. Then Daphne suddenly spoke u
Timothy had struggled with Daphne's braids a few times earlier, and she was nearly late for school. Seeing her messy hair, I couldn't take it anymore and decided to step in.When Daphne saw Yasmin arrive, she called out "Mommy", but her attention was entirely on her new hairstyle. Looking in the mirror at the braids I had done, she seemed genuinely happy.Yasmin's expression, however, immediately darkened. I realized what was happening. She had probably planned to drop her daughter off to annoy me, but in just a few days, I had taught Daphne how to make a cake and even styled her hair. Daphne actually enjoyed it, and now Yasmin was starting to feel threatened.Early as it was, she had come with her suitcase, probably straight from the airport.Timothy noticed her and asked, "Weren't you supposed to be away for a week of training? Why are you back today?"Yasmin smiled faintly. "I was worried that Daphne would keep you from resting and might cause trouble for Ms. York."She picked
Daphne carefully took the mixer, standing on tiptoe to reach the table. Her usual haughty little face was now full of focus, and her soft, chubby features made her look unexpectedly adorable. When a bit of cream splashed out, she would sheepishly stick out her tongue.I suddenly felt a sharp gaze from behind me. Timothy, who had been buried in his documents since we got back, was leaning casually against the kitchen doorway, watching us intently.Then his phone buzzed with a video call from Yasmin. Timothy answered and heard her sweet, coaxing voice. "Timothy, I miss you and Daphne so much! Mom said Daphne's with you. Can I see her?""Sure," he said, walking over and holding the phone up to Daphne. "Say hi to your mom."Daphne, still playing with the cream, excitedly said, "Mommy, look! I'm learning to make a cake! When you get back, I can make one for you!"Yasmin's expression shifted. "Who's teaching you to bake?"Daphne proudly said, "That annoying lady! Her cakes are so good.
Just then, Timothy's phone rang. It was Daphne calling. The interruption finally drew his attention away from my laptop. In a softer tone, he asked into the phone, "Daphne, are you done with school?"I could faintly hear her pleading voice on the other end of the line. "Daddy, can you pick me up today? I don't want to go home with Grandma."Timothy paused, then gently asked, "Why not?""Grandma nags all the time, and she gets mad so easily. She keeps yelling at me. You're the best. I want to be with you," Daphne said pitifully.Without even realizing it, Timothy's voice had softened. "Alright. I'll come pick you up." After hanging up, he told the driver to wait downstairs and went straight to change clothes. Even with bandages wrapped around him, nothing could stop him from going to his daughter.Seeing him struggle with his clothes, I stepped over to help. "You're coming with me," he said, not asking.I replied coldly, "I'm not interested in picking up your daughter. You c







