Chapter 1

"I'm sorry, Ms. Sinclair. Your daughter passed away at 1:13 a.m. on February 15. We tried, but we couldn't save her."

Amelia Sinclair clutched a little stuffed rabbit in her hand, her face blank as she stared at the closed doors of the operating room.

She had come to say her final goodbye to her daughter.

Inside, Amelia held Evelyn Zephyr's frail hands on the cold, sterile bed. They were icy and drained of warmth. She smoothed Evelyn's hair back, remembering the weak little voice from just before they wheeled her into the emergency room.

"Mommy, isn't Uncle Chris here yet?"

The uncle Evelyn spoke of was her biological father, Christopher Zephyr. He never allowed Evelyn to call him Daddy. Yet he let the son of his first love call him that without hesitation.

Evelyn's greatest birthday wish was simple. She wanted to spend the day with her father, and she wanted him to let her call him Daddy.

Her health had always been fragile. Last winter, she caught the flu while waiting outside in the freezing wind for Christopher to come home for dinner. It turned into pneumonia, and this year her condition plummeted. She had been in and out of the hospital ever since.

Today was another bitter winter day, where Evelyn once again waited at the front gate, hoping her father would come home and eat with her. She collapsed in the cold before Amelia found her and rushed her to the hospital.

The doctor warned that she might not survive the night. Amelia begged Christopher to come back for Evelyn's birthday, and he promised he would. Then he broke that promise, just like every other time.

Amelia gathered her daughter's frail body into her arms and whispered softly, "Sweet girl, you're free now."

Free from the pain of her illness, her father's dislike, and the constant ache of longing for a father's love that never came.

"Mommy, why won't Uncle Chris let me call him Daddy, but my brother can?"

"Mommy, is it because Ms. Nikki loves my brother, so Daddy loves him too?"

Evelyn's innocent questions still echoed in Amelia's ears, over and over again.

She was just a little girl, too young to understand why her father didn't love her, and why she wasn't allowed to call him Daddy. She only thought that maybe she wasn't as good as her brother, and that was why he didn't like her.

Six years ago, an accident changed everything. Amelia became pregnant with Evelyn and married Christopher for the sake of the child.

When she gave birth, it was a difficult labor, and she hemorrhaged badly. Christopher didn't even care. He was busy with Nicole Randall, his first love, while Amelia struggled to survive.

The choice of who mattered more was obvious.

After Nicole gave birth to his son, Nathan Zephyr, she left the child with Christopher and vanished abroad without a trace.

Amelia had loved Christopher for years. To win his favor, she accepted the child Nicole had borne and raised him as her own, treating him with care as if he were her own flesh and blood.

Yet Christopher would not let Evelyn call him Daddy. Meanwhile, Nathan was treated like a treasure. That was the difference.

The night Amelia nearly died giving birth, she should have realized his heart was nothing but stone. No matter what she did, it would never grow warm.

Evelyn was born first that morning, yet Christopher insisted Nathan be recognized as the older brother, claiming the status of heir to the Zephyr family.

So everyone assumed that child was truly Christopher's firstborn son, and Evelyn was merely the illegitimate daughter.

A doctor stood behind Amelia, watching her trembling back with a heavy gaze. "Is the girl's father here?"

From the day Evelyn was hospitalized until now, the doctor had never seen her father.

Amelia's eyes went cold, and a bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Her father went abroad with his illegitimate son to see his real mother. He even threw a birthday party for him."

It was the same every year.

And Amelia had foolishly spent five years raising someone else's child.

Two children were born on the same day, yet Evelyn had nothing but neglect.

The doctor froze, staring at the woman before him, unsure of what to say. How could he even begin to comfort someone so broken?

-

On the first day after Evelyn's death, Amelia took care of all the arrangements.

The city of Northon had cremation forms that required signatures from both parents.

Afterward, she returned to the Harbor Villa to sort through Evelyn's things.

From downstairs, the sound of a car reached her ears.

"Daddy! When are you going to leave Mommy and marry Ms. Nikki? I want Ms. Nikki to be my Mommy!"

Christopher draped his coat over his arm and bent down to pinch his son's cheek. "Nate, you can call Ms. Nikki Mommy."

Amelia heard every word clearly from the stairs. Her heart tightened, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"Go get your mother to give you a bath, change into clean clothes, then you can go welcome Ms. Nikki," Christopher added.

Nathan jumped up, thrilled. "Yay!"

But the excitement faded in an instant, and his face fell. "But... if Mommy finds out, will she let me go? I hate Mommy. She never lets me eat outside food!"

Christopher ruffled Nathan's hair, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Daddy's here. She won't dare."

As he glanced up, his eyes happened to meet Amelia's from upstairs. His expression was calm, unreadable, completely indifferent. He looked away without a word.

Nathan ran up the stairs and grabbed Amelia's hand. "Mommy, give me a bath. I'm going out soon."

Amelia pulled her hand back and looked at Christopher. "Did you forget something?"

He raised his eyes and gave her a cold, casual glance. "What?"

All these years, he had been distant and cold to her and to Evelyn.

Amelia let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

Of course. How could he possibly remember that Evelyn and Nathan shared the same birthday?

Every year, Nathan's birthday was a grand affair, celebrated with Nicole in full spectacle.

Year after year, Evelyn waited in the freezing wind for a father who would never come home.

"I need to talk to you," Amelia said.

Christopher scoffed. "I'm busy today."

"It won't take long. Just need you to sign two documents."

She held out the folder, pointing to where he needed to sign.

Christopher's impatience was clear, as if spending even one more second with her was unbearable. He frowned and scrawled his signature, handing the papers back without a word.

"Nate and I are going out tonight, and we won't be back. When Evie goes to school tomorrow, have her ask the teacher to excuse Nate for half a day," he said.

Amelia clenched her teeth, gripping the folder so tightly her knuckles whitened.

If he had really looked, he would have seen that one document was a divorce agreement, the other the paperwork for Evelyn's cremation. Yet he signed both with casual indifference.

"Also, tell Evie not to call me," he said.

Amelia laughed bitterly.

Evelyn wouldn't be calling him anymore.

Amelia wouldn't either.

Christopher glanced at her, noticing her uncharacteristic calm, then dismissed it without concern.

Time was running out. Nicole called, asking when they would arrive. Nathan, still unbathed and in the same clothes, followed Christopher toward the door.

"I'll ask my new Mommy to give me a bath tonight," Nathan said excitedly.

Christopher gave him an indulgent smile. "Alright."

Amelia stayed frozen, staring at their retreating figures for a long time. When she finally moved, she gathered everything at home that had belonged to her and Evelyn and burned it all.

Then she went to the crematorium and arranged for Evelyn's body to be cremated.

When she received the ashes, she couldn't hold back her tears.

"Evie, wait for Mommy. I'll come to you soon..."

-

Elsewhere, Christopher attended Nicole's welcome-home banquet with Nathan.

The three of them laughed and chatted, looking cozy and intimate like a perfect little family. Everyone praised how happy they looked together, and some whispered that Amelia was selfishly clinging to the title of Christopher's wife, ruining their family harmony.

Then, someone hurried through the crowd and stopped in front of Christopher.

"Mr. Zephyr, your wife and daughter are being cremated today. Please proceed to the crematorium to collect the ashes."

Christopher's expression didn't change, and he coldly said, "She's a grown woman. How long is she going to play these petty jealousy games?"

"But sir, you personally signed the cremation forms. You also signed the divorce papers..."

The words hit Christopher like a punch, making his heart skip a beat. "What did you say?"

-

Christopher all but sped his way to the crematorium. He arrived just in time to see his wife being pushed into the furnace, and his daughter's ashes at the side.

In that moment, the world seemed to stop.

The staff at the crematorium watched as the man collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.