Chapter 1

Chapter 1 I gently stroked my daughter Daisy Reeves’s head and nodded. Then, I put my phone back in its place and pretended nothing had happened. Yet, no matter how I tried, the bitterness still filled my chest. Eventually, I sighed and coaxed Daisy back to her room. After all, I had promised her to give her father, Connor Reeves, three more chances. So, Daisy still treated him like her father, just like before. Daisy even brought home a plaster doll she made in kindergarten for Father’s Day. She timidly asked me, “Do you think Daddy will like my gift?” I saw the dried-up clay in Daisy’s fingernails that wouldn’t be washed away even with scrubbing. With a heavy heart, I gently cleaned her hands. Noticing the tiny cuts on her delicate fingers, I patted her head and assured her, “Daddy’s going to love it.” Sure enough, Daisy’s whole face lit up when she heard that. In truth, she wasn’t naturally good at making clay figures. However, after spotting one on the shelf in Connor’s study, she figured he liked them, so she started learning at her kindergarten. She had probably ruined countless attempts before finally making one successful figurine. That night, Daisy sat on the couch waiting until midnight, but Connor didn’t return. When I went to carry her back to bed, I accidentally woke her up. She asked groggily, “Is Daddy home?” I shook my head. “Mommy’s taking you to bed first. I’ll wake you up when Daddy comes home.” “No, I want to wait for Daddy right here!” Daisy refused to sleep and curled up on the couch, nodding off as she waited. Finally, the front door creaked open—Connor was home. Daisy jumped off the couch right away, excitedly holding up her plaster doll with both hands. She beamed, saying, “Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!” Connor visibly froze for a second. Then, he reached out stiffly and took the gift, muttering a rough “thanks”. Daisy’s eyes lit up instantly, and she eagerly asked, “Daddy, do you like it?” However, Connor didn’t answer. Instead, he just walked straight into his study without another word. Daisy tried to follow, but he snapped, “How many times have I told you not to come into my study?” She flinched, trembling slightly as she mumbled, “Okay, Daddy… I got it.” She looked up, trying to gauge Connor’s reaction, only to see him casually toss the plaster doll on the desk. Then, he took another clumsily woven string bracelet and hung it carefully on his bookshelf. Daisy’s eyes reddened, and she blurted out, “Daddy, did Hazel give you that?” Connor’s hand froze midair. His expression shifted into something uneasy. Daisy seemed to instantly understand something and quickly backed out of the study. She muttered, “I’m sorry, Daddy. I promise I’ll never go into your study again.” Chapter 2 I watched from the side, feeling an unbearable pain in my chest. Daisy was only six years old, yet she had already learned how to read people’s moods, just to keep Connor in her life as her father. Connor had two chances left. That night, Daisy didn’t cry. She just asked me, “Mommy, you said Daddy has trouble showing emotions and doesn’t know how to love us… But why does he like Hazel so much? Do you think that… maybe one day, he’ll like me the way he likes Hazel?” Facing her hopeful gaze, I suddenly felt stumped, not knowing how to respond. Was I supposed to tell her that Faye Snyder and Hazel were Connor’s exceptions? Faye was his “one that got away”, and Hazel was Faye’s daughter. Those two didn’t have to do anything to earn Connor’s affection, while Daisy and I couldn’t melt the coldness in his heart no matter how hard we tried. His study was filled with gifts from Daisy and me, but he never looked at them. They just sat there in the corners collecting dust. Yet, he treasured Hazel’s gifts like they were made of gold. I didn’t want to lie to Daisy, so I started thinking about how to explain without hurting her. Before I could say anything, she hugged me in silence, like she already understood. I made another mental note that night, thinking, “Connor, you have two chances left.” … After that day, Daisy truly never stepped foot into Connor’s study again. She acted like she didn’t care as much anymore, but whenever Connor came home, her eyes still instinctively trailed after him. However, whenever he tried to speak to her, she’d shrink back and look terrified. Seeing that, he stopped trying and would just walk away without another word. Then came Daisy’s birthday. She finally built up the courage to ask, “Daddy, can you spend my birthday with me?” Connor was fiddling with the crooked friendship bracelet on his bookshelf when he heard her question. He frowned and asked, “When’s your birthday again?” Even though he didn’t remember, Daisy wasn’t hurt. Instead, she answered sincerely, “My birthday’s the day after tomorrow. Can we celebrate it together, Daddy?” Connor thought for a moment and shook his head. “I’ve got something going on that day.” Hearing this answer, Daisy didn’t cry or throw a tantrum. She just lowered her head and softly defended him, “Daddy works really hard, and I should try to be more understanding.” She turned to me and suggested, “Mommy, let’s celebrate with Grandma instead.” As I looked at how sweet and mature she was trying to be, my heart ached all over again. I pulled her into my arms and said, “Okay. We’ll celebrate with Grandma.” … When her birthday came, Daisy tried her best to hide her disappointment. Even so, my mother-in-law, Esther Chambers, still noticed something was wrong. “Sweet Daisy, why do you look so sad? Did someone upset you? Tell me.” Daisy shook her head vigorously. “I’m not sad.” Esther gently rubbed her head and asked, “Let me guess… Is it because Daddy didn’t come, and you miss him?” Daisy froze when Esther hit the mark. She didn’t know how to argue with that, so she just kept defending Connor, saying, “Daddy’s just really busy. Please don’t blame him, Grandma.” Esthe replied, “Daisy, you’re such a good girl. How could your daddy not show up for your birthday? I’ll call him right now. He wouldn’t dare ignore me.” I saw the hope flash back into Daisy’s eyes. She asked eagerly, “Will he really come?” Esther pretended to scold Connor on the phone, though she never actually dialed. However, Daisy didn’t notice, and her little face turned rosy with joy. Chapter 3 Esther reassured Daisy, “Don’t worry. Your daddy said he’ll be here soon.” I didn’t expose the lie. I only wanted Daisy to enjoy her birthday happily. I said, “Daisy’s art competition is next week, and I bet she’ll win first place again.” Esther praised her, “Daisy is so talented! Connor’s company needs a child art prodigy—why not let Daisy be the one?”
Never having received Connor’s approval before, Daisy looked at me uncertainly. “Mommy, do you think I can do it?” I encouraged her, “You can definitely do it, Daisy.” After dinner, Daisy needed to use the bathroom, and Esther went with her. But barely two minutes passed before I heard Daisy scream. In her tiny, trembling voice, she shouted, “I’m Daddy’s daughter! Not you!” I rushed out immediately and saw Hazel, Faye’s daughter, pushing Daisy. My maternal instincts kicked in, and I lunged forward to catch Daisy in my arms. I demanded, “Why did you push Daisy?” Just when I turned to look, Hazel wiped at her eyes and started to cry, pointing straight at Daisy. She whined, “Daisy was mean to me first, so I pushed her. Daddy Connor, you need to help me!” I stepped forward to lower Hazel’s pointing finger. “You’re already lying at your age? Daisy didn’t say anything like that!” When Daisy was three years old, Connor once took her to the supermarket but didn’t change her diaper in time. She ended up crying for hours while strangers stared on. Ever since then, she hated being pointed at. Daisy cowered in my arms. Sensing her fear, I glared at Hazel. “Put your hand down. Don’t point at Daisy.” Hazel clearly understood, but she stubbornly raised her finger even higher. Just as I took a step forward, Connor brushed past me and stood in front of Hazel, shielding her. “Averie Hudson, what are you doing?” he snapped. Hazel clung to his shirt and burst into sobs. “Daddy Connor, I didn’t do anything, but Daisy called me a bastard…” Connor’s eyes flashed with anger. He picked up Hazel and spoke in a gentle tone that Daisy and I had never heard from him before, “Hazel, you’re not a bastard. I’ll always be your Daddy Connor. “Your mommy gave birth to you all alone overseas, and it’s my fault I couldn’t take care of you from the beginning.” I had only known that Hazel was born while Faye was living abroad. But now it was clear—Connor was Hazel’s biological father. It finally made sense why he adored her so much. His true love had endured hardship to give birth to his daughter, and it was only natural for him to cherish her. Daisy heard everything and wriggled out of my arms. Her voice was shaky as she stared at the scene in front of her, whimpering, “Daddy, you’re my daddy. Please don’t be Hazel’s daddy…” For a brief moment, Connor fell silent, like Daisy’s teary eyes had struck a nerve. Then, Hazel tucked her head into his neck for comfort, and he immediately snapped back. His tone turned sharp and cold as he said, “Daisy, that’s enough. Go home.” At that moment, I saw the light in Daisy’s eyes go out. Right then, Esther walked out of the house. It was clear she and Faye had come to some sort of agreement. They linked arms like a picture-perfect pair of in-laws. Faye saw Hazel crying but didn’t take her from Connor’s arms. Instead, she went over to comfort the little girl. Connor and Faye spoke to Hazel in low, gentle voices, soothing her together. He even took a birthday hat from Faye’s hand and placed it gently on Hazel’s head.

Chapter 4 The three of them stood together—Connor, Faye, and Hazel—looking every bit like a perfect little family. Yet, in the past six years, Connor had never once celebrated Daisy’s birthday or put a birthday hat on her head. I wanted to shield Daisy’s eyes, but she gently pulled my hand away. It was as if she were determined to burn the scene in front of her into her memory. Esther quickly stepped in to ease the awkwardness. “Hazel and Daisy are both part of this family. You girls should grow up to be the best of sisters, okay?” Daisy looked up and asked, “Grandma, are you going to be Hazel’s grandma, too?” Esther nodded. “From now on, you’ll be the little sister, and Hazel will be the big sister. How does that sound?” Daisy was only six years old, and they all assumed she wouldn’t understand and would accept Hazel into this family without resistance. However, Daisy was sharp for her age. When she heard Esther’s reply, something in her seemed to click. She didn’t ask anything more. She just quietly took my hand and said, “Mommy, my birthday’s over. Let’s go home.” “Connor, that was the second time. You only have one chance left,” I thought. I glanced at him before leaving with Daisy. No one came after us and tried to comfort Daisy, and it was like no one cared about either of us. … After that day, Daisy became gloomy. The little girl seemed to be carrying the weight of the world, and I truly didn’t know how to comfort her. All I knew was that somewhere deep in her heart, she still had one last bit of faith for Connor—she believed that if he ever showed her just a little warmth, he could still be her amazing dad. The art competition was coming up, and I knew Daisy was hoping Connor would show up. So, I reached out first and invited him. Daisy lifted her head slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but then she lowered it again and whispered, “Do you think Daddy will come?” “You’ll never know if you don’t ask,” I told her gently. I texted Connor in the morning, but he didn’t reply even by evening. By nightfall, Daisy’s anticipation slowly turned to disappointment. She murmured, “Maybe Daddy just doesn’t like me at all.” Then, as if on cue, a message popped up on my phone—it was from Connor. It read, “I’m free tomorrow. I’ll be there.” When Daisy saw the message, all her gloominess vanished, and she brightened up completely. “I knew it! Daddy still wants me!” On the day of the competition, Daisy and I waited at the entrance for a long time. Yet, Connor never showed up. We only went inside when the host urged everyone to take their seats. Even then, Daisy’s eyes kept glancing toward the doors, hope and heartbreak flickering in her gaze. Even as she prepared to go on stage, Daisy’s smile never quite returned. When the host asked her about the meaning behind her artwork, she finally lifted her head, and her eyes widened. There, seated among the judges, was Connor. Daisy thought he had come just for her. Her face lit up again, and she happily explained her drawing, “My painting shows a daughter’s wish to go to the amusement park with her dad.” However, Connor didn’t vote for Daisy. Instead, he voted for Hazel. Although Daisy still won first place in the end, she started crying when she saw Connor choose Hazel. Even so, she quickly wiped them away and tried to comfort herself. She asked, “Mommy, Daddy has emotional issues, but he’s also really fair. He probably had his reasons, right?” I held her close, unable to find the right answer. Connor and I had come from similar backgrounds, and we were introduced through family friends. I had known all along that he couldn’t let go of Faye. Yet, I still pursued him and married him anyway. That was my mistake.

Chapter 5 Everyone said Connor was a stubborn man with emotional issues who, once he committed to someone, would never have a change of heart. Despite their warning, I foolishly insisted on this heartbreak. Worse, I dragged Daisy into it and gave her a father who didn’t love her. “I’m sorry, Daisy. Mommy made the wrong choice.” Daisy didn’t understand why I was apologizing. She just gently wiped away my tears and said, “Mommy, don’t cry.” As Daisy and I huddled together for comfort, Faye suddenly appeared with Hazel. She snapped, “Daisy, how dare you win first place? You obviously copied Hazel’s work!” Neither Daisy nor I understood what was happening. Behind Faye were judges and curious onlookers. The spectators scrutinized Daisy. “Ms. Snyder is the famous international mystery artist AH. If she says Daisy copied, then Daisy definitely copied.” Daisy and I froze, completely lost on what she was talking about. Behind Faye came several judges and a small crowd of onlookers, eager to see the drama unfold. Whispers started immediately, with someone saying, “Ms. Snyder is AH—the famous international mystery artist. If she says Daisy copied, then it must be true.” Another chimed in, “Hazel is AH’s daughter. There’s no way she’d lose to some unknown girl like Daisy unless Daisy stole her idea!” The mystery artist AH was actually me. Somehow, they believed AH was Faye. The smug look on her face told me everything—I knew then she had stolen my identity. Faye pointed at Daisy and demanded, “As long as you apologize to Hazel in front of everyone, we’ll let it go.” I saw right through her. This wasn’t about art—she just wanted to publicly embarrass Daisy. Even if Daisy proved her innocence, people would still whisper and judge, just like they had when she cried in the grocery store at three years old. I acted quickly, covering Daisy’s ears and challenging Faye. “What evidence do you have that Daisy copied?” Faye placed Daisy’s winning piece next to Hazel’s second-place work for comparison. “Look at these lines and details—what else could this be but plagiarism?” Several judges nodded in agreement. “Mrs. Reeves is right. The two paintings are indeed very similar.” I was shocked to hear them calling her Mrs. Reeves. It was no wonder Faye could convince so many judges—she presented herself as Connor’s wife. I was about to explain when Connor approached. He asked, “What’s going on?” Before I could speak, Faye had already launched into her performance, holding both paintings in hand and slipping into her delicate act. “Connor, I’m really not trying to cause trouble… It’s just that the evidence is right here.” She continued, “Although I believe Daisy didn’t have bad intentions and was just manipulated by someone, plagiarism needs to be stopped early. She’s still a child. What if someone’s already leading her down the wrong path?” Faye never mentioned my name but constantly implied I had corrupted Daisy. I desperately argued, “Connor, how could I possibly do something like that?” Connor rubbed his forehead, looking at me with disappointment. “Averie, can you stop targeting Faye? Look what you’ve turned Daisy into!” I stared at him in disbelief. Daisy pleaded urgently, “Daddy, I didn’t copy anyone. Don’t you believe me?” Connor turned to Daisy and sighed. “Daisy, apologize to Hazel.” It was such a simple sentence. But in that moment, something shattered inside Daisy. I watched the light in her eyes go out completely. I knew then that Connor’s last chance was gone.

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