“My girl is so good!”
Jessica stood beside them, watching their
く
interaction with a soft expression on her face.
In five years of marriage, I’d never seen her
like this.
The three of them were so harmonious, like a
real family.
And they are, if you look at it biologically,
aren’t they?
My chest felt heavy. I felt like the world’s
biggest fool for rushing to the hospital with
the pastries.
I was stuck at the doorway, unable to move.
Greg noticed me first. His eyebrows rose
above his glasses:
“Henry?”
At the sound of my name, Jessica’s soft
expression turned cold.
She turned to me, her eyes indifferent:
“Why are you only coming now?”
Her gaze fell on the Happy Days bag in my
hand, and she pursed her lips:
“Greg already got Lily dinner.”
So, the pastries I waited in line for were
unwanted? Jessica knew how hard it was to
get takeout from Happy Days.
Greg smiled, trying to smooth things over:
“Lily didn’t eat much, these can be her
midnight snack.”
Lily heard Greg mention a snack and clapped
her hands:
“I want a midnight snack!”
Jessica disagreed:
“No, you brushed your teeth; you can’t eat
anything after that, or you’ll get cavities.”
But Greg said:
“She’s still young, growing. Let her eat if she
wants, she’s too thin.”
Jessica looked at Greg helplessly, “You
always spoil her!”
Lily, smart as ever, heard her mother relent
and cheered.
Though I’d entered the ward, I felt like an
outsider, unable to join the conversation.
Greg, seeing Jessica’s agreement, reached
for the bag.
“Henry, give me that.”
He said it as if he were the head of the
household, Jessica’s husband. His eyes were
challenging.
He knew that if I had tried to persuade
Jessica,
She wouldn’t have agreed; she wouldn’t let
me disagree with her on raising Lily.
A surge of anger rose. Since I entered,
Jessica hadn’t given me a good look, and
Greg kept subtly provoking me.
And Lily hadn’t called me “Daddy” once.
I started to reflect. Had I been too much of a
“yes–man“?
That Jessica dared to treat me like this? Not
only making me raise her first love’s child, but
also doing it without shame in front of me.
Did she really think I was a pushover?
I stared at Greg’s outstretched hand, and let
out a cold laugh.
I threw the Happy Days bag into the trash.
“No need. Since she already had dinner,
what’s the point of a midnight snack?”
Greg and Jessica were stunned.
Lily reacted first; her midnight snack was in
the trash, she wasn’t happy and started
crying:
“I want a snack! Daddy is mean, I hate him!”
Jessica sharply reprimanded me:
“Henry, are you crazy?!”
Greg quickly hugged Lily:
“Lily, it’s okay, Daddy Greg will get you more,
don’t cry…”
Lily sobbed in his arms, her small hands
waving:
“Daddy is mean, I don’t want Henry, I want
Dauuy
cy:
Jessica said coldly:
“Lily’s sick, and you’re doing this to her? Do
you even act like a father?”
I looked at Jessica and, for the first time,
found her cold beauty hateful.
“I don’t act like a father, but there is someone
who does, right here.”
She frowned, about to scold me, but paused
when she met my gaze.
“You three are a family, it’s fine, don’t force
the responsibility of being a father on me.”
I left those words and turned away. Jessica’s
face changed drastically.
I turned and left.
Unexpectedly, Jessica chased after me.
At the elevator, she caught up. She grabbed
my arm, breathless, “Henry, what did you
mean by that? What’s wrong with you?”
I stopped, turned, and asked:
bout
you feeling quilty?”
“What about you, are you feeling guilty?”
She was speechless for a moment, then
sneered:
“Guilty? I’m asking you what you’re rambling
about?!”
She was still denying it. Still trying to use me.
“Let’s get a divorce.”
I suddenly felt utterly disgusted.
I should have mentioned divorce the moment I
got the paternity test results.
Instead, I clung to the hope that Jessica
might show some remorse. I came here only
to humiliate myself.
Jessica froze.
“Divorce? Why would you bring that up out of
the blue?”
I said softly:
“Jessica, maybe you don’t know, I know you
better than you think.”
“If you hadn’t done anything wrong, if you
<
weren’t guilty, you wouldn’t have chased me
out here.”
Her face went pale.
I felt her fingers tremble
on my arm.
I shook my head and pulled away her hand
and stepped into the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, I saw Jessica’s
lips move.
She seemed to want to say something but
couldn’t.
I returned to my penthouse apartment and
quickly packed my belongings.
Five years of marriage, and I had so little. One
suitcase was enough.
Back at the apartment, I found many missed
calls and messages from Jessica.
Seeing my silence, she sent more messages. [Henry, did someone tell you something?]
[Are you serious about the divorce?]
[Understand this, our marriage doesn’t only
represent us, but the Howard and the Wilson
families!]
I chuckled bitterly.
I thought she’d chase me out of some guilt.
