When Matthew Noth returned to Northwood after a five-year assignment, he brought a mother and daughter with him. He said Evelyn Wilson and her daughter were in a difficult situation and needed his care. The little girl nestled in his arms, sweetly calling him ‘Daddy.’ Our own daughter, Charlotte, cowered behind me, timidly greeting him. “Hello, sir.” I stood there, stunned, for a long time when I saw that scene. This time, I wasn’t jealous, nor did I argue or make a scene. But when he reached for my hand, an intense wave of nausea washed over me. I instinctively recoiled. He froze, his expression lost. 1. I froze, seeing two people standing outside the door. Matthew was holding a little girl. She was nestled in his arms, her voice soft and sweet, calling out, “Daddy, I’m hungry.” The woman standing beside him had long, wavy auburn hair. The scene looked exactly like a family of three. Five years ago, Matthew and I argued incessantly over Evelyn Wilson. The fiercest argument was when I called Evelyn a homewrecker. When I threatened divorce, I accidentally pushed Evelyn, and she fell, a pool of blood spreading beneath her. Seeing that blood, a chilling fear ran through me. When Matthew arrived, he looked at me, his narrow, indifferent eyes filled with a thin anger. That was the first time he had ever yelled at me. “Skylar, have you had enough of this damn drama?” But I’ll never forget the look Matthew gave me then. He carried Evelyn, covered in blood, to the hospital. After they left, I discovered I was bleeding too. That night, Matthew never came back. He requested a transfer and left Northwood. It was six months after he left that I discovered I was pregnant. I had wanted to terminate the pregnancy, but because it was too far along, I had no choice but to carry the baby to term. During that time, I sent him countless texts, made countless calls. Without exception, those messages disappeared into the void. I never contacted him again. I thought he was gone from my life forever, but he returned. After five years, we were both silent. My daughter, standing behind me, peeked out, cautiously calling to him. “Hello, sir. Are you here to deliver a package to our house?” Matthew looked down. When he saw my daughter, he froze, then his features softened, a faint smile playing on his lips. I quickly introduced her. “Oh, this is my daughter.” As I introduced her, it suddenly hit me. This was Matthew’s daughter too. But it was incredibly awkward. I didn’t know how to explain to little Charlotte that the man holding another little girl was her biological father. Matthew stared at Charlotte, his eyes a little red. He asked softly, “Our daughter?” I nodded. Matthew looked up, his deep, dark eyes meeting mine. “What’s her name?” Charlotte’s clear voice answered before I could. “Hello, sir, my full name is Charlotte Sterling.” “My nickname is Lottie.” I added, “Charlotte. ‘Charlotte’ as in the character, not the plant.” Hearing that, Matthew’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He parted his lips as if to ask something, then closed them. Evelyn Wilson smiled faintly, her voice soft. “Skylar, this is my daughter. She’s four this year. I have Matthew to thank, he’s been taking such good care of us.” Matthew’s gaze was still fixed on me. He said, “I’ll take Evelyn and her daughter home first. I’ll be right back.” 2. When Matthew returned, Charlotte was already asleep. Left alone, facing each other, I felt incredibly awkward. His return was too sudden. I said, “I only have bottled water, no coffee beans or tea. Is bottled water okay?” Matthew looked at me, his eyes clear. His dark gaze held an emotion I couldn’t decipher. His voice was calm and low. “Skylar, this is my home too.” “Ah,” I responded awkwardly. “Then make yourself at home.” I’d almost forgotten, his name was still on the property deed. We sat facing each other, on pins and needles, enduring the unbearable silence. After a moment of thought, I couldn’t help but speak. “Why are you back? When are you leaving?” Matthew looked at me. He repeated, “Skylar, this is my home too.” I nodded. “When did you have the child?” I thought carefully. I had conceived right before he left five years ago. I’d started bleeding when he carried Evelyn away. “Just before you left five years ago.” Matthew paused. “I’m not leaving this time. Evelyn and her daughter are in a tough spot. One lost her husband, the other lost her father. I promised David on his deathbed that I would take care of them. I have to.” His tone brooked no refusal; it wasn’t a discussion, but a notification. I just didn't know why he would return after being gone for so long. I gave a faint smile. “Alright, welcome back to Northwood. The guest room was cleaned by Mrs. Davis this afternoon, you can stay there.” As I stood up, his strong hand gripped my arm. He held me tightly. “What about you? Aren’t you staying with me?” I turned, pulling my hand free from his grasp. “I’m sleeping with my daughter.” Matthew’s thin lips parted, as if he wanted to say something. Being alone with him was so awkward that I immediately said, “It’s getting late. I’m tired, you should get some sleep too.” Then I quickly darted into the bedroom. The next day. Charlotte woke up earlier than I did. Matthew was kneeling in front of her, and Charlotte looked utterly bewildered. “Sir, did you stay at our house last night?” Hearing that address, Matthew’s smile stiffened slightly, then he said gently, “Lottie, I’m your daddy. Not ‘sir.’” ‘Daddy’ was too unfamiliar to Charlotte. So, when she heard the word, she shyly buried herself in my arms. I didn’t quite know how to explain to her that Matthew was her father. “Lottie, he’s your daddy.” Charlotte softly whispered, “Daddy.” Matthew’s brows lifted slightly. “Sweetheart.” After Matthew returned, we were more like roommates. His expression was calm and collected, while I felt uncomfortable and awkward. Discovering his regular schedule, I made sure to avoid him every day. He left at 8:30 a.m., and until then, I would hide in my bedroom. Only after confirming he had left would I venture out. Today, I miscalculated. When I came out, I found him and Charlotte sitting at the dining table. He was looking down, patiently feeding Charlotte. The moment our eyes met, I wished I could disappear into a hole in the ground. He, however, was perfectly natural. “Eat.” I refused. “No thanks, I’m going to be late for work.” With that, I quickly put on my shoes, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door. The moment I opened it, Mrs. Davis happened to be returning from grocery shopping. Seeing Mrs. Davis was like seeing a lifeline. Matthew, however, walked around in front of me and leisurely began to put on his shoes. “I’ll drive you.” “No need.” With that, I zipped into the elevator. 3. That night, I carefully observed Matthew’s routine. He should be resting by now. But when I pushed open the door, I found him lounging on the sofa, dozing. I tried to minimize my presence, tiptoeing back to the bedroom. His clear, masculine voice broke the silence. “Skylar.” I stopped. “It’s so late, are you still awake? You should go to bed, I’m heading to my room now.” He said, “Why are you back so late?” I answered matter-of-factly, “Overtime.” Matthew stood up and walked over to me. He looked down, his eyelashes fluttering. “Tomorrow morning, I bought tickets to Universal Studios. At dinner, Charlotte said she wanted to ride the Ferris wheel.” I hesitated, then considering the child, I agreed. “Okay.” With that, I quickly ran back to the bedroom, closing and locking the door in one swift motion. 4. Before going to Universal Studios, Matthew leaned down and said softly, “Lottie, how about Daddy carries you?” Charlotte shyly glanced at him, then looked at me. I smiled. “If you want, let him carry you.” Charlotte nodded, timidly nestling into his arms. In the confined elevator, Matthew suddenly took my hand. My body stiffened, and I gently tried to pull away. But I couldn't. His grip tightened. Matthew’s clear voice sounded, “Don’t move, I’m holding your hand.” Just as I gave up struggling, Matthew’s phone rang. He held Charlotte with one arm and my hand with the other. He looked down at me. “Can you answer that for me?” I felt a little awkward pulling his phone from his pocket. When I saw the caller ID, I froze. [Evelyn.] “It’s Evelyn Wilson.” Matthew’s expression changed immediately, turning cold. The voice on the other end of the line: “Matthew, my daughter has a fever, what should I do? I can’t get a cab.” Matthew set Charlotte down from his arms and said, “I’ll be right there.” He hung up, his eyes dark as he looked at me. “Evelyn and her daughter need me; I have to go. I’ll have my assistant drive you and Charlotte.” I took my daughter’s hand. “It’s fine, you go.” Hearing my answer, Matthew’s brows relaxed. He said, “Okay.” I called Mrs. Davis, and we took Charlotte to play all day. Matthew returned only after Charlotte had settled down for the night. I was in the dining room, drinking water. The door was pushed open. I ignored my water, setting the glass down and heading straight for the bedroom. Matthew called out, “Skylar.” His gaze was fixed on my face. I gave an awkward, polite smile. “What is it?” He slowly walked towards me, his voice trembling slightly. “I’m taking care of them, don’t be jealous.” My lips curved upward slightly. “Matthew, I’m not jealous. Evelyn and her daughter truly have a hard life; she should definitely reach out to you if she needs anything.” I thought to myself, it’s not my problem anyway. “Are you angry?” I laughed. “Of course not, I’m not angry.” Matthew probably didn't want me to be angry, but even after I said I wasn’t jealous or angry, his expression remained grim. “It’s late, you should rest.” 5. Just like five years ago, whenever Evelyn Wilson encountered a small problem in her life, she would call Matthew away. Matthew was out early and back late, and my time with him became less frequent. I felt a lot more relaxed. However, Charlotte’s kindergarten announced a parent-child activity. Charlotte looked at me with hopeful eyes. She asked, “Mommy, can Daddy come with us?” Other children’s parent-child activities always included both parents, but not Charlotte’s. Even though she was young, she would still feel the difference. Since Matthew was back, as Charlotte’s father, he truly needed to be responsible and fulfill his role. I didn’t need a husband, but Charlotte still needed a father. Tonight, I waited for Matthew in the living room. Seeing me sitting there, he was visibly surprised. Matthew’s lips curved into a smile. “I thought you’d keep hiding from me.” Was I that obvious? Being called out so directly made me even more awkward. “It’s like this: Charlotte has a parent-child activity next week. Can you come?” Matthew’s eyes held a faint smile. “Yes.” I told Charlotte, “Daddy agreed, he’ll come to your parent-child activity next week. All three of us will go together.” Charlotte hugged me excitedly. “Thank you, Mommy.” My heart felt a little warm, and a little sad. Charlotte was too understanding. 6. On the day of the parent-child activity, I waited a long time for Matthew, but he didn’t show up. What came instead was a phone call. Matthew’s voice on the other end was a little hoarse, apologetic. “I’m sorry. I broke my promise. There was an urgent assignment; I can’t make it.” After a moment of thought, I said, “It’s alright.” During those silent minutes, I wondered if Charlotte would be heartbroken. I crouched down to comfort her. “Lottie, Daddy might not be able to make it.” Charlotte looked up, her tiny hand reaching out to hold mine. “It’s okay, Mommy. You’ll go with me.” I softly said, “Alright.” At the venue, there were very few single-parent families like Charlotte and mine. But as I looked up, I saw a familiar figure. The man’s tall stature stood out in the crowd. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, dressed in sportswear, looking clean and sharp. A female parent whispered, “That’s the parents of the new transfer student. The child’s name is Amelia Wilson, and her parents are Matthew Noth and Evelyn Wilson. Evelyn Wilson and her husband are both so good-looking, she’s beautiful herself, and her husband is so handsome, no wonder the child is also lovely.” Evelyn Wilson’s child actually had Matthew’s last name. I smiled, saying nothing, and continued listening to their gossip. Matthew still didn’t know that Charlotte and Amelia were in the same kindergarten. Because we were a single-parent family, many games were difficult to participate in. I withdrew Charlotte from the activities. As we were about to leave, I looked up and met Matthew’s gaze. He was holding Amelia in his arms. My eyebrow lifted, and I gave him a faint smile. I decided it was time to bring up the divorce. It was bound to happen sooner or later, might as well get it over with. Matthew looked momentarily lost, his expression stiff and flustered. He put the child down, pushed through the crowd, and ran towards Charlotte and me. I led Charlotte into the car. Charlotte sat in her car seat in the back. I had been steeling myself for this. “Lottie, if everyone else has a daddy, but you don’t, would you be sad?” Charlotte’s voice was clear. “No, I wouldn’t be sad. I’ve never had a daddy.” Hearing that answer, I was silent for a long time. “What about Daddy Matthew?” Charlotte said, “He’s Amelia Wilson’s daddy, not my daddy. I have a mommy.” I don’t know what to say; the sadness in my heart was overflowing. This feeling of sorrow was only because of Charlotte. Matthew had been gone for too long, so long that when I saw him again, for a moment, I couldn’t remember who the person in front of me was. I almost forgot that we were still legally married. I took Charlotte to my company. She was very well-behaved. While I worked, she sat quietly. The company was recently selecting a regional director for the Americas, and I had a chance to be promoted and transferred there. Aside from spending time with Charlotte, most of my time and energy was dedicated to work. Even if we separated, I could still provide Charlotte with an excellent life. I remember when I first found out I was pregnant, my friends and family were afraid I would fall into despair. But I didn’t. Instead, I worked even harder. Because the baby was too far along to abort, only if I was capable, with a good job, could I have the confidence to keep Charlotte by my side and the strength and courage to leave this marriage at any time.
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