Chapter 4 Where's My Dad

Cecilia finished organizing the materials needed for the opening ceremony; it was already past nine o'clock.

Her stomach grumbled with hunger, prompting her to prepare dinner. When she turned on the living room lights, she noticed some activity coming from the adjacent bedroom. She frowned and pushed the door open.

On the child-sized bed, Gladys was wearing a floral cartoon nightgown, with little stars awarded by her kindergarten teacher still stuck on her forehead.

She was flipping through something with her left hand while holding a marker in her right, making circles and dots on the side.

"Gladys, why aren't you asleep yet? Do you want Mommy to stay with you?" Cecilia asked gently. She had been so busy lately that she had neglected her daughter a little.

Gladys, only three years old, was obedient and sensible, never causing trouble for her mother. Born prematurely, she was lighter and thinner than other children, and her health was somewhat fragile.

Yet Gladys never acted like a difficult child. Even when she was sick, she behaved in a way that was heartwarming.

Cecilia felt fortunate. Three years ago, in that dim bathroom, she had fought hard to save this lovely little girl.

The child had taken her surname, Quinn, because Alston refused to acknowledge her, and the Faber family had shunned her as well.

Perhaps it was for the best. Cecilia didn't want her daughter to be involved in the power struggles of the elite.

"Mom!" Gladys exclaimed excitedly. "Has Mom finished working?"

"Yes," Cecilia replied with a warm smile. She bent down and lifted Gladys from the small bed. Her gaze, however, fell on the magazine lying there.

In the magazine, the smiles of Alston and Sandy were glaringly vivid.

Where had this magazine come from? And why was it on Gladys's bed?

Cecilia's head buzzed.

"Mom, what do 'mistress' and 'cheating' mean?" Gladys asked, pouting and frowning. "The teacher from the neighboring class said my dad found a mistress and cheated, and now he doesn't want Mommy anymore!"

Gladys's voice was soft, almost fragile, but this seemingly insignificant question blew a huge hole in Cecilia's heart, devouring all her sense of achievement in her career.

"The magazine is full of nonsense. Good girls shouldn't look at these things!" Cecilia said, picking up the magazine and tossing it into the trash can. Her fingers trembled slightly.

Because in that instant, she saw the marks Gladys had made on the magazine. Words like "Alston," "Cecilia," "Sandy," and "cheating" were circled, with question marks scattered here and there.

Clearly, Gladys hadn't expected Cecilia to react so strongly. Her big, round eyes quickly filled with tears.

"Mom, is what they said true? Does Dad not want Mom anymore? Does Dad not want Gladys anymore?" Gladys's voice quivered, and tears rolled down her cheeks, landing on Cecilia's hand like tiny pebbles.

Cecilia's eyes welled up as well.

So that's why Gladys had circled those words with a marker-to look them up in a dictionary. If Cecilia hadn't stumbled upon it tonight, Gladys might never have asked her.

The child had been afraid of hurting her and had quietly tried to figure things out on her own.

"Sweetheart, don't cry. Don't listen to what others say. Daddy loves Mommy, and Daddy loves Gladys too. Daddy would never not want us," Cecilia said, placing Gladys back on the bed and wiping away her tears. "If you say things like that to Daddy, he will be sad."

"Really?" Gladys furrowed her brow. "Then why doesn't Daddy come to see Gladys? Gladys has never seen Daddy."

Cecilia's throat tightened.

Moonlight Manor was a house Cecilia had bought herself. Since Gladys was born, they had lived here together. Alston had never acknowledged Gladys and had never visited. Occasionally, Cecilia showed Gladys pictures of him, telling her that she had a father like other children. It was just that her father was different-he managed a big company and worked hard to earn money for her and her mom.

Those words had deceived a younger Gladys, but now she was growing older and more perceptive.

"Who said Daddy never came to see Gladys? Daddy comes to see you every day after work, very late at night. But by then, Gladys is already asleep, so you don't know," Cecilia explained, her voice strained.

Gladys frowned. "Mom, is what you said true?"

"Of course it's true," Cecilia insisted, forcing a smile. "Daddy works hard to buy a big house for us and lots of pretty clothes for you. Others are just jealous of us; that's why they say bad things about Daddy."

"Okay," Gladys said, blinking at her. "I believe Mom. So can Mom ask Daddy to take Gladys to school when he's free? Gladys wants to show her classmates that she has a Daddy, that Daddy doesn't not want Gladys, and that Daddy is the most handsome Daddy in the world."

Cecilia felt a lump in her throat.

"Mom, please?" Gladys tugged at her sleeve, looking at her pitifully.

"Okay," Cecilia agreed softly. She couldn't refuse. "When Daddy has time, Mommy will ask him to take you to school. It's late now, so Gladys should go to sleep, okay?"

"Great! Thank you, Mom!" Gladys cheered, then quickly burrowed under her blanket, lying down obediently.

Cecilia's heart felt heavy. Instead of staying to accompany Gladys, she whispered "good night," turned off the lights, and left the room.

In the living room, she stared at the names on her phone's contact list for a long time but ultimately didn't make the call.

Forget it!

Let Alston take Gladys to school?

What was she even thinking? Daydreaming!

It would be better to help Gladys transfer to another school.

Cecilia returned to her bedroom, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. Eventually, she called Erin.

"Erin, Oakwood Residences is opening tomorrow, and I might be busy until late. Can you pick up Gladys from kindergarten for me?"

Erin immediately agreed. "Sure!"

"Erin."

"Cecilia, is something else on your mind?" Erin asked after a pause. "I saw the magazine this morning. Are you okay? Honestly, Alston is such an asshole!"

"Erin, this is what I want to talk about," Cecilia said, her brow furrowing. "I don't care about Alston, Sandy, or anyone else. But now that Gladys knows about this, could you ask her teacher tomorrow if it's possible for her to transfer schools?"

"Do you think transferring schools will solve this?" Erin replied, her voice full of indignation. "Why don't you talk to Alston about what happened eleven years ago? Dragging it out like this won't fix anything!"

"..."

Cecilia remained silent for a long time.

Realizing she'd been too harsh, Erin softened her tone. "Fine, fine, I'll do as you say. But, Cecilia, I don't want to see you go through what happened three years ago again. If Alston keeps being unreasonable, you need to stay away from him. Even if that means getting a divorce!"

"Okay."

"With your looks and abilities, even if you're alone with Gladys, someone will love you," Erin added, trying to cheer her up. "Honestly, Brian Radford from the PR department seems interested in you."

Cecilia frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about? Brian is Alston's cousin."

"So what?" Erin shot back. "Maybe it's time Alston saw that the wife he deems worthless is someone else's treasure!"

"Enough, Erin. There's nothing between Brian and me."

Without giving Erin a chance to continue, Cecilia hung up directly.