My Daughter Doesn't Call Him "Dad" Anymore

Chapter 3

Simon actually kept his word and stayed home.

Except when the day finally came, Eunice showed up too—with her daughter in tow.

Lydia threw herself into his arms the second she walked in. "Daddy! I missed you so much! I don't wanna go home!"

She turned, glaring at Erika. "Why do you have to play with this stray brat instead of me?"

Eunice slipped her arm through Simon's, casting a smug glance my way. "Lydia, sweetie, your dad just feels bad for Erika. He's just giving her a little bit of his time. Why don't you guys all play together, okay?"

Simon practically beamed at how "understanding" Eunice was.

Which only made him more irritated by my silence.

Beside me, Erika squeezed my hand tight, fighting back tears.

As the kids played, Simon kept drilling it into Erika's head that Lydia was fragile, that she needed to let Lydia have her way.

Lydia spent the whole afternoon deliberately shoving Erika down. But every time Erika tried to stand up for herself, Simon shut her down, calling her petty and vindictive.

And whenever Lydia started crying, Simon automatically pinned it on Erika.

"Erika, why are you being so unreasonable?

"Lydia isn't feeling well, and she just wants to play with you. Why do you keep picking on her?"

Erika had been looking forward to this day for so long. She felt so wronged, but she swallowed her tears and took it.

Watching from the sidelines, Eunice leaned in and sneered at me,

"You really are useless, aren't you, Lily? You can't hold onto your husband, your kid can't hold onto her dad... Hell, you couldn't even keep your own life's work. Everything you built is mine now."

She smirked, "If I were you, I'd just take my kid and jump off a bridge."

When I didn't say a word, Eunice let out a harsh laugh.

"Still holding out hope, huh?

"Then let me show you how things really are.

"Just don't blame me for ruining the little family day you begged so hard for."

The instant those words left her mouth, Lydia—who was building blocks with Erika—threw herself to the ground.

Eunice let out a blood-curdling scream.

The sudden chaos sent Erika into a panic. She clutched her chest, stumbling backward, and I rushed forward to catch her before she hit the floor.

Meanwhile, Simon and Eunice both scrambled to gather Lydia into their arms.

Eunice sobbed hysterically. "Erika! We came here out of the goodness of our hearts to keep you company! How could you do this to Lydia?!"

It was a painfully bad act. Lydia's eyelashes were literally twitching the entire time.

Erika, on the other hand, was turning blue. Her lips lost all color as her whole body violently shook.

Yet, Simon fell for it completely.

He closed his eyes, exhaling in sheer disappointment as he forced his anger down. Then, without a second thought, he scooped Lydia up and turned toward the door.

It was beyond pathetic.

The one single day he promised us... destroyed by his own hands in less than an hour.

"Simon!" My voice cracked as I called after him. "Can't you see Erika is the one actually in danger?! You walk out that door today, and we are done! Completely done!"

Simon didn't even bother turning around.

He just barked an order at the butler. "Lock Erika in the dark room for 3 days so she can think about what she did!

"She made a mistake, and she needs to learn her lesson. Faking an illness isn't going to get her out of this."

Last time, just a single day in that room nearly killed her.

I closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to steady.

I felt like such a fool.

I was done bending over. No one was ever going to hurt my daughter again.

I whirled around and screamed at the servants, warning anyone who dared step forward to get the hell away from my daughter.

Erika sobbed softly against my chest. "Mommy... I don't want him anymore! He's not my daddy!"

"I know, baby," I whispered back.

"We don't want him anymore either."

After taking Erika straight to the ER, I received the final dossier from my lawyer.

My mind was made up.

Page by page, file by file... it was more than enough to completely wipe those scumbags off the face of the earth.

On the other side of the hospital, Lydia was totally fine. After a routine check, the doctor told them all she needed was a little rest.

Simon was standing in the hallway, completely lost in thought, when he overheard two doctors talking nearby.

"That kid is completely fine—her parents are making a huge deal out of nothing."

"Right? The real tragic case was that little girl I helped resuscitate a few days ago—Erika, I think her name was. She almost died on the table."

"Poor kid developed acquired heart disease from extreme psychological stress at home. She can't handle any sudden shocks or scares for the rest of her life. She's basically made of glass."

Simon froze, the blood completely draining from his face.