On Perfect‑Husband Challenge Day, He Abandoned Our Daughte

Before the charity gala was over, I left early with my daughter. I couldn't stand looking at Claire Bennett's falsely innocent face for another second. The black sedan cruised along Seabridge Expressway. "Mom, is Dad really not coming to pick us up?" Five-year-old Mia sat in her seat with her hands clasped together, disappointment filling her eyes. "Yes. He's busy." I pulled the thin blanket back over her legs. "But Dad promised he would take me for Sea Salt Ice Cream after the gala," Mia spoke softly, her voice full of cautious hope. "I can take you. Would that be okay?" "No." Mia lowered her head and picked at the lace trim on her dress. "Grace can't eat cold food. Dad said she would be sad if we ate ice cream in front of her." My hand froze. Neon lights flashed past the car window, casting streaks of color across my daughter's face. Her clear eyes held the restraint and hurt no five-year-old should have had to bear. "Dad also said Grace doesn't have a father, so she's very pitiful. He told me I should be good and give her the things she likes." "Mia," I interrupted gently but firmly. "From now on, you don't have to force yourself to be understanding. And you don't have to give in to anyone." The driver glanced at us through the rearview mirror. "Mrs. Carter, shall we head straight back to Hillside Villa?" "Yes." I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes. My five-year marriage had been nothing more than an absurd performance. I had thought Daniel was simply softhearted, sympathetic toward a distant relative who had divorced, lost her job, and was raising a child alone. But that phone call tonight had finally stripped away his calm, respectable facade. "Darling, I'm all yours tonight." His low, relaxed voice still echoed in my ears. I stared at my reflection in the window. I didn't lose control. I didn't cry. All I felt was the numbness that came after unbearable pain. Last month, Mia had been pushed down by a classmate at her private kindergarten. She injured her knee and needed three stitches. Panicked, I called Daniel. "Emma, take Mia to get her wound treated first. I'll be at the hospital as soon as I can." I waited with Mia in the emergency room for a full hour, but he never came. Then his phone became unreachable. When he finally returned home late that night, he hugged Mia with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Grace suddenly developed a high fever. Claire said she couldn't handle it alone. I had to help." Then he turned to me, his eyes filled with blame and displeasure. "Emma, Mia only had a scratch. At worst, she'll be left with a small scar. A high fever and convulsions could damage Grace's brain. How could you not tell what matters more?" The car stopped in front of Private Hillside Mansion. Holding Mia's hand, I pushed open the door and stepped into the familiar house. Two pairs of children's slippers I had bought two days earlier sat on the shoe cabinet in the entryway. One pair was simple blue slippers with little bears. The other was pink, decorated with heart-shaped rabbits. "Mom, Dad let Grace choose the new slippers first. She picked the pink pair I liked, so Dad made me wear the blue ones. He also told me not to fight with Grace over them." At the time, Claire had sat beside me, covering her mouth as she laughed softly. "Emma, Daniel always says Grace looks good in pink, so that must be why she remembered. You're so generous. You wouldn't hold it against a child, would you?" Daniel had lowered his head to sip his coffee, sounding completely unconcerned. "It's just slippers. Mia, why are you being so petty? Are you even tattling behind Grace's back now?" My daughter's eyes had filled with tears. Her eyelashes trembled violently as she fought not to cry, and the sight pierced my heart like a needle. I wrapped an arm around her soft hair and said, "You're a good girl, Mia. Mommy will buy you an identical pair tomorrow." Thinking of that, I walked over, picked up the pink rabbit slippers, and threw them into the trash can by the door. "Mom?" Mia's eyes widened in surprise. "From now on, you'll only wear what you like." I found her old favorite pair of strawberry-patterned slippers in the shoe cabinet and held them out to her. "Starting today, you never have to give up what you like for anyone. You will always come first." I took her upstairs to wash up, then read her a bedtime story. Only after her breathing had become steady and she was sound asleep did I quietly switch off the bedside lamp. Back in the master bedroom, I opened the walk-in closet and took out an elegant black handbag. I placed all the important documents inside. Mia's birth certificate, the court-certified paternity test, my passport, and the notarized property documents. Just before dawn, I heard a car pull off downstairs. Daniel was home.