They Regretted Locking Me Out on Christmas

After all, she was my child.

Lily’s health had been poor after she was born, and I was the one who raised our daughter with my own hands.

I could not understand how it was that her real father was right here, yet she insisted on wanting someone else to be her dad?

“Why?”

As though regaining her pride, Yara lifted her chin and looked at me.

“All my classmates’ dads are handsome. You only wear those dull plaid shirts. You look so outdated and cheap!

“Uncle Jones has lived abroad for so long. He’s good-looking and speaks English well. If he comes with me, he’ll make me look good!”

My grip tightened around the spatula as I turned to look at Lily.

Even now, I was still hoping ridiculously that she would step in as a mother.

That she would teach our daughter not to be materialistic and not to look down on her own father like this.

However, Lily only nodded.

“She’s right.

“The parents are all wealthy or influential at a private school like this. Carson can also help me expand my network.

“In three days, the investors will visit the company. If I can use this opportunity to connect with someone, it’ll be worth far more.

“You… can just stay home and mop the floors.”

Her tone was casual, as though she were speaking to a member of the cleaning staff.

People said that children were a reflection of their parents.

So this was what my daughter had become under her mother’s influence.

Still, it did not matter anymore.

I just hoped her mother would still have time to correct her.

“Have fun.”

“Tsk. How fake.”

Yara snorted under her breath, slung her backpack on, and happily followed the other two out the door.

Finally, the house fell silent.

I took a taxi to a law firm in the city center.

After being locked outside last night, I had already contacted a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement.

When I received the document, still faintly smelling of fresh ink, I felt an unexpected sense of relief.

On my way back, I got out of the taxi and saw Yara standing on a stage.

Her school was right near our home, and the stage was facing the main gate.

Back then, to secure her enrollment, I had begged everywhere and scraped together everything just to buy a home in this school district. I had been one step away from throwing away my dignity.

Almost unconsciously, I stopped walking.

On stage, Yara stood in a little dress, drenched in sweat, frozen in front of the microphone.

“My father is… is…”

She had forgotten her lines and looked frantically toward Carson in the audience.

However, Carson was busy scrolling on his phone.

It was only after someone beside him nudged him did he lazily mouth a few words to her.

The lip movements did not match at all.

Yara panicked even more. She stammered a few lines in English before finally breaking down under the audience’s boos and running off the stage in tears.

I felt nothing as I watched it all happened.

A month ago, I helped her revise that speech and practiced every pause with her.

Now that she had chosen Carson as her father, it was Carson’s responsibility.

If he could not handle it, that had nothing to do with me.

I turned to leave, only to bump into Yara as she came running out of the side entrance.

Her face was covered in tears. The moment she saw me, her sadness turned instantly into rage.

It was as though I were the perfect target for everything she felt. She rushed at me and shoved me.

“It’s all your fault! Why did you come here? You brought bad luck to me. I forgot my speech because of you!

“Why don’t you just die?

“If you were dead, Uncle Jones could be my real dad. He would definitely help me win first place!”