On our wedding day, my bride-to-be, Jody Simmons, disappears without a trace. All she leaves behind is a baby with a heart condition and a letter.

She writes, "Dami, I love you, but I've also fallen in love with Henry Ziegler. I can't officially make him mine. So, I've decided to travel around the world with him to make it up to him. I'll give you a chance to raise the child Henry and I have together. While we're away, let our child keep you company."

But why should I raise another man's child?

Six years later, I take my daughter to the airport to see my wife, Ivy Simmons, off on a business trip. When I turn around, I spot Jody pulling a suitcase behind her.

The moment she sees the little girl in my arms, her face lights up with delight.

She gushes, "Dami, is this Henry and my child? You've raised her so well! But Henry and I are already married overseas, so I can't marry you anymore. Don't worry, though. In my heart, you've always been my husband."

Looking at the striking resemblance between her features and my daughter's, I chuckle softly.

I say meaningfully, "Careful. Don't go around claiming someone else's daughter as yours. This is your cousin."

Jody Simmons' expression stiffened before she furrowed her brow.

"Cut it out, Dami," she said with a frown. "We might not have had a wedding back then, but you accepted my engagement gifts. Technically speaking, you're my husband now. How can you be so tactless?"

After a brief pause, she added, "Besides, I only have one aunt, and she's never been married. If she hears you spreading rumors about her, she won't be happy about it."

I was speechless. I couldn't believe how shameless she was being.

Jody used to be my fiancee. Our engagement had been arranged by our families. Throughout our relationship, I had done nothing more than fulfill my responsibilities as her fiance.

After she had the audacity to run away from the wedding, someone else from the Simmons family had to take her place as my fiancee. That person ended up being her aunt, Ivy Simmons.

Before the wedding, Ivy gave me double the amount of engagement gifts Jody had offered me. On top of that, she had been spoiling me ever since we got married.

Now, I was the husband of the head of the Simmons family—and Jody's uncle-in-law. With my newfound status, even Jody's parents treated me with courtesy and respect.

Looking up at me timidly, my daughter, Natalie Quinton, tugged on my sleeve and asked, "Who's this, Daddy? I've never met her before."

I ruffled Natalie's hair and paid no attention to Jody. Then, I turned and started to head toward the parking lot.

"You can't leave!"

Jody stretched out her arm to block my way.

Henry Ziegler quickly stepped forward as well. He reached forward with his rough, calloused hand and pinched Natalie's cheek.

"I'm your actual dad, sweetie," he said. "Would you like to come home with me? Your mother and I will take you out for something delicious."

"Don't touch her!" I snapped.

I immediately pulled Natalie into my arms and took two steps backward. Henry had pinched her cheek so hard that it had already turned red.

Feeling frightened, Natalie buried herself in my embrace and cried, "Daddy, I'm scared…"

Henry's eyes instantly welled up with tears. Choking back a sob, he said, "I'm your father, sweetie."

Turning toward Jody, he continued, "Is Damian still angry at me for what happened, Jody? Is that why he deliberately told the kid not to acknowledge me as her father?"

Jody frowned and reached over to yank Natalie away from me.

"Stop being so ungrateful, Damian Quinton!" she barked. "Henry is her biological father. Why won't you let him touch his own daughter? Have you lost your mind?"

"Give Natalie back to him right now! If you like children so much, we can always have another one later," she added as if she was doing me a huge favor.

The look on her face made me sick.

"If your eyesight is failing you, go get yourself a pair of glasses," I spat coldly. "Natalie is my daughter. She has nothing to do with you or Henry."

"The child you left behind all those years ago is long gone. She didn't even have a proper name, so your parents sent her to an orphanage," I said.

"That's enough!" Jody snapped, cutting me off.

She continued, "Back then, Henry and I left our child with you while we traveled around the world. I know you're still angry about that, but Henry is her biological father. Give the kid back to him!"

Once her words fell, she shoved me aside and snatched Natalie out of my arms.

Natalie frantically struggled against her hold. Her face turned bright red as she screamed, "Let me go, you bad lady!"

Jody, however, turned a deaf ear to her cries and immediately handed her over to Henry.

Henry handled Natalie roughly and left several red marks on her arm. Despite that, he acted as if he hadn't noticed and continued to grip her arm tightly.

"I'm your actual daddy, sweetie," he told her.

I felt my chest tighten. While Jody blocked me from reaching Henry, I could only watch helplessly as Natalie screamed and struggled to break free.

Leaning close to me, Jody asked in a cocky and smug voice, "Did you miss me, Dami?"

Miss her? I wanted nothing more than for her to disappear right this second.

"Move out of the way, or I'm calling the police!" I demanded.

At that moment, Natalie suddenly lowered her head and bit down on Henry's wrist. When he cried out in pain and loosened his grip, she immediately rushed back to me.

Standing between me and Jody, she stretched out her arms and said, "Stop picking on my daddy, you bad lady!"

Clutching his wrist, Henry sounded about to cry.

"I know Damian is still mad about our relationship, Jody, but the kid is innocent. He must've taught her to reject her biological parents. Otherwise, there's no way she'd treat us this way," he said.

Upon hearing his words, Jody grew furious. She marched forward and grabbed Natalie before lifting her off the ground by her collar.

"You ungrateful little brat!" she spat. "How dare you hurt your own father? I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

Natalie's face paled as she dangled in midair. She kicked and flailed around desperately while crying in fear.

I was mortified. Natalie's clothes were custom-made from silk. It couldn't withstand that kind of rough handling at all.

"Put the child down, Jody! We can talk this out," I urged.

More and more travelers began to gather around us.

The crowd whispered among themselves, but I could barely register what they were saying. All of my attention was fixed on Natalie's collar, which looked like it could tear apart at any moment.

All of a sudden, Henry dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms tightly around my legs.

"If you're upset at me, you should've just hit me or berated me. How could you deliberately turn my daughter against me?

"It's one thing to stop her from acknowledging me as her father. I can't believe you taught her to hate her mother too. Jody has never stopped thinking about you and Natalie…"

Jody turned toward me and flashed me a disappointed and angry look.

"Dami, I entrusted my child to you because I believed you'd take good care of her. I can't believe you taught her to reject her biological parents! How can you be so evil?" she spat.

She continued, "Now that Henry and I are back, this kid should come with us. From now on, you should stay out of her business."

I found her words utterly ridiculous.

Back then, she abandoned a child with congenital heart disease and eloped overseas with Henry without so much as an explanation. If Ivy hadn't stepped up and chosen to marry me, I would've become a laughingstock.

Not even Jody's biological parents were willing to raise her illegitimate child. So, what made her think that I would do it?

As Jody still held Natalie, terrified she might hurt my daughter, I had no choice but to suppress my panic and do my best to keep Jody calm.

"Put the child down. We can talk this out," I urged again.

Taking that as a sign that I had given in, Jody used Natalie to force me into her car. When I remained silent throughout the entire drive, she simply continued to talk to me.

"I understand how you feel. After all, you've raised her for five years. It's only natural that you'd find it difficult to part with her," she said. "However, this child has already been led astray. Why don't we just have another one? This time, I'll raise the child myself."

I barely heard a word she said. My eyes stayed fixed on Natalie. She was lying in Jody's arms, and her face was pale from fear.

Henry was sitting next to Jody. Upon hearing what she had just said, his expression darkened, and a hint of malice flashed across his eyes.

When we arrived at Jody's house, I reached for Natalie as soon as the car came to a stop. But to my dismay, Henry took her away before I could grab her.

I was just about to go after him when Jody stepped in front of me.

"I came back to take over Simmons Corporation," she announced. "Over the next few days, if you behave yourself and stop spreading lies about Aunt Ivy, I'll give you a proper wedding and make you my husband again. What do you say?"

I was disgusted, but I also felt slightly confused.

"Doesn't Simmons Corporation belong to your aunt? What does the ownership of the company have to do with you?" I asked.

Jody scoffed. "Aunt Ivy doesn't have any children. As her only niece, I'm the closest she has to an heir. Simmons Corporation will be mine sooner or later," she said matter-of-factly.

She added, "Besides, she's overseas on a business trip right now. As long as I can get my parents and a few shareholders on board, I'll be able to take over the company."

All of a sudden, I recalled what Ivy had told me. Before leaving on her trip, she mentioned she had some internal issues to deal with.

At that time, I found that strange. Under her leadership, Simmons Corporation had always operated smoothly. What kind of internal problem could require her personal attention?

As it turned out, that so-called "problem" was none other than the arrogant, brainless so-called heiress who was currently standing before me.

Just then, Natalie's heart-wrenching cries suddenly rang out from inside the house. My heart sank. Forgetting all about Jody, I hastily stumbled inside the house to check on my daughter.

In the dining room, Henry was trying to force a spoonful of steaming-hot oatmeal into Natalie's mouth. When she refused to eat it, he pinched her arm.

By the time I had rushed in, her arm was already covered in several red rashes.

"Stop!" I barked.

I rushed over and pulled Natalie into my arms. Her skin felt hot to the touch. When I pulled her collar back, I discovered that her back was covered in rashes.

"Who told you to feed her oatmeal?" I barked. "She's allergic to oats!"

Sobbing, Natalie buried herself in my arms. Her face was flushed. "Daddy… It hurts…" she cried.

I picked her up and immediately tried to head outside. However, Henry stepped toward the door to block me from exiting the room.

"Where do you think you're taking my daughter?" he demanded. "Jody and I don't have an oat allergy. So how could our daughter possibly be allergic? Did you feed her something she shouldn't have eaten today?"

Natalie squirmed around in pain, and her breathing became increasingly labored.

Panicking, I yelled in a trembling voice, "Get out of the way! Natalie needs to go to the hospital right now!"