Dad did not care about his uniform anymore. He ran with me to the police station as if he had seen a ghost.

"This kid's lost. Find her parents, quick!"

Half an hour later, Dad walked out of the police station looking totally lost. The police had checked for a long time. Finally, they told him I was his kid.

"Where in the world did you come from?!" Even a tough guy like my dad had a meltdown during his younger days.

I sipped the milk the policewoman gave me and just giggled. "Dad, I came from your middle login. You probably won't remember me."

The system wished it had never given internet access. "I should never have let you go online!"

Dad was puzzled by the terms 'old login' and 'middle login'. He scrunched up his face, ready to ask more, but a loud honk cut him off.

The car door swung open, and Dad got a stinging slap across his face. The sound of the slap rang out loud and clear.

"How could you, Elliot? You're not even a grown-up yet, and you've already got a granddaughter for me. What will people think of the Smith family now?!" Dad's father, Yale Smith, was fuming, his chest rising and falling with anger.

"Dad!" I cried out, my voice filled with worry for Dad.

Julia Porter, dressed to the nines, smiled, but her words were dripping with irony. "Elly, the child's already so big? Does that mean you were just 14 when you got a girl pregnant?"

Dad's expression turned dark as a storm cloud, his eyes red with fury. He asked in a rough voice, "Who said you could call me what my mom did?! My mom's not even in her grave yet, and you're already trying to replace her, aren't you?!"

The system said, "It's over, kiddo. The villain's darkening level has hit 100%."

I did not know what it meant to be completely villainous. All I knew was that Dad was heartbroken and furious! He was like a wild animal pushed to the edge.

Julia looked scared, quickly moving closer to Grandpa. "Honey, if the child dislikes me this much, maybe I should just go..."

Grandpa, already a volcano of anger, turned even redder. "She's my wife and your elder! How can you talk to your own mother that way?!"

He lifted his hand, ready to slap Dad once more.

I dashed forward and stomped on his foot. "You can't treat my dad like this!!"

Grandpa stopped, crying out in pain.

The system said, "Yale was already in a really bad mood to begin with... Kiddo, you're definitely... the perfect villain's daughter."

Even though I was much shorter than Dad, only reaching his knees, I still reached out my hand and tried my best to shield him.

"Dad, don't worry. I'll protect you!"

His eyelashes fluttered, and his body shook for just a second. After a bit, he could not help but sigh softly. "Silly girl..."

"Kiddo, the villain's darkening level has dropped from 100% to 70%!" The system's words made me let out a relieved breath.

Maybe this meant Dad was feeling a little better?

Before I could figure it out, Grandpa's face turned stormy because he felt embarrassed. He finally turned his attention to me.

"So, you're the little troublemaker, huh?! Coming after our Smith family… Did your mom put you up to this?!"

He was so angry that he wanted to pull my hair. However, Dad stepped in front of me. He touched his cheek and laughed calmly, "Oh, so it's fine for you to bring home a secret child and a girlfriend right after my mom passed away. But I can't have a daughter?

"Starting a fight with a kid right in front of the police station, is that how the Smiths act?"

Seeing Dad stand his ground, Grandpa was furious.

"Elliot, you're brave, aren't you? If you can't accept Julia, then leave the Smith family. From this day onward, don't you dare take a dime from me! Do you really think it's easy to raise a kid?!"

The system said, "Kiddo, the Smith family got rich because of your grandma, but she's gone now, and Grandpa's changed her will. He wants to kick your dad out and take everything for himself! Your dad will end up with no place to live, nothing to eat…"

I watched as Dad was about to say yes just to spite him. I sprang up quickly and clapped my hand over his mouth. "We won't leave! If anyone's leaving, it's you! Oh, Mr. Rich Guy snagged someone else's stuff and thinks he can provide for his lover and illegitimate kid with stolen goods!"

After I finished speaking, I covered my mouth with one hand. "I won't talk anymore."

Right then, the police officer came out. I ran to her, my voice breaking. "My grandpa wants to kick me and my dad out. He hit my dad too… Grandma just died, and he's already brought home a new wife. What am I going to do? Am I going to have to starve?"

Tears streamed down my face.

The officer's face turned stone cold. "Mr. Smith, is this true?"

Grandpa, who was about to slap, quickly put his hand down. He wiped his forehead and gave a nervous smile. "The kid's just joking. Sorry to bother you. We're heading home now."

I got what I wanted, so I wiped my tears and hugged Dad's leg. I looked up at him and asked, "Dad, you're not going to leave me behind, right?"

He froze, then lifted me into his arms. He was awkward but so warm, "I'm sorry. I've never been a dad before, but you're my kid, so I'll take care of you."

He asked me, "Do you have a name?"

Before I could say anything, he whispered, "Let's call you Remy, for remembrance. Even middle-login me must've missed you."

My heart felt like a kitten was tickling it. It was a funny feeling and not painful, but it made me want to cry. No matter if it was 20 years ago or in 20 years, he always called me Remy. Did he really miss me? If he did, why hadn't he ever hugged me?

He gave me lots of money but never came close to me. Every time I tried to hug him, he would push me away and say with disgust, "If it weren't for you, Zara would have accepted me!"

I was the one in the way of Dad's happiness.

The system explained to me that Dad had been blinded by darkness.

"Your dad was forced into doing the most humiliating thing in his life, and he was almost beaten to death. Zara Stone, the heroine, saved him. That was his chance to start over. He wanted to be with the heroine, but she said it wasn't possible because of you.

"Listen, kiddo. It's not your fault. The grown-ups are just too scared. They won't confront their true feelings... However, you've got to believe that your dad loves you for sure.]

I did not really get it. However, I was totally sure that Dad loved me.

I waited and waited. At last, Dad's hug came. I hugged his neck tight and planted a big kiss on him.

Dad's hand shook and got so warm. Even his ears turned red.

"You can't go around kissing guys, got it?! Especially guys with bleached hair!"

I blinked. "But Dad, your hair is bleached too."

Dad went quiet, then took me straight to a salon. "I'm gonna dye my hair black!"

For months after, Dad did not take me back to the Smiths. He was worried they might pick on me. He was worried he might lose his temper and scare me. He found us an apartment near my school. He bought a whole bunch of parenting books.

Every morning, he was in the kitchen learning to make food for children. Soon enough, he became a great cook. He even started learning how to style hair and could even tie my hair into cute little ponytails.

Dad did not want to set a bad example for me, so he was super serious about school. In just three months, he went from the bottom to the top 50 in his grade.

Every day after school, he made time to take me to the park or to a movie. His villainous side faded more and more, and even the system was starting to retire.

However, the best part? Dad hugged me and sang me to sleep every night. I felt so happy I thought I might pass out. I believed he would not have another dark turn, and we would stay happy forever.

However, one day, the Smith family threw a huge party. Grandpa was about to reveal that Chester Smith was his secret son.

The system that had been quiet for so long suddenly woke up. "Kiddo, Yale's going to change his will, and Elliot won't even get his mom's ashes! And they're planning to ruin Elliot's good name. Even if they don't kick him out of the Smith family, he'll be the one everyone picks on!"

Just imagining my dad looking so defeated made my heart hurt. I felt sad and a bit scared.

The system told me that even though I had watched lots of TV shows and learned so much from the internet, I was still just a kid. Kids could not protect grown-ups. I was scared I could not protect my dad.

"What's wrong?" Dad rubbed my face, "Who made our princess unhappy?"

I linked my pinky with his. "Dad, no matter what happens, promise you won't turn dark, okay? We'll find a way out of this."

He paused, confused.

Before he could figure out what I meant, Julia had already ushered us into the party.

Dad saw the necklace around her neck, and his face turned stormy in an instant. "That's my mom's necklace! Who said you could wear it?!"

Julia smirked at him. "She's gone, Elliot. Now, everything she had is mine."

The tension in Dad's mind snapped. His darkening level instantly shot up to 100%. He yanked Julia's hair, grabbing her throat, "Give me that necklace!"

"Dad, stop!" I tried to run to them, but a bodyguard held me back.

The spotlight hit us.

A sea of guests stared at me and Dad with scorn in their eyes.

Grandpa had someone save Julia, and then he glared at Dad, who was pinned to the floor. "Today, I want to introduce my youngest son. Chester will be the future heir of the Smith family.

"I also want you all to see for yourselves—Elliot has attacked an elder. Not only that, but he also had a child before marriage, picked on his family, and doesn't care about his studies. He's not fit to be part of the Smith family!

"From now on, I, Yale, have only one son, and that's Chester!"

Julia put on a scared face and let out a fake sob. "Elliot, you always wanted to leave the Smith family, right? Well, now you got your wish."

Dad's face was frigid, and his eyes looked like a storm was about to burst.

There I was, right next to him, proof of the mistake of having a baby before marriage.

"Oh my, if his mom were still here, this would've broken her heart."

"A big mess in a rich family... He's been kicked out by the Smith family!"

"People like him are bound to end up in trouble. Lock him up before he does something worse!"

"I always knew he was no good!"

That was not true!

Their harsh words cut through me like knives.

I yelled out, "My dad is the best, the very best!"

However, nobody cared what I had to say. They even laughed at me.

"Does a kid like you even deserve to talk?"

I did not know who started it, but suddenly, drinks were splashed all over me. Glasses were thrown at my head, and blood ran down my face.

Dad gasped for air and tried to rush to my side like he had lost his mind. "Don't you dare touch her! She's just a kid! If you want to hit someone, hit me!"

He screamed with all his might, his eyes filled with pain.

Grandpa looked pretty happy with himself as he had someone pull down the big screen.

"Now, let's take a look at my ex-wife's will," he announced.

However, when the screen flickered on, instead of the will, it was a video of Grandpa hitting Dad right outside the police station. Grandpa's face went white as a ghost.