Yvette used my phone to send the photo over. She was probably too happy to hold back and ended up sending a voice message as well.

Her tone was cautious. "Daddy, this is my seat in the classroom. Don't go to the wrong one, okay?"

Hearing Yvette's timid, childish voice made my heart ache. I reached out to gently ruffle her hair. In my heart, I prayed that Harold wouldn't let us down again this time.

The other kids' parents had already started arriving one after another.

Yvette gripped the corner of my shirt tightly, her eyes fixing longingly on the stairs. Yet, Harold was nowhere to be seen.

When her homeroom teacher, Laura Anderson, came over for the third time to ask, "Yvette's dad still isn't here?" Yvette could no longer hold back her tears.

Gripping my shirt, she looked up with a pale face and asked, "Mommy, is it because Daddy doesn't like me that he doesn't want to come to my parent-teacher meeting?"

I held her tightly in my arms. "No, this has nothing to do with you. It's his fault."

Then I stood up and turned to Laura. "Sorry for keeping you and the other parents waiting. I'll attend the meeting alone."

Yvette was always well-behaved and did well in school. The teachers adored her, so they didn't say much.

Just as the parent-teacher meeting ended, I received a call from Harold, and anger surged in me instantly.

The timing couldn't be better. I was about to confront him about why he'd lied to Yvette if he couldn't attend the meeting.

But before I could say a word, his furious voice blasted through the receiver. "Where's Yvette right now? Tell her to get over here and apologize to Jacob immediately! Because of that voice message she sent, Jacob had an episode. He's now hospitalized!"

I froze for a moment before I realized what voice message Harold was talking about. A chill ran straight through me.

Ever since Susan and Jacob entered the picture, Harold had forbidden Yvette from calling him "Daddy".

All because Jacob suffered from severe depression, and since Susan was divorced, just hearing the word "Daddy" would supposedly trigger him.

Using that so-called depression as an excuse, Harold had abandoned Yvette and me time and time again.

Yvette gradually came to understand that whenever she called him "Daddy", he would get angry and stop coming home. Hence, she stopped saying it around him and only used it quietly when she was alone with me.

Even this time, it was just a voice message sent over the phone. If Harold hadn't let Jacob play with his phone, how would he have even heard that message and had an episode?

Looking over at Yvette, who wasn't far away, I forced down the anger rising in my chest. "This isn't Yvette's fault. She's not going to apologize. The one who should be apologizing is you, Harold Jefferson!"

With that, I hung up without waiting for his response.

I took a moment to compose myself, then walked over to Yvette. "You did really well in your exam. I'm going to reward you. Tell me what you want. A new toy? A fancy meal?"

But Yvette shook her head. She reached out and held my hand. "I just want you to stay with me forever."

My eyes stung. My voice was hoarse as I replied, "Okay. I'll stay with you forever."

As I held Yvette in my arms, the thought of leaving had never felt so clear.

In the end, I took Yvette out for a scrumptious meal and bought her her favorite dress and some toys.

I thought she could take it easy for once since it was Friday, but she still insisted on finishing her homework.

She had always been sensible, knowing that both Harold and I were busy with work. She never once made me worry about her studies.

After Yvette fell asleep, I was about to head to bed myself when I heard some noise outside.

When I went to check, I saw Harold. He was holding Jacob in his arms.

Behind Harold, Susan smiled at me. "Sorry to bother you."

I froze in place. The cold night breeze swept through the living room, chilling me to the bone. "Why are you bringing them back here?"

The words came out through gritted teeth. They pushed us out everywhere else, and now they wanted to invade the only space Yvette and I had left?

At first, Harold avoided my gaze, but after hearing my question, he frowned and suddenly acted self-righteously. "Jacob's condition is unstable, so he needs me around.

"It'd be inconvenient if I stayed at Susan's place. You'd become suspicious again if you found out, so I had no choice but to bring them here. This way, with everything right under your nose, you won't have anything to worry about, right?"

I was stunned by his twisted logic and was just about to speak when a soft, sleepy voice came from behind me. "What's going on, Mommy…"

I turned around and saw Yvette, still half-asleep, standing in the doorway and rubbing her eyes.

But the moment she saw Harold, her face lit up with joy. She was just about to call out to Harold.

Then she noticed Jacob in his arms, and the light in her eyes dimmed instantly. She was disappointed.

However, Harold remained completely oblivious. In fact, when he saw Yvette, he instructed sternly, "Yvette, good that you're awake. Come over and apologize to Jacob. He ended up like this because of you."

To Yvette, those words only deepened her guilt. She looked completely lost. "I…"

I stepped in front of her coldly. "Harold, I told you. Yvette did nothing wrong. You're the one at fault here."

Harold frowned, but then noticed the shopping bags on the living room table. They were gifts I had bought for Yvette that day.

His face darkened as if he'd caught us red-handed. "Yvette, what have I taught you? You did something wrong and still got all these gifts? Are you celebrating what happened?"

Yvette flinched at Harold's harsh tone, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.

I clenched my fists tightly. "I bought those things for Yvette. If you have a problem, come at me!"

Jacob stirred at the sound, his grogginess still evident. He lifted his head and wrapped his arms around Harold's neck. "Daddy, are we there yet?"

Harold glanced at me, panic flashing in his eyes.

I sneered. "Oh, I see. So you won't let your own daughter call you 'Daddy' because you've already gone and picked up a new son outside?"

Harold pressed his lips together and said nothing.

At that moment, Susan interrupted, her tone full of grievance. "Harold was just being kind, helping us out. Please don't be angry, Catherine. If anyone's to blame, it's me. Jacob and I ruined your family's peace. We'll leave."

Then, she turned to Jacob. "Get down from Harold and leave with me."

But Jacob burst into tears. "No! I don't want to go! I like Mr. Jefferson! I want to stay with him!"

Susan wiped at her tears. "You silly child, why are you being so disobedient? It's exactly because Harold is good to us that we can't make things harder for him."

Then, she looked at Harold with a gaze full of sorrow and tenderness. "Harold, thank you for everything you've done for us during this time. Jacob and I are truly grateful. From now on, if fate allows, we'll meet again someday…"

With that, she took Jacob's hand and started walking out the door.

Harold turned to me, disappointed. "Catherine Smith, you've changed."

Before I could respond, he continued, "Let's take some time apart and cool off for a bit."

I nodded and simply replied, "Alright."

Afterward, I picked up a document from the table. "This is the insurance policy I bought for Yvette. Sign it before you go."

In a hurry to catch up with them, Harold didn't bother to look closely. He quickly scribbled his signature on the document.

I watched it all unfold with complete calm. It wasn't until the front door closed behind him that my legs finally gave out. I sank to the floor, feeling completely drained.

Yvette wrapped her arms around me. "Mommy, are we not going to have Daddy anymore?"