My daughter’s kindergarten held a family event, and I rushed there, only to see her holding hands with my wife’s male secretary.

“Daddy,” she said, “I wish our family could stay like this forever.”

I watched as the three of them hugged, radiant with happiness.

Suddenly, exhaustion washed over me.

Later, I filed for divorce.

Then I left to teach in rural villages for thirty years.

If I couldn’t light the lamp in my own home, I’d at least illuminate the path for others.

When I submitted my application for rural volunteer work, my department director, Randy Bosworth, urgently pulled me aside.

“Dante, this assignment will last at least fifteen years. You’ve always cherished your wife and child—maybe sit this one out.

“You know what this means for those children,” he pressed. “It’s not a decision to make lightly.”

I listened to his earnest advice, then nodded firmly.

“Trust me, Randy. After all these years of working, this has always been my dream. As for my wife and daughter, someone better will take care of them.”

Then I shook his hand, my resolve unshaken.

Randy sighed and gave my shoulder a helpless pat.

“I understand, Dante. But teaching out there isn’t just hard—it can be dangerous. Poverty breeds more than hardship; it breeds fear and mistrust. I hope you’re ready for that.”

Before I made my decision, I had done my research.

Yes, poverty and backwardness often come hand-in-hand with outdated beliefs. But I wasn’t afraid of hardship or danger.

“Children from the mountains must have a path out. Only then can there be progress.

“You’re a teacher too, Randy. You understand. If they give in to fear, they’ll never leave the mountains. And that’s something I refuse to accept.”

I chose this road because I, too, came from the mountains. Where I came from is where I ought to return.

That’s what my teacher once taught me.

“Good, good, good. You truly are an exceptional teacher. I’m proud of you. We’ll always remember your sacrifice. Go home and get ready. You leave in a day.”

Randy had known my teacher, had watched me grow, and understood everything in my heart.

On the way home, I looked up at the sunlight. It felt warm, like the road I was about to walk.

Ahead, everything stretched out like an open path.

“Uncle Jason, hurry and catch me!”

As I stepped through the door, my daughter, Luna Smith, tumbled laughing into my legs, startling me into bending down.

I was just about to comfort her when I saw her turn around and complain to Jason Miller with a pout.

“Uncle Jason! The door opened—why didn’t you tell me? I’m mad now. I’m not playing with you anymore!”

“Luna…” I said gently. My throat felt dry, my chest tight with a dull, bitter ache.

“What are you calling me for? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have fallen. You’re a bad Daddy. Move aside.”

Luna shoved me with all her might. She was small, and her strength meant nothing, but the motion cut deeper than any wound, and I could barely stay standing.

“Dante, you’re back. Amber is tidying up the room. Feel free to sit anywhere,” Jason said casually.

There wasn’t a trace of guilt in his expression.

He lifted Luna effortlessly with one arm and, with the other, picked up a cup and poured me some water.

“Here, have something to drink. I’ll keep Luna company for a bit—make yourself at home.”

His words were perfectly measured, exuding the calm confidence of a man who belonged.

That only made me feel more like an outsider, like I was trespassing.

This wasn’t a homecoming. It was a sentencing.

“Uncle Jason, why are you even talking to him? Mommy said he’s a stranger. We’re the real family.”

My fingers tightened around the cup until they turned pale.

I pressed my lips together, forcing a smile.

“Luna, would you like Daddy to play with you for a while?”

They say the bond between father and daughter is strong, and I loved my daughter deeply.

From the moment she was born, I had wanted to give her the world.

Now, the distance between us yawned like a chasm, and for the first time, I feared her.

“Go away. Who wants to play with you? I’m far too busy with my studies.”

Luna seemed afraid that I'd press further. Huffing with effort, she pulled a stack of textbooks from her backpack.

“Uncle Jason, come quickly!”

She wore a stern little face that struck me as especially adorable, and I couldn’t help but feel a mischievous urge to tease her.

“Sweetheart, Daddy could help with your homework.”

I plopped down beside her. She flinched and darted behind Jason as if I were something contagious.

“Daddy, I don’t have time to play with you. Can you stop being so childish? I have homework to do.

“Mommy's right. You have too much free time.”

Jason gave me an awkward smile, then crouched to comfort Luna.

“Darling, don’t be rude to your Daddy. He rarely gets time to spend with you. And he’s a teacher, he can help you better than I can. Go on, it’ll be fine.”

As Jason gently tried to nudge her toward me, the princess-clad Luna exploded in fury.

She grabbed a piece of fruit from the table and hurled it at me.

“Go away! I don’t want you! I only want Uncle Jason! Why can't you understand? Why did you come back to ruin everything?”

I froze midstep as Luna’s sobs grew louder, more desperate.

“Mommy! I don’t want Daddy! I want Uncle Jason! Mommy!”

Her tears fell like hailstones.

I retreated instantly, forcing a smile around the acid in my throat.

“All right. Daddy won’t come over. Let Uncle Jason help you.”

In our final day together before my departure, I didn’t want to upset her anymore.

No matter how much she hated me, she was still my daughter.

“I’m sorry, Dante. She’s really attached to me,” Jason said with guilt in his eyes.

I shook my head and forced a smile. “It’s fine. You're right to put her first.”

How could I blame him? It wasn’t his fault she didn’t want me.

And besides, if I said even one more word, she’d only cry again.

“If you have nothing to do, Dante, why don’t you go out for a walk instead of coming here just to upset Luna? Honestly, I don’t know how you even call yourself a father.”

Amber Sky stepped out, her gaze filled with contempt.

“Jason’s the one who’s usually here for her. No wonder she doesn’t want to be close to you.”

She made a point of walking past me and slammed her shoulder into mine—hard.

I winced instinctively, a sheen of sweat breaking across my forehead.

My shoulder had already been injured the day before, courtesy of Luna.

I had shown up uninvited at her school’s event, and she’d been furious, embarrassed in front of her classmates.

Before I could react, she had shoved me with all her strength. I crashed into some playground equipment and ended up badly bruised.

Amber knew all of this, and yet, she still rammed into that exact spot.

The message was clear: I wasn't wanted here.

I lowered my head and smiled bitterly before retreating to my bedroom.

“Yay! Mommy chased the bad guy away! I hate him! He's so annoying! All my classmates laugh at me because of him!”

Luna’s triumphant cheers carried through the door, followed by Amber’s laughter.

“All right, all right. If you don’t like Daddy, then from now on, let Uncle Jason take care of everything, okay?”

“Even parent-teacher meetings?”

Luna's innocent question twisted like a knife in my chest. Yet, part of me felt relieved as her attachment to Jason meant my departure wouldn't devastate her.

That afternoon, as I drifted in uneasy sleep, Luna barged in.

A stinging slap landed on my cheek.

“Daddy! Get up already.”

I rubbed my blurry eyes, the physical pain barely registering compared to the ache in my voice.

“Luna…”

The teacher in me wanted to scold her disrespect, but with my departure imminent, the words morphed into strained gentleness.

“What is it, Sweetheart? Did you need something?”

Luna had changed into her pajamas and looked every bit the angelic child.

When I reached to caress her cheek, another slap shattered what remained of my fatherly tenderness.

“Mommy said we’re going out for dinner. It’s Uncle Jason’s birthday today.”

Jason’s birthday?

I pulled out my phone and laughed bitterly.

This date had once marked my wedding anniversary with Amber.

In the past, I'd scour the city for perfect gifts. Now, the thought of buying anything seemed absurd. She wouldn't want tokens from me anymore.

“I understand. You can go ahead now.”

On this final day, I didn’t argue with Amber.

I changed my clothes and followed behind them.

Luna was practically glowing. She skipped along happily as she held Amber’s hand and pulled Jason’s with the other.

“What a beautiful family! You can see the love between them.”

“That little girl's adorable! She has such good genes!”

At the strangers’ praise, Luna darted over and pointed first at me, then Jason.

“Who do I look more like?” She twisted shyly in a practiced, cute pose, eliciting chuckles.

“Why, your Daddy, of course! The one holding your hand! Silly question.”

Amber’s smile froze as she shot me an apologetic glance.

“She's just a child. Don't take it to heart.”

“Actually, Luna has Dante’s features,” Jason declared, just loud enough for the crowd.

In that instant, I sensed a shift in how the others looked at me.

They surely didn’t blame a child so young, but in their eyes, I must be a failing father, and that’s why my daughter preferred a stranger.

“It’s fine,” I said quietly.

Even as I turned to leave, the weight of their assumptions weighed on me.

Luna’s rejection cut deeper than I expected. My own child had openly disowned me in front of strangers.

The dinner passed in a haze, and my distraction didn’t go unnoticed.

Amber grew more annoyed as the hours passed.

“You didn’t have to come if you didn’t want to be here. Who are you trying to impress with that attitude?” she snapped.

Luna kicked my leg under the table.

“It’s Uncle Jason’s birthday. Stop being such a downer. Even my classmates say you never smile.”

Her last words were barely audible, but I heard them.

I’d only attended one of Luna’s school events—that disastrous parent-teacher meeting. She hadn’t invited me, but I’d seen the notice in the group chat and rushed over.

By then, Jason was already there.

Luna had dragged him around, introducing him as her father.

I’d stood frozen and humiliated.

When I tried to leave, Jason had spotted me and called out loudly, drawing attention, making sure Luna felt the sting of my presence.

Now, somehow, I was the one who never smiled.

“Luna… Daddy’s sorry.”

The apology tasted bitter, but I didn’t argue, didn’t get angry.

Amber looked surprised.

In the past, I would have scolded Luna for being so disrespectful.

She’d always hated that and accused me of bringing my “teacher voice” home.

Now that I had stayed quiet, she just scoffed, “Pathetic.”

She turned away, laughing with Jason and Luna as if I didn’t exist.

The table buzzed with warmth, with inside jokes, with a life I wasn’t part of.

Then Luna, swinging her legs, tugged at Jason’s sleeve.

“Uncle Jason, how did you and Mommy meet?”

Her voice was sugar-sweet, eager for a love story—one I wasn’t in.