This was the daughter I gave up my career for and raised with everything I had.

Despite this, she was willing to wish me dead for another man.

Carson walked over unhurriedly, pretending to comfort her as he patted her head.

All her overwhelming emotions finally spilled over.

Yara buried herself in Carson’s arms, crying uncontrollably.

“Melvin, honestly, I told you not to come. Now look at what you’ve done. You scared the child so badly.”

Carson looked at me with open provocation. His eyes were full of smug satisfaction.

However, I had only been passing by on my way home. What did this have to do with me?

Was her failure due to nerves, or because she never practiced properly?

Just because I was her father, was I supposed to take responsibility for everything and clean up her mess?

“Yara, I’m your father, not a piece of tissue you use to wipe your problems away.

“You’re nine years old. It’s time you learned some responsibility. Stop blaming everything on me.”

Then, I turned and walked toward home, not bothering to look at her again.

Back at the house, I packed all my important documents and personal belongings into a small carry bag.

As for the clothes and watches, I left them untouched.

Click. The lock turned. They were back.

“Don’t cry, Yara. It was just bad luck today. How about I take you to KFC?”

Carson’s voice was unusually gentle. Yara even stopped crying for a moment.

“Really? My dad never lets me eat KFC. He says it’s junk food. Uncle Jones is still the best!”

“Of course it’s not your fault.”

So that was why he sounded so gentle, Lily had just gotten off work.

That same voice I used to hear every night now continued,

“Yara just wasn’t in the right condition today. The fact that you came with her already makes you more responsible than her biological father.”

Was it not her who told me not to go?

Now she was blaming me again.

I let out a cold laugh and placed the divorce agreement on the bedside table.

That way, Lily would see it before going to sleep.

After finishing, I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked out of the bedroom.

Yara was wiping her tears when she shot me a vicious glare.

“What are you looking at? I’m talking about you!”

When I looked at her tear-streaked face, still twisted with hostility, I was suddenly reminded of the day she was born.

Back then, Lily had unexpectedly gone into premature labor and was extremely weak.

I had to take care of my bedridden wife and my daughter in the incubator at the same time.

I went nights without sleep, blaming myself over and over.

I blamed myself for not taking better care of my wife, for not being a good enough father, and for letting her come into this world early and suffer so much.

After she was taken out of the incubator, even a simple sneeze made me panic.

I was always careful with her digestion, afraid to give her anything that might upset her stomach.

I had never expected anything like this.

“Yara.”

I sighed.

“I really spoiled you.”

“You didn’t spoil me at all! You forced me to do homework, forced me to eat disgusting vegetables, and you were never nice to me!”

Yara sprang to her feet and screamed at me, “If Uncle Jones were my dad, he’d take me to KFC every day, take me out to play, and would never force me to do anything!”

My heart ached so sharply it went almost numb.

However, I did not look back.

“Fine. Yara, from today on, you no longer have a father anymore.”

She froze in place. Lily caught up from behind. Her brows were tightly furrowed.

“Melvin, Yara is just a child. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. She’s your daughter. Why are you picking a fight with her?

“Is it really such a big deal just letting Carson accompany Yara for a while? Do you have to be so dramatic? What are you even trying to pull?”

Click.

I opened the door. The winter wind rushed in, lifting my collar.

I stepped forward.

The day Lily found out she was pregnant with Yara had also been Christmas.

I had the chance to go to New York.

However, her pregnancy reactions were severe. She suffered from nonstop morning sickness, night after night, and was always at risk of miscarriage.

After much hesitation, I gave up the opportunity and stayed to take care of her.

When she found out, she brought home a red scarf.

She squeezed herself between me and the window, wrapping it around us again and again, with the other end tied around her own neck.

Snow fell behind her.

Back then, she leaned close to my ear. A soft plume of white breath escaped her lips as she spoke with certainty, “Honey, this is our red thread of fate.

“Every loop represents a sacrifice you made for me. I’m sorry my health made you give up your dream.

“I’ll make a lot of money after I give birth. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. You’ll never have to suffer again.

“Just wait for me, okay?”

I smiled and said yes.

Now, her life had indeed become better.

However, she thought I was not presentable enough next to Carson, and embarrassing to be seen with in public.

“Close the door already. The child and Carson are going to catch the cold — can you take responsibility for that?”

I ignored her shouting and stepped forward, the wind roaring in my ears.

“Melvin! Fine, you’ve got guts! If you walk out today, don’t ever come back begging even if you die outside!

“Yara, let’s go. We’re taking Uncle Jones out for a big meal!”

Behind me, Carson’s pretentious voice rang out in mock concern.

“Lily, don’t be mad. Melvin is just acting on impulse.

“He doesn’t have a job anyway. Once he runs out of money in a couple of days, he’ll come crawling back. Don’t worry.”

The door slammed shut behind me.

I straightened my back and kept walking, step by step into the distance.

Goodbye, my ten years.

…

Three days after Melvin left.

The coffee table was piled with takeout boxes, and the floor was littered with toys and dirty clothes Yara had thrown around.

The house constantly smelled of greasy fried chicken.

“Mom! Where’s my school uniform? I can’t find it!”

Yara shouted from her room.

“Find it yourself! Don’t bother me!”

Lily rubbed her temples in frustration as she searched through scattered documents.

Then she looked toward Carson, who was sitting on the sofa playing games.

“Can you at least clean up a bit? The house is turning into a pigsty!”

Carson pouted.

“Lily, I’m a grown man. I don’t do housework. I can help you with business, though.”

Today was the day investors were visiting the company.

Lily remembered Carson’s earlier claim that he could help her out, so she forced down her rising irritation.

“Fine. Come with me to the company. Today, you absolutely have to keep the investors satisfied.”

In the office, Lily was in a state of chaos, scrambling to manage the reception arrangements.

Meanwhile, Carson sat in her office playing on his phone, completely unbothered.

“Carson, go wash the ashtray in the reception room. We’ll need it later.”

He frowned in disgust.

“That’s filthy. Call the cleaning staff.

“The cleaners are busy in the conference room! Can’t you even handle something this small?”

Lily finally snapped.

Carson flinched, but still did not move.

She rubbed her temples in frustration.

“…Forget it. I shouldn’t have expected anything from you.”

Annoyed, she grabbed the ashtray herself and headed to the restroom.

However, the moment she reached the doorway, she stopped.

A familiar figure stood at the sink.

He was wearing a tailored suit, with his head slightly lowered as he washed his hands.

On his wrist was Melvin’s old-fashioned watch.

That restless, irritated heart of hers strangely settled a little.

“So you still came to help me after all. You’re more sensible than Carson.

“All right, hurry up and wash the ashtray. The Golden Age Group representative is arriving soon.”

She patted his shoulder casually, just as she had done countless times with Melvin.

However, when the man turned around, she was momentarily stunned.

What greeted her was a completely unfamiliar face, brows tightly furrowed, eyes sharp as blades, staring directly at her.

“Wash the ashtray?

“Ms. Quinn, Is this how you treat a representative of the Golden Age Group?”