At last, he cared enough to show his true colors. Daisy sobbed uncontrollably, her small body shaking as she clung to Franky. "Daddy, it hurts everywhere," she whimpered, her voice thick with misery.
Franky’s face darkened with fury. Clenching his jaw, he suddenly raised his hand toward me. I hadn’t expected him to actually strike me. Before I could react, his slap landed hard against my cheek.
The sting was sharp, but my anger burned hotter. Without hesitation, I lashed out, slapping him back—again and again.
Glaring at him, I spat, "The barefooted have nothing to lose, Franky. You cheating bastard, hit me again and I swear I’ll drag you to hell with me!"
Franky didn’t retaliate. Instead, he stared at me coldly, his expression void of remorse. "What makes you any better? That kid you’re protecting isn’t even yours. You're just as guilty as I am. We’re no different."
I clutched my stinging face, my eyes widening in disbelief. He actually thought Quinn was mine?
How ironic. Here I was, working tirelessly to save money for his medical bills, sacrificing everything for him. And yet, this man—this cruel, ungrateful man—didn’t deserve a single ounce of my effort.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "You really think she loves you, don’t you?" I scoffed, eyes gleaming with disdain. "Go ahead, test her. See for yourself."
Franky frowned, clearly confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"
I smirked. "You’ll find out soon enough."
With that, I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving him standing there, seething in silence.
I did my job—I dropped Quinn off at the kindergarten. But as I turned to leave, I felt a tiny hand grab mine.
"Auntie Nina, I want to stay with you," Quinn said softly, her small voice tugging at my already broken heart.
Before I could respond, she turned toward Franky and sneered, "Auntie Nina is just my family's nanny. She’s not my mom, you stupid pig. Your daughter is the little pig you made with that homewrecker."
My heart clenched. I knew that would enrage him and I couldn’t risk him lashing out at Quinn. Without another word, I scooped Quinn into my arms and rushed away, my vision blurred by the flood of tears.
As we walked, Quinn reached up, her tiny fingers wiping my tears. "Auntie Nina, don’t cry. I’ll ask my dad to punish them for you."
Her words reminded me of my boss—Garry Moore.
Guilt pricked at my conscience. His precious son, an innocent child, had been dragged into this mess because of me. Worse, he had missed his first lesson of the school year.
I hesitated for a moment before pulling out my phone. I needed to inform Garry of today’s events. But when I called, he didn’t pick up.
He was probably busy. After all, a man like him—one of the most powerful figures in L City—had endless business matters to handle. So instead, I sent him a message, detailing everything that had happened.
His response came swiftly.
[If you need anything, just ask.]
I didn’t hesitate. I asked him to find out who the mistress was. Minutes later, Garry sent over the details. The moment I saw the name, my stomach twisted painfully. Milie Yaeger. Franky’s secretary. His university classmate. They had always been close, too close. I had my suspicions before, but every time I brought it up, Franky would dismiss me, saying I was overthinking things. If I pressed further, he would get angry.
Over time, I learned to stop asking. How ridiculous. I had even visited Milie in the hospital when she gave birth prematurely. I had asked her who the father was and she had simply smirked.
"Guess," she had said.
I had laughed nervously. "How could I possibly guess?"
Her smirk had widened into a chuckle. Now, I finally understood the meaning behind that laugh. She had been mocking me all along.
The weight of betrayal crushed me. My chest tightened until I could barely breathe. I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, my mind spiraling with rage. The first child had been born behind my back. But the second? I wouldn’t let it happen. I would make sure she lost that baby.
"Auntie, are you okay?" Quinn’s timid voice pulled me back from the edge.
I sucked in a deep breath, forcing myself to regain control. No. I couldn’t lose myself. Not in front of Quinn.
I turned around and mustered a smile. "Quinn, Auntie has something to do. Let’s go home first, okay?"
