When she saw it was me, she immediately hung up the phone, a flicker of guilt flashing between her brows.
But the next moment, she put on an impatient expression.
“It’s only the afternoon—why are you back so early? Aren’t you supposed to be out earning my tuition money?”
The joy I used to feel when coming home to my daughter was gone. I took off my delivery uniform, sat down, and said calmly,
“There weren’t many orders today, so I came back early to rest.”
After all, she was my biological daughter—some words were still too hard to say outright.
Without another word, I picked up a takeout meal that had been refused by a customer due to late delivery and began to eat.
Over the years, I had bought her luxury handbags. When she secretly wore makeup, I worried about her skin and bought her expensive brands.
But for myself, rejected takeout was the best food I had.
Seeing this, she frowned and scolded me.
“Eat, eat, eat—three years ago, if you hadn’t gone on that business trip and stayed with Mom, she wouldn’t have been burned to ashes in that car accident!
Didn’t you say you’d earn all my college tuition before my birthday? Then hurry up and make money!
And remember, the day after tomorrow is my birthday—don’t forget to transfer the house to me. Otherwise, I’ll never call you Dad again!”
Once, those words would have set off the fuse of my guilt.
Now, they just made me feel disgust.
I had denied myself decent food, denied myself facial reconstruction, pouring all my love into my daughter.
But in the end, it was all part of their scam.
Suppressing the disappointment in my heart, I looked up at her and said, unwilling to give up,
“Sophie, all these years—back when your mom was still here, too—have I not cared for you enough? Can’t you… be a little kinder to me?”
She snorted in disdain.
“You took care of me? Don’t make me laugh!
You were never home, and it was Uncle Daniel who always looked after me. After Mom died, it was Aunt Rachel who cared for me like a mother!
Look at you now—an ugly freak. Every time I go out with you, I feel embarrassed!”
Her words froze my heart completely.
In the mirror, I looked at myself.
Yes, half my face no longer resembled a normal human’s.
The day I heard about my wife’s car accident, I rushed straight to the scene. Even knowing she had no chance of survival, I charged into the flames—
and ended up disfigured.
I no longer expected much from life. I just lifted my head with a faint smile.
“So I’ve embarrassed you, have I?”
She gave a cold laugh.
“Glad you know your place.”
The words had barely left her mouth when the door swung open, and a teasing voice called out,
“Who’s gone and made our Sophie upset again?”
Daniel Carter walked in, arm-in-arm with Rachel Adams, the two of them leaning close.
Rachel’s face was flushed, and there was a shy look in her eyes as she glanced at Daniel. It was obvious they had just been intimate.
Even now, Daniel’s hand was caressing her back, and when he looked at me, there was nothing but smugness in his gaze.
In the past, I had thought they were simply showing off their affection.
Now I knew—it was his way of mocking me.
For the past three years, whenever I was out delivering food, they often came to “visit” my daughter, even taking her out to play.
They even attended her parent-teacher meetings in my place.
For that, I had been grateful to Rachel.
After all, my daughter had lost her mother, and as a minor, she needed a mother’s presence.
Every time I saw them, I had given them a genuine smile of thanks.
But now, I couldn’t smile at all.
I looked at her closely. She was indeed different from before—
once she had single eyelids and a small cherry mouth; now she had sultry red lips and double eyelids.
