My father felt guilty that I had secretly loved Benjamin Jameson for ten years, so he took matters into his own hands.
He drugged his old friend and sent him to my bed.
When Benjamin woke up, he looked at me with nothing but coldness. For the sake of our families, he agreed to marry me.
I thought I had finally gotten the man I loved.
But after our wedding, Benjamin began leaving the country for business trips. One trip became three years of absence.
During those years, I gave birth to our daughter, Esther Jameson, and waited for him to return.
When I heard he was finally coming back, I skipped an important event and rushed to the airport with Esther in my arms.
The moment she saw him, she reached out excitedly.
"Daddy, hug me."
Benjamin only stepped back and said coldly, "Sorry. I have mysophobia."
From that day on, Esther and I washed our hands repeatedly whenever we touched anything. I kept our home spotless, hoping he would finally come back.
But he never did.
He never held his daughter.
Until one day, I saw a video of him being asked, "Ben, what is the happiest moment of your life?"
He smiled and answered, "Probably last week overseas. When I put Jessica to sleep, then pulled Cynthia into the bathroom."
Everyone around him laughed.
But I froze.
Cynthia was his ex-girlfriend, the woman he had never truly forgotten.
Jessica was her daughter.
The rumors were true.
For three years, while I waited for him at home, Benjamin had been living with Cynthia and her child overseas.
My heart finally went cold.
I left the divorce agreement behind, took Esther with me, canceled our identities, and disappeared abroad.
This time, I would no longer wait for Benjamin Jameson to come back.
——
The nanny picked Esther up from kindergarten that afternoon.
The moment she saw me, my daughter burst into tears. Her eyes were swollen from crying.
"Mommy..." she choked out. "Do I not have a daddy?"
My heart tightened.
"Daddy promised he would come to my parent-teacher meeting today. But when he arrived, he told everyone he was Jessica's daddy instead."
"Mommy, they all said I don't have a father..."
Her voice broke as she cried harder.
I hugged her tightly, my eyes burning with tears.
I wanted to comfort her.
But when I thought of Benjamin's cold expression and the way he looked at Jessica with warmth he had never shown Esther, I couldn't say a single word.
I had been wrong.
I thought after three years apart, Benjamin would finally understand what mattered.
I thought he would return to us.
But he didn't come back for me.
He came back because Cynthia wanted him to.
For Cynthia, he bought a plane ticket immediately, arranged everything, and even transferred Jessica to the best kindergarten.
Yet for his own daughter, he had never done anything.
The day I went to the airport to meet him, Esther had dressed up carefully.
She held my hand and asked nervously, "Mommy, will Daddy like me?"
I smiled and reassured her.
"Of course. You're Daddy's only daughter."
But when we arrived, the scene in front of us shattered that hope.
Benjamin was there.
But he wasn't alone.
He was holding Cynthia's hand while carrying Jessica in his arms.
The three of them looked like the family he had always wanted.
Esther and I stood there, frozen.
Benjamin only glanced at us briefly.
"Sorry. I need to take care of Cynthia and Jessica first. You two go home."
He didn't even look at Esther.
But when he looked at Jessica, his eyes softened with a tenderness I had never seen.
I closed my eyes, feeling the last bit of hope inside me disappear.
"I'm sorry, Esther," I whispered later that night. "It's Mommy's fault."
"Next time, Mommy will go to your parent-teacher meeting."
After washing her face, I finally managed to coax her to sleep.
But even in her dreams, her small brows remained tightly furrowed.
"Daddy... hold me..."
Those words cut deeper than any knife.
If only that night three years ago had never happened, maybe Esther would not have grown up feeling unwanted.
Three years ago, my father couldn't bear to watch me hide my love for Benjamin for ten years.
So he made a decision without my permission.
He drugged Benjamin Jameson and sent him to my room.
I was horrified.
"Dad, what are you doing? Are you trying to ruin my life?"
He only sighed.
"I've known for years that you love Benjamin. And I know he has feelings for you too. That boy just refuses to admit it."
"That night, when he was drunk, I even heard him call your name."
"I was tired of watching you two waste time. Since you both care about each other, why not make it happen?"
I tried to resist.
But before I could do anything, a strange heat spread through my body.
My father smiled faintly.
"I added something to your drink too."
"Just accept this night."
Then he closed the door from the outside, leaving me trapped with the man I had loved for ten years.
