Chapter 2

"Chloe, I'm working late tonight. You can head home first."

Ethan walked out of the conference room. When he passed by me, he didn't even pause. He just tossed those words over his shoulder and kept walking toward his private office.

I stood up, about to speak, when his phone rang.

He picked it up, and his voice instantly changed—soft, warm, and carrying a rare smile. "Claire? You've landed? Good. I'm coming down to pick you up right now."

Claire.

Claire Sterling.

Ethan’s college sweetheart. She had been in Europe for three years, and today, she was back.

I watched his figure disappear into the private elevator. With a bitter smile, I pulled out my phone and texted Lily's preschool teacher on Snapchat. "Hi Miss Cooper, I'll be on time to pick Lily up today."

The teacher replied almost instantly. "Great, Chloe! Lily drew a picture today. She said she wants to give it to her daddy."

Staring at the word "daddy," my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an iron fist.

Lily didn't know that Ethan had never once looked at any of her drawings.

Once, Lily had saved up a month's worth of drawings and carefully placed them on Ethan’s nightstand.

The next morning, those drawings were sitting neatly in the trash can. Not a single one was missing.

Lily didn't cry. But after that day, she stopped drawing.

I packed up my things and went downstairs. Just as I stepped out of the lobby elevator, I saw three people standing in the center of the hall.

Ethan, Claire, and a little boy about four or five years old.

The boy looked a lot like Claire. He was tugging at Ethan’s coat, saying in a sweet, childish voice, "Uncle Ethan, I want ice cream."

Claire smiled and gently rubbed his head. "Leo, stop bothering your uncle."

Ethan knelt down, a rare, tender expression softening his face. "It's okay. Let's go get some."

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over me as if I were a complete stranger.

I lowered my head and walked right past them.

As our shoulders brushed, I heard Claire ask, "Ethan, after all these years, how are you still single?"

Ethan didn't answer.

But I could hear the sweetness in his soft laugh.

When I picked up Lily, she was standing by the preschool gate, standing on her tiptoes to peer outside.

Seeing my car, her eyes lit up, and she waved her little hand. "Mommy!"

I got out and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered, "Mommy, is Daddy coming home for dinner tonight?"

My heart ached.

"Daddy is very busy with work. He might not make it back tonight."

"Oh." Lily lowered her eyes, but then looked up again, her eyes shining. "Then we can wait for him! I drew a picture. I want to show Daddy!"

Looking at her hopeful smile, I couldn't bring myself to say *Daddy isn't coming back.*

I could only nod. "Okay. We'll wait for Daddy."

At nine o'clock that night, Lily sat on the living room rug with her drawing, her eyes glued to the front door.

Ten o'clock. Eleven o'clock.

Lily leaned against my chest, her eyelids growing heavier, but she still fought to stay awake. "Daddy... Daddy will be home soon, right?"

I gently patted her back. "Go to sleep, sweetie. Mommy is right here."

"But when Daddy comes back, Mommy has to wake Lily up..."

"Okay."

Lily fell asleep, her little hand still tightly clutching the drawing.

At two in the morning, the front door finally clicked.

Ethan walked in, bringing a faint scent of alcohol with him. Seeing me sitting on the sofa holding Lily, he paused, then frowned. "Why are you two still up?"

I looked at him, my voice flat. "Lily was waiting for you."

"Waiting for me for what?"

"She drew a picture. She wanted to show you."

Ethan glanced at the drawing in Lily's hand. It was done in crayon, depicting three people: a mommy in a dress, a daddy in a suit, and a little girl with pigtails.

The three of them were holding hands under a giant, bright sun.

Ethan looked away. "I have work tomorrow. Go to bed."

He turned toward the master bedroom. At the doorway, he suddenly stopped. "By the way, there's a family day at her preschool tomorrow. You go."

"But—"

"I have plans tomorrow." He didn't turn around. "Claire just got back and isn't familiar with the city yet. I'm helping her run some errands."

Holding Lily, I stared at the closed door, unable to utter a single word.

Lily shifted in my arms, murmuring sleepily, "Daddy..."

I looked down and saw a tear slipping from the corner of her closed eye.

She had been awake the whole time.

### 第二章