Chapter 1

In Ethan Hale's six years of secret marriage to Faith Sullivan, this was his first time lifting their daughter, Callie Hale, into the air. Callie giggled happily as she waved at Faith. "Mom! Uncle Ethan is making me fly!" Faith forced a bitter smile at the sight of the father and daughter. Ethan was drunk that day, and he didn't seem aware of his actions. In reality, he neither loved Faith nor Callie. His elation was purely fueled by the return of his beloved woman, Nicole Sutton. Six years ago, Ethan was passionately in love with Nicole. When Nicole abruptly departed, he chased after her in his car, only to be crippled in a car accident. Since then, Ethan could no longer walk. As his personal assistant, Faith stayed by his side every day, enduring his horrible temper and offering him words of encouragement. She remained by his side throughout rehab. On the day he could finally walk again, he drank more than he could handle. He mistook Faith for Nicole, and they made love multiple times that night. When Faith was knocked up from their one-night stand, Ethan readily agreed to marry her. It was only much later that she discovered he hadn't done it out of love or duty. He had married Faith out of disappointment after Nicole had officially announced her dating news when she was abroad. After their marriage, Ethan mostly stayed out of Faith and Callie's lives. On the day Callie was born, Ethan was on a business trip. When Callie was learning to speak, he grimly warned her never to address him as "Dad". That time, Callie lost her balance on a skateboard and accidentally called for her dad. Because of that slip-up, Ethan watched as she bled. … Right now, Ethan seemed like a loving father to Callie under the influence of alcohol. After he gave Callie hugs, he placed her on the couch and smiled at her. "I'll be a good father to you." "Okay! I trust you!" Callie chirped. But Ethan didn't seem to register his daughter's reply. The smile deepened on his face as he blurted out, "Oh, Daniel." Ethan had vowed to be a good father to Daniel. Faith's heart sank in disappointment. Daniel Vaughn was Nicole's son. But Callie had only focused on Ethan's first promise. She ran over to her mom. "Mom, Dad likes me, doesn't he? Can I call him 'Dad' now? "He hugged me and promised to be a good father to me." Callie's eyes sparkled with eagerness as she anticipated Faith's affirmation. She wanted to be like the other kids and throw herself into Ethan's arms. She would love to call him "Dad" and have him dote on her. Faith, filled with bitterness, crouched down and pulled her daughter into her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes. She avoided answering the question because she didn't want to dash Callie's hopes. She didn't want Callie to know that they were denying Nicole and Daniel's happiness by enjoying this fleeting moment of joy. "Callie, would you like to leave with Mom?" Faith held back her tears and inquired, much to Callie's surprise. "But why are we leaving?" The smile froze on Callie's face, and soon, tears streamed down her cheeks. Callie added, "We're a family. I want to be with Dad." Faith wiped away her daughter's tears. Between sobs, she explained, "Uncle Ethan's lover is back now. It is time we leave." "Dad likes me, though…" Callie's voice trailed off, likely because she knew the truth—that Ethan never loved her. But she pleaded, "Mom, can we wait until after my birthday? Let's give Dad a few chances. He might actually come to like us. If he agrees to stay with us, we won't leave him. Okay?" Faith nodded through her tears. "Okay. I'll let you decide how many chances he gets." She agreed to give her husband one last chance. If he let them down again, they would leave him for good. "Okay. Thanks, Mom." "It's your bedtime now." After Faith put her daughter to sleep, she dragged herself back to her bedroom. Her marriage to Ethan was as good as failed. They didn't even bother to play pretend. … The next morning, Ethan went to the first floor after waking up. Callie, who was having breakfast, eagerly set down her food and ran over to him. "Dad, you're up!" His face immediately fell. In an icy tone, he barked, "What did you call me?" Callie's arms halted mid-air. She was frightened by the threatening look on his face. "Uncle Ethan…" She immediately changed the way she addressed him. Looking upset, she lowered her arms. "I'm sorry, Uncle Ethan." Faith tried not to let her emotions show. She went over and carried Callie in her arms. "Finish your breakfast. You're running late for school." Faith knew very well that Ethan would never change his attitude toward them. He acted out of place last night because he was overjoyed by Nicole's return. And he had too much to drink as a result. After Callie backed down, Ethan's attitude softened. He had some coffee in the dining hall and left home without telling Faith. "Bye, Uncle Ethan," Callie said goodbye to him as usual, and just like before, he didn't reply. On Callie's way to school, she kept her head low and remained silent. When they were about to arrive, she raised her head to look at her mom. "Mom, that was Dad's first chance. Let's give him three more chances!" There were tears in her eyes. Feeling sorry, Faith replied, "Sure. It's all up to you."