Chapter 3

Callie's body stiffened. Her head snapped up, and she stared at Ethan and Daniel. She watched Ethan lift Daniel in his arms with a loving look she had never seen before. Ethan trembled a little under his daughter's gaze, but he did nothing else. He looked away to avoid meeting her tear-filled eyes. "Daniel, you're being naughty again. Stop asking your dad for hugs. Get down now." Nicole tried to pull Daniel off Ethan, but the boy clung stubbornly to Ethan, wrapping his arms around Ethan's neck. He replied, "I don't want to! I like it when Dad hugs me. He likes to give me hugs too." Then, he gave Ethan a peck on the cheek. "I'm hungry. I want cake." "Go eat your cake. Ethan, let's go." With a smile, Nicole followed closely behind Ethan. After taking a few steps, she turned around to invite Faith along. "Ms. Sullivan, please hurry up!" Faith was crouched on the floor. Callie looked up, crying. "Mom, are they the people Uncle Ethan loves?" Overwhelmed by sadness, Faith pulled Callie into a hug. The mother and daughter cried together. It was too cruel of a scene to withstand, especially for a kid like Callie. Faith did not reply to Callie, but Callie already knew the answer. "Mom, I want to take one more look at them." Callie wiped away her tears and grasped Faith's hand. "I want to see if they're good people." But Faith didn't want to see her daughter get hurt again. "Callie, why don't we go home?" Callie shook her head insistently. "I want to take a look." "Okay." Holding Callie's hand, Faith stepped into the crowded event hall. Ethan, Nicole, and Daniel were the center of attention. Ethan showered Daniel with a level of care that Callie dreamed of but never experienced. Callie shot up from her seat when she witnessed Ethan feeding Daniel some fruits. "Mom, Uncle Ethan likes them a lot. He's smiling so much. Let's leave. I don't want to stand in their way." Callie's words crushed Faith. The pain was almost too much to bear. "Alright. Let's go home." Callie nodded. Faith held her daughter's hand and made their way to the door, but Ethan's secretary, Mathias Blackwell, stopped them. "Ms. Sullivan, please stay. Mr. Hale would like to bring Callie along to have some fun. He has instructed you to leave Callie in my care." Mathias was the only person in the company who was privy to Ethan and Faith's secret marriage. "Are we gonna have fun?" Callie's rueful eyes lit up with hope as she tried to search for Ethan in the crowds. Mathias nodded. "Yes, that's what Mr. Hale said." At the same time, Ethan had texted Faith to inform her about his plan to bring Callie to the fireworks performance. It was his first time volunteering to bring Callie to have fun, but Faith felt uneasy about the invitation and refused to let her daughter go. Still, she caved in after seeing the longing on Callie's face. "Callie, take good care of yourself. Call me if you need anything." "Don't worry, Mom." Callie very much looked forward to her time with Ethan. "I'll listen well so that Uncle Ethan likes me." "Okay." Faith felt bitter knowing that Callie still pined for Ethan's fatherly love. She glanced at Ethan, hoping that he wouldn't let Callie down. Faith left the event alone, and upon arriving home, she received a call from Callie—Callie was crying her heart out. "Mom, Uncle Ethan left me alone! I'm so scared!" "Callie, where are you?" Callie sobbed. "I-I don't know." "Hey, don't be scared. I'll look for you now. Don't hang up. I'll keep talking to you. I'll be there soon." Faith desperately searched for Callie's smartwatch geolocation on her phone and hurriedly drove off. When she finally found Callie, Callie was sitting by the road alone, freezing and covered in a thick layer of snow. Faith couldn't help but cry. She felt as if all her strength had been drained. She pulled Callie into her arms and comforted the poor girl, "Callie! Callie, don't be scared. I'm here." "Mom, I'm so scared, and I feel so cold." Callie snuggled against Faith and cried nonstop. On their way to the hospital, Callie, who was warm to the touch from head to toe, had a high fever. She wouldn't stop mumbling, "Uncle Ethan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you Dad. Please don't leave me…" Faith's fingers trembled, and she struggled to breathe. Did Ethan seriously dump Callie by the roadside because she accidentally called him "Dad"? But Callie was just a five-year-old! "Callie, don't cry. I'll always be by your side. I'll never leave you."