Chapter 209


    Chapter 209 What’s the Use of Having a Dad?


    Later, in the kitchen of an apartment unit in Northern No. 1, Amanda was busy washing and preparing


    the ingredients for dinner.


    It’d be toote if she waited for Selina toe back with groceries. So, she got to making dinner after


    finding some simple ingredients in the fridge.


    Just then, the main door was pushed open, and Selina returned with groceries, apanied by the


    little one’s voice. “Mommy, I want to eat shrimp tonight! I want shrimp! Miss Selina said she would


    make shrimp for me.”


    Amanda, who was busy in the kitchen, replied without turning her head, “Alright, I’ll make shrimp for


    tonight.”


    you


    “Aiden, you go and y for a bit while I help your mommy make dinner, okay?” Selina said while taking


    off her jacket, and Aiden nodded obediently.


    With that, Selina entered the kitchen with the groceries she had bought, only to find that Amanda had


    already started washing and preparing the ingredients.


    “Why did you start without me?”


    “I got bored waiting alone,” Amanda replied. “So, I looked through the fridge for some ingredients and


    decided to start ahead with one dish. By the way, have you gotten shrimp? Aiden wants to eat shrimp.”


    “Of course. Have you told Mr. Winters? Is heing over for dinner?”


    Selina assumed that was the case, or Amanda’s mood wouldn’t have shifted so quickly. She was still


    frowning earlier, but now she was beaming.


    “Um…” Even Amanda herself didn’t realize how sweet her smile was.


    I knew it!


    A chuckle escaped Selina as she continued, “You’re feeling much better now, aren’t you? No more


    overthinking?”


    “Yeah, I do,” Amanda answered subconsciously while washing the vegetables, taking a second to


    realize what she had just replied to.


    She looked up and frowned upon meeting Selina’s enigmatic smile. “What do you mean by that?”


    “Is it not evident? Don’t you think your mood is being influenced by Mr. Winters? Only when you deeply.


    love someone can they affect your emotions.”


    At that, Amanda retorted at once. “No way! Who said I still love him? That’s all in the past. I stopped


    loving him after our divorce! It’s not because of him that I’m in a bad mood. It’s… it’s…”


    “It’s?” Selina asked with a yful smile.


    s, Amanda couldn’t find the words to argue. It seemed that the reason for her bad mood was Elias’


    indifferent attitude.


    “Enough of that. Let’s start cooking: it’s gettingte. Aiden’s hungry.”


    Selina smiled but said nothing. It’s so obvious you have nothing to base your argument on.


    An hourter, dinner was ready-a sumptuous feastid out on the table.


    Little Aiden climbed onto the dining chair and looked at the array of delicious dishes in front of him. His


    big, round eyes widened as he gushed, “Wow! This is amazing, Mommy! We’re having a feast tonight!”


    s, little would the little fe know he would soon face the person he least wanted to see-Elias


    Winters. Ding-dong!


    The doorbell rang, and Amanda quickly got up to answer the door.


    Her response was so sudden that even Selina was startled. She shook her head with a helpless smile


    and muttered under her breath. “Sure, you don’t love him. But you rush to the door immediately after


    hearing. the doorbell.”


    In the entryway. Amanda looked at the man standing outside the door through the peephole, and a


    smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.


    Sheposed herself and cleared her throat before finally opening the door.


    Elias stood outside, dressed in a ck suit, a pristine white shirt, and a ck tie. He exuded an air of a


    business elite. He seemed to have just gotten off work.


    “You’re here. Come in. Dinner is just ready.


    “Sure,” Elias said with a smile.


    Elias and Amanda entered the dining room and saw Aiden happily biting into a shrimp. Despite the fact


    that his little face was covered in grease, he still looked absolutely adorable.


    “Aiden, look who’s here. It’s Daddy.” Amanda deliberately guided the child.


    But Aiden was engrossed in his meal. When he looked up and saw the man, his little face instantly


    stiffened, and the shrimp in his mouth fell onto the table.


    Elias would be lying if he said Aiden’s reaction hadn’t hurt him.


    I might as well remain as Uncle Elias. At least Aiden used to smile cheerfully when he saw him. But


    now, the little guy behaved as though he had encountered a bitter enemy, feeling awkward, stiff, and


    even wanting to stay away from him.


    Amanda, too, felt somewhat awkward, and she stepped in to defuse the situation.\Come, Elias, sit


    down. Hurry up and eat. The food will get cold soon.”


    Though Elias’ countenance turned somewhat sour, he still sat down next to Aiden. Aiden, noticing


    Eliast sitting beside him, instinctively tried to move away, but the man noticed his intention.


    “Do you really not want to see me that much, Aiden? Weren’t you happy when I was Uncle Elias


    before? Why is it like this now?” He wanted to understand why his son was behaving this way toward


    him.


    Aiden let out a soft hum, turned his head, and continued to eat his shrimp, ignoring him.


    Feeling awkward, Selina stood up and suggested that she check on the soup, which was still cooking.


    With that, the family of three was left in the dining room.


    “Can you


    tell me the reason?” Elias, however, asked with great patience. “Did I do something wrong? I can


    correct it until you’re pleased.”


    Aiden stared at ‘Uncle Elias’ for a long time before saying, “Mommy said you didn’t want us anymore,


    that you hated us. So why do you want to be my daddy now? If you hate us, I don’t want to call you


    ‘Daddy’ either. You don’t want us anymore, so I don’t want you either.”


    Aiden’s words rendered both Amanda and Elias speechless.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Amanda’s silence stemmed from a sense of shame. These were the thoughts she instilled in her child


    since he was little because she never thought she would re-encounter Elias, let alone have him


    recognized as the father.


    Elias, too, fell into silence out of shame. He felt inadequate, realizing that if he had trusted Amanda a


    bit more from the beginning, this dyed fatherly love wouldn’t have arrived four yearster.


    Dyed affection is worth nothing.


    Elias remained silent for a long time before speaking to Aiden with utmost sincerity. “I’m sorry, it’s my


    fault But I didn’t hate you, nor did I not want you. I just didn’t know about your existence. Everything is


    Tm my fault. Daddy will never not want you or Mommy. You two will always be the dearest to Daddy,


    hmm?”


    One had to admit that no one could resist Elias’ affectionate gaze.


    Even three-year-old Aiden was starting to believe him. Pouting his little mouth, he said with a sense of


    grievance, “When I started kindergarten, the other kidsughed at me for not having a dad. They called


    me a b*stard. Why didn’t you appear then? What’s the use of having a dad? It’spletely useless.”


    Amanda was taken aback by his words.


    It now dawned on her that even a three-year-old had their own self-esteem, and a three-year-old child


    couldn’t be easily appeased. It wasn’t as simple as giving them two pieces of candy to sessfully


    acknowledge the title of ‘father.


    She was grateful that she had given birth to Aiden back then and had been raising him by her side all


    this


    time.


    In actuality, she had considered giving him to the Winterses andpletely starting anew herself, but


    in the end, she couldn’t bear to part with her little bundle of joy.