Chapter 259
Back then, I was all in, busting my chops just to do my job right, pouring most of my energy into
work. I learned to navigate the waters of social interaction, learned how to y the game, and
learned to tailor my words to different people. Social events came thick and fast, and I started to
spend less and less time with your mom. When I got home, she was always already asleep, and
when I woke up, she was already out working.
We lived like this for a long time. Your mom was always confident and independent, and I didn''t
realize there was an issue with her mood.
Looking back, your mom probably started suffering from depression around that time.
If I''d noticed sooner, she wouldn''t have taken that road to nowhere.
One day, Ss noticed something was up with your mom and gave me a heads-up. I nned to go
home and sort things out. But then Shirley dropped a bombshell on me, and told me she had a kid,
my kid, who was already more than ten years old.
I was startled.
Content held by N?velDrama.Org.
I didn''t believe a word she said, but she came prepared. She showed me photos and brought along
some of the kid''s hair.
The kid''s eyes in the photo hit me like a punch to the gut. They were like mine, and like yours too.
We three had incredibly simr eyes, and I couldn''t deny it.
I got a paternity test done, and just as I thought, the kid was indeed my daughter, a result of me
stepping out while your mom was pregnant.
I couldn''t wrap my head around it. I was repulsed by the truth. Knowing your mom''s temperament, I
couldn''t bring myself to tell her. I gave Shirley loads of money and told her not toe around
again.
This secret began to weigh me down, and I started to dread seeing your mom. I was afraid to face
her unconditional trust in me. I used work as an excuse and only went home after she was asleep.
A few times, I realized she was only pretending to sleep.
We used to be a couple who shared everything, but this secret created a rift between us. Your mom
must have sensed that I was avoiding something, but she never asked, and I sure as hell wasn''t
going to tell her.
I felt that our marriage was heading for the rocks, so I started treating her even better, and tried to
get back to how we were when we first got married.
We did get back to the way we were, but the peace didn''tst long. News of Emma fighting at
school reached me. Despite knowing she was hurt, I had the nerve to ignore her.
In the end, I couldn''t help but sneak a peek at her, which ended up opening a whole new can of
worms.
That time when Ss and I went to see her, we ran into Emma. She looked painfully thin, clearly
malnourished. Even though she was already in high school, she was as short as a grade-schooler.
She had a bandage on one hand, and she was also surrounded by a bunch of boys who were
hurling all sorts of insults at her, mocking her for being the daughter of a murderer, for not having a
father. She got really pissed, ignored her injured hand, and started fighting back. She ended up on
the ground, crying and exining that the man they were talking about wasn''t her real father, that
her real father was apany CEO, a very good man.
I was torn inside. I''d been in her shoes, knew how much it hurt. I swore I''d be a good father and not
let my child go through that, but what had I done? I let my other daughter walk the same path I had.
In the end, Ss had to step in. Emma thought Ss was her real dad and immediately clung to his
leg, crying out, "Daddy, save me."
She then passed out, and Ss and I had no choice but to take her to a hospital in A City. I realized
I couldn''t ignore this girl, so I left her in A City. Shirley wouldn''t let Emma stay here alone, so she
followed soon after. She acted very calmly and promised not to disrupt my family. After thinking it
over, I figured Emma still needed someone to look after her, so I decided to set them up in a house
a bit farther away.
A year and some changeter, I realized I couldn''t keep this a secret any longer and prepared to
exin everything to your mom.
But I never saw iting. Your mom chose to take her own life before I could exin anything.
The person I''ve wronged the most in this world was her. She was the love of my life, but I failed her.
She never heard an apology or an exnation from me before she died. If I could turn back time, I''d
communicate with her as soon as I found out I had another daughter, even if she hated me and
wanted a divorce. I just didn''t want to see her dying in front of me, covered in blood.
She was the warmth of my life. I''d rather hurt myself than hurt her.
After reading her diary, I found out that Shirley had approached her and that she''d been suffering
from depression for a while.
But I knew her, and these weren''t the main reasons she killed herself. She was just using this
extreme method to get back at me, to get back at my infidelity and betrayal.
Ines couldn''t help covering her mouth and sobbing quietly. The words on the paper were written
heavily, almost tearing the paper, as if the person who wrote them used a lot of force.
After your mom died, I fell into a rut. If I wasn''t working, I was smoking.
Not long after, the incident between you and Emma happened. You were on the brink of death, and
Emma lost her legs. If I hadn''t insisted, she''d be spending her days in a wheelchair now.
During that time, I was totally lost. I only dared to linger outside your hospital room and talk to you
when it was quiet at night. When I heard that you woke up, I was over the moon!
Shirley decided to sue you, but I couldn''t believe that you''d nned the car ident. I watched you
grow up and knew your character like the back of my hand. You might make minor mistakes now
and then, but you''re always rational when ites to big issues. I''ve tried my best to use all my
connections to find out the truth, but unfortunately, I found nothing. The power behind the car
ident was way beyond my expectation. Only then did I realize that I didn''t have enough power to
clear my daughter''s name.