She Is Your Daughter

nto a fight with

d to find that the boy's parent representa

hough she is so young," my ex-boyfriend

nd blurted out, "She i

bfounded b

er very first day at school, I was called to the school because sh

orehead and h

ere always considerate. But

ight in the teacher's office. He said in a loud voice, "

f my own unreasonable an

you're

d saw me and

inded myself a hundred times that she was my

e, I noticed a man sta

dered, with a buzz cut and a perfectly tail

ing familiar

d was about to speak whe

, he flashed a

time n

see my ex-boyfrie

y's parent re

ll on it and instinctivel

y neck, as I didn't want

and I became anx

ver imagined we'd meet again,

and said slowly, "Sorry, my girl was na

and tried to sound fr

go after I said that. At least he wo

sonality" remained unchanged aft

ifty thousa

iled

I couldn't help but

antino, you're ask

n the table and then lazily look

. What if it leaves a sca

the little boy in his arms,

not yo

visibly darkened afte

. Instead, he turned his gaz

and feared that he might realiz

ause, he looke

ied and even give

anted to sever ties with him nervous

en married fo

rt in my arms said quickly, "Mommy, why did you lie? You're not

or words at

that his dad ran of

I never imagined I'd be trapped

et Santino's gaze, I could

n he looked at me. He sai

ent and was about to

I'm

the verge

seemingly mocked himself and sneered, "Paige Francis, so you're saying that while we

said nothing. I knew he hated

had planned to get married on our third

nd that I dated him just because I wanted to a

then and planned to spend every da

re, holding a bouquet of ninety-nine roses-my favorite. The oppressiv

y with indifference, and tossed t

abeled me as a heartless woman

would meet again after our breakup,

uel joke on us, or our tangle

eep breath and said, "I don't have

and fifty thousand dollars

said, "So, your true love can't e

as ever, whether seven years ago when w

ting me off easily, even t

that my nephew's face has been scratched by your daughter, it

d the saying, "Shameles

that way, I coul

ed with each other. Remember when I scratched your face

in his chair with his arm

ur daughter. She is as g

I saw him tease me. But I failed.

ly as soon as my words fell.

I realize I

I have trapped

I do to co

. Let me explain... I meant her

ng expression, I quickly

nt. I mean, her temper is indeed

ghtly narrowed eyes,

eak again, he cut me off.

put on a pitiful act in front of him as I r

uldn't take it anymore. He frowned and interrupted

.

lone must cost more than forty thousand dollars. I could

ed the boy, I had no reason

was about to leave,

u pull a disappearing act again, w

uriating that I almos

ded away when I saw his W

kept the profile picture I chose

ression when he first saw it, and now, t

surface of water distu

verthink it. I didn't use social media much while abroad.

I was holding my daughter and force

It was time

he bus stop outside the school with my da

Rolls-Royce stopped in fron

Santino's familiar and han

out why he parke

d my unspoken question. "Ho

If not for this chance encounter, I

y head to

n lazily lying in my arms, straig

e. Come on, Momm

speech