While waiting for Sophia to wake up, I ate the food ordered by Brandon. It felt strange because had to eat alone, and I was also curious about where he was now.
Now I feel guilty, too harsh on him, even hurting him with lies when he didn't hurt me at all.
Ceklek...
The sound made me look towards the door, finding a man in a black suit approaching me with a large blue paper bag. I immediately stood up to greet him.
"Miss Clark."
"Hey."
"I'm David. This is a gift from Mr. Smith for your daughter," he said, handing over the large blue paper bag.
I hesitated to take it, feeling even more curious about where he was now.
"Where is Mr. Smith now?"
"He returned to Wichita," he replied, furrowing my brow. Why did he go back there so quickly? Is it because he's too disappointed in me?
"You can stay here for as long as you want. The entry code is 250917, and Mr. Smith left this for you." He handed me a small black envelope.
Curiously, I took it and found a small piece of paper and a black card inside.
Use this to make your daughter happy. I won't accept a refusal!
I was stunned, my throat felt dry, not expecting him to do this even though I had hurt him. He shouldn't care about me because I said Sophia wasn't his daughter, or perhaps he still feels that Sophia is his daughter.
"Miss Clark, I must leave now."
David diverted my attention again. I quickly shook hands with him and let him leave the room until I saw the black card again.
"No ... I ... I can't accept this!"
I rushed out until the door closed automatically. Looking around, I couldn't find him anywhere.
"Why did he leave so quickly? Or did he intentionally leave quickly so I wouldn't have a chance to return this card to him?" I wondered until I saw the black card. "Now he knows I'm here... Maybe I should just go back to Wichita... I should talk to Jacob if Brandon ever comes back and asks about my boyfriend."
I turned back to the door and pushed it, but it was locked automatically. My gaze then fell on the code button, recalling the man's words, and pressed the button 250917, which was the date of our first date.
"He still thinks that's a special date," I said, then immediately pushed the door after it opened.
...
At 1 PM, Sophia woke up. I immediately asked her to freshen up, then we ate in the living room until she saw the paper bag on the couch.
"Mom, what's this?"
"Uh..." I remembered Brandon's promise. "That... Um... Mr. Smith kept his promise to give you a gift."
"Really?" Sophia quickly took the paper bag, and I followed her. "This must be an iPad!"
I just silently helped her take out the pink box from inside the paper bag, then put it on the table and opened it.
"Oh my God!" Sophia exclaimed hysterically as she looked at the pink iPad, then carefully took it out of the box.
"Mom... he gave it to me... Oh my God, this is so cool, even the color is pink!"
I smiled thinly, fondly watching her innocence and joy at the gift. But it only brought me sadness because she didn't know that she deserved this gift, even better, Brandon was her father, but I couldn't tell her.
Drett... Drett...
My attention was drawn to my phone lying on the table, so I picked it up and saw a missed call from my mom, then answered it immediately.
"Mom..."
"Victoria, have you arrived in Canada?" My mother asked over the phone, her voice sounding worried.
"Yes, I'm here," I said, glancing at Sophia who was activating the iPad screen. "But I didn't go to Aunt Lily's house. Something unexpected happened."
"What happened?"
"Brandon already knew about my departure plans here, and he upgraded my ticket so I had to sit in first class with him. After that, he forced me to go with him to his apartment. Eventually, he started talking about our past and suspected that Sophia was his daughter," I said, remembering Brandon's handsome face that seemed to haunt me again.
"Then what happened? Did you tell him the truth?" My mother sounded even more panicked.
"No... I did not," I said.
"Victoria... I know he has the right to know but now is not the right time. I beg you to stay away from him... Whatever happens. It's for your peace, mine, and Sophia's well-being... And don't let his mother know about your togetherness today."
"Yes, Mom," I said lazily, leaning my head on the sofa.
"If necessary, try to quickly find another man to marry. It will make things easier for you," she replied.
I fell silent, imagining that if I married someone else, the chances of us getting back together would be even slimmer. But even now, with a single status, we couldn't be together, fate is so cruel. I want him, and he wants me, but our parents' selfishness is like a solid wall separating us.
"Victoria..."
I refocused on the phone. "Um, yes, Mom. Maybe I'll just go back to Wichita. I don't think I can hide from him anymore; he already has a lot of information about me."
"Yes, it's better for you to stick to your usual activities. Remember, never tell him that Sophia is his daughter, and never give him hope of getting back together with you. And hurry up to find a partner because that's the only thing that can stop him from chasing you again."
"Yes, Mom..."
I quickly ended the call, not wanting to hear advice that only made me feel heavier.
'I can't love another man anymore. And I don't know how to learn to love another man again while he is like an addiction that keeps me wanting him and also keeping me away,' I thought sadly, glancing at Sophia who was absorbed in her new iPad. 'Even Sophia is the reason I always remember him. She has his eye color, his attitude... how can I ever get him out of my heart and mind? It feels impossible to be with another man... I never even imagined it.'
"Mommy!" Sophia suddenly exclaimed as if surprised, making me immediately see what she was looking at. "Why is there a photo of you with Brandon here?" She asked, turning to me.
I was stunned, seeing the photo in the gallery was true of me with Brandon in the car, reminding me of our habit of being affectionate in the car when he got the chance to spend time with me without our parents knowing.
"Mommy, is he my dad?" Sophia suddenly asked, but I immediately shook my head. "He said I have his last name. If he's my dad, he shouldn't have danced with another girl last night! He should..."
"Sophia..." I stopped her and looked at her seriously. "He's not your dad. He's just Mom's old friend... You have his last name because Mommy cares about him a lot as a friend." I explained, and instantly disappointment appeared on her face.
"So he's not my dad?"
"No... He's not your dad."
She immediately looked down, then climbed onto the sofa and fell silent as if contemplating. Now it's a painful sight, I've hurt her, broken her hopes. I'm bad, I've hurt my little girl and her father. That fact made me unable to hold back my tears, and I immediately hugged her.