Chapter 1

After six years of a hidden marriage, Liam lifted our daughter, Lily, high for the very first time tonight. Five-year-old Lily burst into happy laughter. She waved at me, "Mommy, Uncle is making me fly! "

A pang of sorrow twisted my heart, but I forced a strained smile as I watched them, father and daughter. Liam was drunk tonight; he didn't seem to know what he was doing. He didn't love Lily, and he didn't love me. His happiness tonight stemmed purely from the return of Serena, the woman he deeply loved. Six years ago, Liam and Serena were madly in love when Serena suddenly left. Liam, on his way to chase after her, had an accident and lost the use of his legs. I was Liam's personal assistant, staying by his side day and night, enduring his bad temper, encouraging him, and helping him with his physical therapy. The day he finally stood up again, he drank too much in celebration. That night, he mistook me for Serena and, in his drunken state, took me again and again. That's how I got pregnant. He even agreed to marry me. But I later learned that not only did Liam not love me, but he hadn't married me out of a sense of responsibility either. He married me solely because he saw news of Serena publicly announcing her new relationship abroad. After we were married, he was like a ghost, completely absent from Lily's and my life. The day Lily was born, he specifically flew out of town for a business trip. When Lily was learning to speak, he’d stiffen, refusing to let her call him ‘Dad’. When Lily lost control of her skateboard and called out "Dad" once, he just stood there, cold as ice, watching her fall, letting her hit her head hard. ...... Yet, the drunken Liam before me now looked at Lily with eyes full of paternal affection. After holding our daughter, he gently placed Lily on the sofa, smiling warmly at her. "I'll be a good dad. "

"Okay, Lily believes in Daddy. "

He didn't seem to hear. The intense smile remained on his face as he turned and murmured a name. "Finn. "

He would be a good dad to Finn. My heart turned to ice. Finn – Serena's son. But Lily had only heard the first sentence. She happily ran to me. "Mommy, Daddy likes me, right? I can call him Daddy now, can't I? "

"He held me, and he said he'd be a good dad. "

Her eyes were filled with desperate longing for a positive answer. She truly longed to be like other kids, to cuddle into Liam’s arms, call him Daddy, and playfully complain to him. A bitter ache tightened in my chest. I knelt and pulled her into my embrace, tears blurring my vision. I didn't want to shatter her hope. I avoided answering her question directly. I didn't want Lily to know that this fleeting moment of happiness was only granted because of another woman and her son. "Lily, would you be willing to leave this place with Mommy? " I choked back tears. Lily paused, confused. "Mommy, why are we leaving? " The smile froze on Lily’s face, a look of bewilderment. Tears instantly welled up. "We're a family with Daddy! I want to be with Daddy. "

I raised a hand to wipe away her tears, my voice cracking. "Because... Uncle's true love has returned, and we need to go. "

"But... Daddy likes me... " Lily's voice grew softer and softer. Perhaps deep down, she already knew Liam didn't love her. "Mommy, can we wait until after my birthday? Let's give Uncle a few more chances, okay? Maybe he'll truly like us then. If Daddy is willing to stay with us, then we won't leave, right? "

I nodded, tears streaming down my face. "Alright. You decide how many more chances. "

Just a few more chances then. If he still disappointed us, we would leave his world forever. "Yay! Thank you, Mommy. "

"Time for bed. "

After tucking Lily into bed, I returned to my own room. My marriage with Liam was a sham, existing only in name. We didn't even bother to maintain appearances. The next morning, Liam woke up and came downstairs. Lily was eating breakfast. When she saw him, she happily put down her toast and ran toward him. "Daddy, you're awake! "

Liam’s face instantly darkened. He asked in a cold voice, "What did you call me? "

Lily’s outstretched arms froze in mid-air. She was scared by his expression. "Uncle... " Lily quickly corrected herself, dropping her hands in dismay. "I'm sorry, Uncle. "

I forcefully suppressed the bitterness in my heart. I walked over and picked her up. "Time to eat. You'll be late for school. "

I knew Liam's attitude toward us wouldn't change. His lapse yesterday was just because Serena was back, and he was too happy and had too much to drink. Liam’s demeanor softened slightly. He walked to the dining room, took a sip of coffee, and left without a word. "Goodbye, Uncle," Lily called out to his retreating back, as she always did. Still no response. On the way to school, Lily kept her head down, silent. As we neared the school, she looked up at me. "Mommy, does that count as one chance? Let's give Uncle three more chances! " Tears welled in Lily's eyes. My heart ached. "Okay, we'll do whatever Lily wants. "

I watched Lily enter kindergarten, then turned and went to a law firm. I took out the divorce papers Liam had drafted and asked if they were valid. When Liam married me, it was conditional: he could ask for a divorce at any time, and I couldn't refuse.