Chapter 4

I gave him one final look and walked out with Lily.

No one chased after us. No one cared.

From that day on, Lily grew quiet. Her tiny body seemed weighed down by secrets she wouldn't share. I didn't know how to comfort her.

I only knew that if Adrian just gave her a sliver of warmth, he would still be "Dad" in her heart.

A few days later was the Regional Children's Art Competition.

I knew Lily secretly hoped Adrian would show up, so I took the initiative to invite him.

Lily looked up at me, hesitated, and looked back down. "Is he really coming?"

"We won't know if we don't ask."

I texted him in the morning. By evening, there was still no reply.

Lily's hope slowly curdled into resignation. "Maybe Dad just doesn't like me at all."

Right as she said it, my phone buzzed.

Adrian: I'll be there tomorrow.

Lily saw the screen and a massive smile broke across her face. "I knew he wouldn't abandon me!"

On the day of the competition, Lily and I waited by the venue entrance for a long time.

He never showed.

When the announcer called for everyone to take their seats, I had to pull Lily inside. She stood in the hall, her eyes glued to the doors, hope and despair warring on her face.

When it was her turn to present on stage, she was still completely deflated.

The host asked about the inspiration behind her painting. Lily looked up toward the judges' table—and her eyes widened.

Adrian was sitting there. He was one of the judges.

Thinking he had kept his promise to come see her, Lily lit up.

"It's a girl going to the amusement park with her dad!"

But when the time came, Adrian didn't vote for her. He cast his vote for Chloe, who was sitting in the VIP section.

Lily's scores were high enough that she still won the championship.

But the moment she saw Adrian give his vote to Chloe, the tears finally spilled over.

She quickly wiped them away, desperately trying to justify it. "Mom, Dad has that emotional detachment disorder, right? He's just being fair. He had a reason."

I hugged her tight. I had no explanation to give.

Adrian and I were set up by our parents. I married him knowing he had a ghost in his heart he couldn't let go of. That was my mistake.

Everyone said Adrian was stubborn, that his emotional disorder meant once he locked onto someone, he would never change his mind.

I had willingly walked into the fire, but I dragged Lily in with me. Six years without a father's love.

"I'm sorry, Lily. Mom made the wrong choice."

She didn't understand why I was apologizing. She just reached up and wiped my tears. "Don't cry, Mom."

As we held each other, Vanessa suddenly appeared in front of us, dragging Chloe by the hand.

"Lily Reed. How dare you take first place when you clearly copied Chloe?"

Lily and I froze.

A group of judges and nosy spectators trailed behind Vanessa, all their eyes locking onto Lily.

"Vanessa Hart is actually the famous mysterious artist, EN. If she says Lily plagiarized, then it must be true," someone whispered.

Looking at Vanessa's smug face, it clicked.

She had stolen my artistic identity. They didn't know that I was EN.

Chapter 4

I gave him one final look and walked out with Lily.

No one chased after us. No one cared.

From that day on, Lily grew quiet. Her tiny body seemed weighed down by secrets she wouldn't share. I didn't know how to comfort her.

I only knew that if Adrian just gave her a sliver of warmth, he would still be "Dad" in her heart.

A few days later was the Regional Children's Art Competition.

I knew Lily secretly hoped Adrian would show up, so I took the initiative to invite him.

Lily looked up at me, hesitated, and looked back down. "Is he really coming?"

"We won't know if we don't ask."

I texted him in the morning. By evening, there was still no reply.

Lily's hope slowly curdled into resignation. "Maybe Dad just doesn't like me at all."

Right as she said it, my phone buzzed.

Adrian: I'll be there tomorrow.

Lily saw the screen and a massive smile broke across her face. "I knew he wouldn't abandon me!"

On the day of the competition, Lily and I waited by the venue entrance for a long time.

He never showed.

When the announcer called for everyone to take their seats, I had to pull Lily inside. She stood in the hall, her eyes glued to the doors, hope and despair warring on her face.

When it was her turn to present on stage, she was still completely deflated.

The host asked about the inspiration behind her painting. Lily looked up toward the judges' table—and her eyes widened.

Adrian was sitting there. He was one of the judges.

Thinking he had kept his promise to come see her, Lily lit up.

"It's a girl going to the amusement park with her dad!"

But when the time came, Adrian didn't vote for her. He cast his vote for Chloe, who was sitting in the VIP section.

Lily's scores were high enough that she still won the championship.

But the moment she saw Adrian give his vote to Chloe, the tears finally spilled over.

She quickly wiped them away, desperately trying to justify it. "Mom, Dad has that emotional detachment disorder, right? He's just being fair. He had a reason."

I hugged her tight. I had no explanation to give.

Adrian and I were set up by our parents. I married him knowing he had a ghost in his heart he couldn't let go of. That was my mistake.

Everyone said Adrian was stubborn, that his emotional disorder meant once he locked onto someone, he would never change his mind.

I had willingly walked into the fire, but I dragged Lily in with me. Six years without a father's love.

"I'm sorry, Lily. Mom made the wrong choice."

She didn't understand why I was apologizing. She just reached up and wiped my tears. "Don't cry, Mom."

As we held each other, Vanessa suddenly appeared in front of us, dragging Chloe by the hand.

"Lily Reed. How dare you take first place when you clearly copied Chloe?"

Lily and I froze.

A group of judges and nosy spectators trailed behind Vanessa, all their eyes locking onto Lily.

"Vanessa Hart is actually the famous mysterious artist, EN. If she says Lily plagiarized, then it must be true," someone whispered.

Looking at Vanessa's smug face, it clicked.

She had stolen my artistic identity. They didn't know that I was EN.