“Mr. Collins, why waste your breath on her? All these years she hasn’t really cared for Emma. When Emma was barely born, she was already pestering me to have another child, a little brother for her.
Now Emma doesn’t like her—it’s only natural. She never spent time with the child, so why does she expect the child to be close to her?”
A flicker of sorrow crossed Daniel’s eyes, but it quickly turned into scorn.
“Sophia, even Mr. Collins says so. Can’t you stop being so paranoid?
Do you really have to scream about divorce and accuse Chloe over something so trivial?”
I lowered my gaze. I thought I had been strong enough—
Strong enough to face this pair who acted more like a couple than husband and wife.
But against their accusations, my heart still ached unbearably.
I opened my mouth but couldn’t find any words.
Just then, a rapid “thud-thud-thud” came from the stairs—someone was running down.
“Bad Mommy, I hate you!”
“Daddy, hurry up and sign the papers! I never wanted this mommy anyway!”
It was Emma. She rushed down from her room, clutching her doll, her small body like a cannonball aimed straight at me.
I almost lost my balance and fell.
Emma planted her hands on her hips, glaring at me like a stubborn little calf.
“Don’t you dare blame Aunt Chloe! I played that piece for her because she loves it.
You don’t understand anything about music—you wouldn’t appreciate such an elegant piano piece even if I played it for you!
Not like Aunt Chloe—this Dreams of Love is practically written just for her!”
Her words stabbed into my mind like needles.
Daniel frowned, his tone soft as he tried to coax her.
“Emma, apologize to your mother. She’s upset today because you played that piece for Aunt Chloe.
If Mommy doesn’t forgive you, she might leave this home—leave us.”
Emma pouted and shook her head.
“I don’t care. That song was for Aunt Chloe. If Mommy wants to leave, let her leave.”
Her eyes suddenly lit up as she looked at Chloe.
“If Mommy leaves, then let Aunt Chloe be my new mommy. Everyone likes Aunt Chloe, and they’ll all be jealous of me.”
“Last time, on Children’s Day, Aunt Chloe came to pick me up from kindergarten. The other kids even asked if she was my mom. I like Aunt Chloe. I want her to be my mommy.”
So it was Chloe who had been picking Emma up all along?
That Children’s Day, I spent hours preparing a cake and went to the kindergarten to fetch her—only to find she wasn’t there.