After returning home, Emily pondered for a long time whether or not she should go to the meeting with a man recommended by Grace. After struggling with her thoughts, Emily finally decided. She got up, headed for her closet, and picked out a nice outfit that she would wear to the appointment.
When she arrived at the park, the place of the appointment her daughter had told her about, Emily’s heart skipped a beat. Emily sat on a wooden bench by a small pond.
“I finally ended up here. Have I gone crazy?” muttered Emily. “It’s still not too late to leave here, is it?”
With doubts gnawing at her mind, Emily pondered, “Am I too lonely from not having a partner for so long that I easily agreed to Grace’s idea?” A bitter laugh slipped from her lips, realizing her foolishness in perhaps being too easily persuaded by the hope of something new.
Emily was about to get up from her seat, but eventually abandoned the idea and sat back down on the bench.
From a distance, a pair of blue eyes stared at Emily. Those blue eyes were cold and empty, like the eyes of an eagle watching its prey. He was Daniel, still remembering in his mind that he had accidentally met Grace at that time. Of course, he recognized Grace right away, because all this time, even though he avoided Emily and her daughter, he was always finding out about their circumstances and whereabouts.
For just a moment, Daniel stared at Emily, his cold, empty eyes piercing. Saying nothing, Daniel turned and left, leaving Emily still sitting on the park bench waiting for him.
Suddenly, Emily’s cell phone vibrated in her bag. Seeing a familiar name, she immediately picked it up.
“Hello?”
“What?” Emily immediately gasped, her body stiffening at the news delivered from the other side of the phone.
With her heart racing, she quickly got up from her seat and ran to the car. Her hands were shaking as she opened the car door and got inside. The car was moving quickly, and in her panic, Emily accidentally hit a black car that was about to pull out of the parking lot.
Emily hit the brakes hard. Her car slammed into the black car in front of her with a thunderous boom.
“Oh, my God!” Emily screamed, her heart beating faster and faster. She hurriedly got out of the car to check the damage. The black car looked damaged on the right rear, while Emily’s car had a slight scratch on the left front.
Emily panicked, her body trembling. But with hesitant steps, she finally knocked on the window of the car she hit. As the window rolled down, Emily looked down, not daring to look the driver in the eye.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t…” before Emily could finish her words, her eyes rounded in disbelief. Behind the wheel of the car, Daniel sat there with a cold and intense gaze.
Emily’s eyes turned red, unable to believe what she was seeing at the moment. Daniel, who had never been forgotten from the memory of her mind and heart, was now in front of her. It’s been years since she finally met the man who once brought love and deep wounds to her life.
Daniel left her when Emily needed him most. When Grace was still in her womb, Emily never told Daniel about her pregnancy. They divorced, Daniel left her a lot of property. However, at that time, Emily did not need all of that, but only wanted Daniel’s presence by her side.
Emily’s hands were clenched tightly, her body trembling slightly as tears spilled out. For years, if she remembered her memories with Daniel, she would cry. But she had promised not to cry over stupid things anymore, especially in front of Daniel.
Daniel turned to Emily with his cold gaze. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m going to pay the damages for hitting your car,” Emily replied.
“No need,” Daniel replied coldly. He pressed the button on his car window until it rose slowly. Emily’s hand quickly held it down before it closed completely.
“Are you crazy? You want to hurt your hand?” Daniel asked in a slightly raised voice. His eyes stared intently at Emily, as if he wanted to penetrate her soul.
“I’ll compensate you for the damage to your car and return the money and goods you gave me. Stop sending me money every month. I don’t need it,” Emily said. Her voice trembled, but she tried hard to remain firm.
“Here’s some money I can pay you to compensate for the damage,” Emily said. She pulled out her wallet and took out a few bills, which she handed to Daniel. “What’s your cell phone number?” she asked hurriedly.
“I said no need,” Daniel replied coldly and sharply.
Emily took her cell phone out of her bag. “Can’t you give me your cell phone number?” she asked. Daniel didn’t answer. He gave back her the money he received from Emily but she refused to take it.
“Well, if you don’t want to tell me, take my cell phone as collateral. I’ll call the number back and return all your money,” he explained hurriedly, then threw his cell phone into Daniel’s car.
Then, without waiting for Daniel’s answer, Emily immediately drove her car quickly towards the school. Her heart beating fast, she tried hard to control her emotions.
As Emily’s car drove away, Daniel’s eyes continued to stare at her departure. His gaze was blank toward the road. He felt the chaos in his mind.
Emily continued to concentrate on the road she was facing. Although her heart was heavy, she still had to continue her journey to school.
When Emily arrived at Grace’s school, she rushed out of the car and ran to her daughter’s homeroom. Her breathing was labored from running, but she tried hard to remain calm.
“What happened?” asked Emily in a slightly shaky voice, her eyes searching for an answer from Grace’s teacher.
“Look what your daughter did. She hit my son. Is this how you educate your daughter?” shouted a woman Emily believed to be the mother of a boy whose lip looked injured. The woman’s voice was full of anger, her eyes staring intently at Emily.
Emily felt her heart pounding and her chest tightening. “Grace, did you hit him?” she asked, her voice trembling, her eyes reddening as she stared angrily at little Grace.
Grace looked down, her eyes glazed over. “He started first, Mom,” she replied in a low, almost inaudible voice.
“Hitting your friend until he bled? Who taught you to be a brat, huh?” Emily’s voice rose, her hands clenched into tight fists.
Grace bit her lip, tears running down her cheeks. “He made fun of me, Mom. He said I didn’t have a dad. He said dad dumped me and you.”
“But it’s true that you don’t have a dad,” the boy’s mother smirked. “My son is innocent in this because what he said is true. Has your daughter never been taught manners? She’s so young but already hit people. What if she grows up?”
“I don’t want to know. Your daughter has made my son hurt like this. I will ask for compensation,” the mother continued.
“But your son is also guilty. He made fun of my daughter just because she doesn’t have a father. Does that justify him making fun of my daughter?” Emily asked firmly, not intending to budge.
Emily felt the anger rising inside her, but she tried to control it. She wanted to defend her daughter at all costs.
“If there is no fair settlement, I will be forced to seek help from the authorities,” the boy’s mother said in a voice that showed firmness.
The boy stuck out his tongue and winked at Grace, as if challenging her while no one noticed his actions. Grace could only hold back her anger with ragged breathing.
The firm steps of a man broke the tension in the room. His footsteps showed courage, while the look in his eyes was sharp and cold. Emily was surprised to see Daniel standing before them.
“I would like to offer a good solution. We can find a middle ground without involving external parties,” Daniel said in a firm voice, breaking the silence of the room.
Little Grace took Emily’s hand and whispered in her ear, “Did my matchmaking plan work? How did Uncle get here?”
Grace’s question surprised Emily. She turned her head slightly to hear more clearly. “What do you mean?” whispered Emily, wanting to hear an explanation from her daughter.
“He’s the Uncle I told you about. I want to set him up with you,” replied little Grace with a wide smile, her eyes sparkling with hope.
“What?”