Yujin was at a loss for words and couldn’t utter a sound. He just stood there with his mouth open, staring at the child as time slowly slipped away. Hurry up and say something, what are you doing! he scolded himself silently, but still, he remained frozen. Angela, being perceptive for her age, must have noticed something was off. No matter how dull, even a child couldn’t help but sense it: Yujin was hiding something about Papa.
But how could he say anything now?
When what felt like an eternity, less than five minutes, passed, Angela suddenly spoke.
“It’s okay, Daddy.”
“What?”
Startled, he involuntarily repeated. Angela finally shifted her gaze from the window to Yujin.
“You don’t have to tell me about Papa if you don’t want to. After all, I don’t have a Papa.”
That’s not true.
He had to say it now. But Angela gave him no time to summon courage and ran swiftly across the living room and up to the second floor.
“Angie...”
Yujin called after her too late, but all he heard was the sound of the door closing. Angela shutting the door felt like a rejection to him. Anxiously looking around, Yujin hurried up the stairs after her. Yet knocking required more courage. Taking a deep breath, he knocked twice, and from behind the door, Angela answered.
“Yeah.”
Only after receiving permission did Yujin open the door. Angela was sitting curled up on the bed, hugging a teddy bear bigger than herself.
“Angie.”
Yujin sat on the bed, gently stroking her back while calling her name.
“Sorry for not telling you about Papa earlier. Were you very upset?”
Angela shook her head silently.
“No.”
“Well?”
He asked again, but Angela was lost in thought and said nothing. Yujin waited for her to speak on her own, but she showed no sign of opening her mouth. After about ten more minutes, Angela murmured.
“...Mr. Campbell.”
“Hm?”
At first, Yujin couldn’t understand what she said. Curious, he asked again and finally grasped her words.
“Mr. Campbell.”
He was startled by the sudden name. He never imagined Angela would say his name. Why? How?
“Why Mr. Campbell? Why?”
Carefully, so as not to alarm her, Yujin asked, but Angela said nothing again, only murmuring softly.
“We can never see Mr. Campbell again, right?”
Yujin looked down at Angela’s face but found it hard to read her true feelings. Eventually, he gave up and asked bluntly.
“Angie, do you miss Mr. Campbell?”
“Huh? No, no, that’s not it, Daddy.”
Angela jumped and shook her head vigorously. But the intensity of her denial only confirmed Yujin’s suspicion.
“Angie...”
Caught off guard, Yujin was unsure how to convince her. He’d sensed that Winston and the child had grown closer. But hadn’t Angela repeatedly said she wouldn’t give in to Winston?
Or maybe that was just to reassure him?
Perhaps the truth was different. Because Angela didn’t have a Papa, Winston’s efforts might have reached her after all.
But maybe she kept saying no just to hide her real feelings from him...
Thinking that filled Yujin with guilt. Adults had fought without any regard for the child. Remembering how helpless and confused Angela must have been made his chest tighten.
“Angie, if you want to see Mr. Campbell, you can.”
It would be difficult for now, but eventually Yujin would have to tell Angela the truth. He was also thinking he would explain it when she was older.
Maybe now was the time.
Just as he took a deep breath and was about to speak, Angela suddenly pushed aside the teddy bear she’d been hugging and shouted,
“No, Daddy. I don’t want to see Mr. Campbell. I’m worried about the baby!”
“What?”
Yujin was once again caught off guard. He had forgotten the lie he had told. Angela quickly continued.
“Daddy, there’s a baby in your belly. Mr. Campbell is the baby’s Papa. Then Mr. Campbell should come to see the baby. The baby has a Papa.”
Yujin felt dazed as if he’d been hit. Meanwhile, his daughter kept asking difficult questions.
“Daddy, when will my baby brother or sister come out? How much longer do I have to wait? Is it a girl or a boy?”
Yujin looked down at her silently. He couldn’t tell how her thoughts had reached this point, but one thing was certain: the lie he told to deceive Winston was now causing trouble even for his daughter.
Sigh...
Yujin let out a deep breath. The time had come to pay the price for what he’d done. He would have to face the embarrassment and guilt with each regret.
But he couldn’t delay any longer. He should have said it earlier. Resolute, Yujin opened his mouth.
“Angie.”
“Yeah.”
His daughter answered promptly, waiting. Before saying the crucial words, Yujin took another deep breath. Looking into the trusting eyes fixed on him, he confessed with difficulty.
“I’m sorry. There is no baby.”
Angela’s eyes widened as she stared at him. Yujin felt a sharp pain in his chest and added an explanation.
“Daddy was mistaken. Mommy isn’t pregnant.”
Even as he confessed, part of him thought Angela might be happy. She hadn’t welcomed having a sibling, and she’d said she didn’t want Winston visiting either.
But contrary to his expectation, Angela slumped her shoulders, her face full of disappointment. Yujin looked at her in surprise and cautiously asked.
“You weren’t against having a baby?”
Angela murmured softly.
“Yes, I was... but now that I know there isn’t one, it feels strange here.”
She placed her hands over her chest and lowered her head. She must have resolved to accept a sibling, only for it to end so emptily, leaving her feeling hollow.
“I’m sorry, Angie. I should have told you sooner.”
Yujin held Angela close and patted her back, apologizing. Angela, quietly resting in her father’s arms, muttered something. Yujin was a beat late in catching it.
“So Mr. Campbell won’t come...”
Yujin held her silently. Thankfully, his expression remained unreadable. Instead of sighing, he furrowed his brow and looked at his reflection in the window, then spoke.
“You’ll see him again, Angie.”
“Mm...”
The child replied softly but with little energy. Surely she thought that was another comforting lie. Angela had endured far too much disappointment and frustration for her short life. Yujin knew she had a cynical streak unusual for a child. But for now, he could say nothing else. All he could do was hold her tightly.
“Mr. Campbell, Mr. Campbell.”
Hearing urgent calls, Winston frowned as he lay sprawled on the sofa. Seeing the deep furrow between his brows and hearing the groan, the butler spoke anxiously.
“Sir, Mr. Yujin has been found. We just received contact.”
There was a brief pause of two or three seconds before Winston reacted. Though he looked frozen for a moment, suddenly his eyes snapped open and he sprang up.
“What?”
“Please wait a moment.”
Startled, the butler stammered unusually and hastily handed over a phone. Winston immediately took it and bluntly demanded,
“You found Yujin? Where?”
It took some time before he spoke again. Winston’s expression, which had been silently listening, gradually turned harsher.
“What did you say?”
