Chapter 3

At the end of the hallway, by the bathroom door, Lily had been pushed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Leading the pack of kids surrounding her was Leo, his face a menacing scowl.

"That's what you get for calling her Mommy! I'm going to beat you to a pulp today!"

With that, he kicked Lily in the stomach. Lily cried out in pain, trying to dodge, but the little boy behind him grabbed her.

"The mistress's kid deserves a beating!"

"My mom said illegitimate kids should be strangled at birth!"

Lily flailed her small hands in protest, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

"You're lying! That's my mommy! Mommy, Daddy, come save Lily!"

"Lily hurts so bad!"

"Mommy, Daddy, where are you?!"

The moment I saw that, my mind went blank with a roar, blood surged, my veins felt like they were about to burst.

The little boys spotted me, exchanged glances, and seeing my furious expression, scattered like startled birds.

I scooped Lily into my arms, realizing she was shaking violently. I immediately called an ambulance.

"Don't be scared, sweetheart. Daddy's here, Daddy's here."

When the ambulance arrived, other parents crowded around, curious about what had happened.

I raced towards the ambulance, carrying Lily.

As I passed, Serena was smiling, building blocks with Leo, while Ryan stood by, wiping sweat from her brow.

Hearing the commotion, she looked up, a confused expression on her face. As she stood up and started to ask, "What's going on? What happened to Lily?"

Ryan grabbed her hand.

"Serena, you promised to spend today with Leo. You don't know how happy he was when I told him last night you'd be with him all day."

Serena's footsteps faltered. I had already gotten into the ambulance with Lily.

Lily had passed out, and the paramedics immediately began checks and resuscitation in the ambulance.

When a female paramedic lifted Lily's dress, she gasped.

"How could anyone be so cruel to such a small child?!"

I instantly panicked.

Lily's milky-white skin was covered in bruises, purple and blue, with a fist-sized contusion on her side.

Her tiny body trembled uncontrollably. The paramedic's voice suddenly became urgent.

"Quick, get the equipment ready!"

Two agonizing hours passed before Lily was stable. Regret and hatred intertwined in my heart, growing wildly, tearing through me.

My mother, Eleanor, cried tears of sorrow, complaining,

"How could you let this happen, Daniel? My poor baby, what she's been through!"

Lily, hooked up to an IV, weakly opened her eyes on the hospital bed, looking at me blankly.

"Daddy, why do they all say Lily's a child Mommy didn't want?"

"But Lily has a mommy!"

"Why didn't Mommy protect Lily?"

I gently kissed her forehead and told her,

"Daddy will always, always protect Lily. Lily is Daddy's most beloved treasure."

"As for your mommy, we don't want her anymore."

When I returned to the kindergarten, the activity day was on its last item.

Families were painting a portrait of their 'happy family.'

Serena was patiently coloring a picture, Leo nestled quietly in her arms, and Ryan, a look of utter contentment on his face, was taking photos of them both.

It truly was a picture of serene domestic bliss, a perfect happy family.

But why was my Lily lying in a hospital bed, while the culprits were here, enjoying their happiness?!

I stormed over, and without a word, landed a fierce punch on Ryan.

The sheer force sent him stumbling back, and with a dull thud, he hit the corner of a table behind him.

The sudden sound stunned everyone into silence.

Serena shrieked,

"Daniel, what are you doing?!"

Then she quickly pulled Ryan into her arms, her eyes full of concern. "Ryan, does it hurt?"

Tears rolled down Ryan's face, but he shook his head, playing the victim.

"Daniel, have you misunderstood something? I apologize to you."

I sneered. "Just a verbal apology? Isn't that a bit insincere?"

With that, I raised my hand to slap him again. Serena saw it coming and tried to block me.

I changed direction, delivering the slap directly to Serena's face. The five-fingered red imprint was starkly visible on her cheek.

Serena clutched her face, stunned for a second, then went ballistic.

"Daniel, are you sick?! Who gave you the right to hit me?!"

Just then, the kindergarten teachers rushed over to intervene, asking me what was going on.

I pointed at Leo, gritting my teeth.

"This little brat, when I wasn't looking, ganged up with a few other boys and beat up my Lily!"

The words had barely left my mouth when Ryan anxiously interjected,

"No way! Leo is a very sweet boy. Serena, you have to believe me!"

I took a step forward. "No way? Then why do you think an ambulance just came?!"

Serena once again positioned herself protectively in front of Ryan and Leo.

"What harm can a little kid do? Kids roughhouse, it's inevitable. But you? You're overreacting, hitting people right away—a total brute!"

Seeing my aggressive stance, Serena actually shoved me with force, sending me to the ground.

My palm scraped against the ground, bleeding.

Those who were trying to curry favor with Serena joined in, looking down on me, ridiculing and cursing.

"Is he trying to stage an accident? Knows Ms. Serena's loaded and wants to extort money!"

"Look at his audacity! He'll be crying when Everwing Group's legal team is done with him."

"You think, maybe he tried to seduce Ms. Serena before and failed, and now he's just causing trouble? He's nowhere near Ms. Serena's level!"

"Definitely acting like a mistress's man!"

Just then, the roar of cars grew louder, and soon three luxury black SUVs pulled up to the kindergarten entrance.

A sharp-eyed parent gasped.

"Those cars have the Everwing Group logo! They're executive vehicles!"

Someone else, eager to flatter, added,

"Ms. Serena is truly amazing, she's already called the company's legal team!"

With that, the person spat at me, gloating.

"You homewrecker, you're finished! Everyone knows Everwing's legal team is called the 'Invincible Force of Oakwood City'! Get ready to pay up and go to jail!"

An influencer parent was already buzzing with excitement, holding up her phone.

"Wow, what a scoop today! Folks, hit that follow button! I'm livestreaming this brute's downfall!"

Ryan finally reacted, looking at Serena with surprise and affection, while Leo beside her became even more cocky.