Chapter 3

Near dismissal time, I finished up my work and planned to pick Lily up.

Blake lingered, saying he wanted to see Lily too.

"You should probably lay low around Lily for now."

I told him honestly.

"You need to give her some time to process things."

To process that her dad was a handsome but ultimately brainless guy.

"Why?"

Blake looked genuinely hurt.

"I'm tall, handsome, and rich. What could Lily possibly be unhappy about with me?"

"Lily prioritizes a man's inner qualities."

"Skylar, what do you mean by that?" Blake exploded instantly.

"Clarify that! You were the one who pursued me first back then!"

"Yeah, and now I'm using that life lesson to teach my daughter not to only look at a man's face, aren't I?"

I hit the gas, not bothering to say another word to Blake.

During school dismissal, the school gates were an absolute madhouse.

I parked my car in the lot and walked over. Lily was just walking out with her backpack, chatting happily with a classmate.

She saw me from a distance and excitedly waved.

"Mom! Did the teacher tell you? We have a parent-teacher conference next week!"

"Yeah, I saw the announcement in the group chat."

I scooped Lily up in my arms and walked towards the parking lot.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, swinging her little legs and humming a happy tune.

She was ecstatic!

I briefly told Lily about the Davies family's visit.

She tilted her head, thought for a moment, then said,

"It's just dinner, right? Let's go."

A car horn blared behind us. I quickly pulled Lily closer to the curb.

The car drove out from inside the school grounds. The back window was halfway down, and I only caught a glimpse of a young man sitting there.

"Mom, that's our principal! The one I told you was talking to my biological dad before."

"Really?"

I was a bit surprised and subconsciously looked again, but I couldn't get a clear look at the man's face.

Since Lily agreed to meet the Davies family, I didn't deliberately delay and set the time for the weekend.

The location was the Davies' home.

They said it was so Lily could get familiar with the house and feel free to come over and play anytime.

Blake and I had dated for a very short time, and we never got to the point of meeting each other's parents, so this was my first time visiting the Davies' home.

An exclusive gated community, a massive villa spanning over two thousand square feet.

But Lily was only six. While she already had a sense of money, in her eyes, this villa was no different from the house back in our old town.

She even grumbled that the backyard wasn't big enough for a proper treehouse, let alone a trampoline.

"Lily, hello, I'm Grandpa."

"Sweetheart, I'm Grandma."

Blake's parents smiled very kindly.

Lily wasn't shy; she greeted them confidently.

"Hello, Grandpa and Grandma."

"Oh, you sweet thing, you're absolutely adorable! Here, these are from Grandpa and Grandma, a little welcome gift."

Gold bracelets, a gold necklace, a diamond tiara, and a wad of cash – they had it all.

Lily sweetly thanked Grandpa and Grandma, then said she was afraid of losing them, and handed everything to me.

She even specifically reminded me, "Mom, keep them safe for me, okay? They're precious, because they're from Grandpa and Grandma's love!"

I knew she just thought they were heavy and a bit much to wear.

"Son, I've raised you for thirty years, and you finally did something right!"

Mrs. Davies dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, telling Blake,

"Thank goodness you brought a child into the Davies family. Otherwise, I swear, I never wanted to see you step foot in this house again!"

Blake slumped alone on the single sofa, a protest forming on his lips but dying before it could escape.

He had dressed up meticulously for the occasion – meticulously styled hair, earrings, necklace, rings – the whole nine yards.

But Lily usually hangs out with the retirees in our neighborhood, so her fashion sense is, shall we say, a little old-school. She looked at Blake with clear disdain.