Chapter 1

In Ethan Hale's six years of secret marriage to Faith Sullivan, this was his first time lifting their daughter, Callie Hale, into the air.

Callie giggled happily as she waved at Faith.

"Mom! Uncle Ethan is making me fly!"

Faith forced a bitter smile at the sight of the father and daughter.

Ethan was drunk that day, and he didn't seem aware of his actions.

In reality, he neither loved Faith nor Callie. His elation was purely fueled by the return of his beloved woman, Nicole Sutton.

Six years ago, Ethan was passionately in love with Nicole.

When Nicole abruptly departed, he chased after her in his car, only to be crippled in a car accident.

Since then, Ethan could no longer walk. As his personal assistant, Faith stayed by his side every day, enduring his horrible temper and offering him words of encouragement. She remained by his side throughout rehab.

On the day he could finally walk again, he drank more than he could handle. He mistook Faith for Nicole, and they made love multiple times that night.

When Faith was knocked up from their one-night stand, Ethan readily agreed to marry her. It was only much later that she discovered he hadn't done it out of love or duty.

He had married Faith out of disappointment after Nicole had officially announced her dating news when she was abroad.

After their marriage, Ethan mostly stayed out of Faith and Callie's lives.

On the day Callie was born, Ethan was on a business trip.

When Callie was learning to speak, he grimly warned her never to address him as "Dad".

That time, Callie lost her balance on a skateboard and accidentally called for her dad. Because of that slip-up, Ethan watched as she bled.

…

Right now, Ethan seemed like a loving father to Callie under the influence of alcohol.

After he gave Callie hugs, he placed her on the couch and smiled at her. "I'll be a good father to you."

"Okay! I trust you!" Callie chirped.

But Ethan didn't seem to register his daughter's reply. The smile deepened on his face as he blurted out, "Oh, Daniel."

Ethan had vowed to be a good father to Daniel. Faith's heart sank in disappointment.

Daniel Vaughn was Nicole's son.

But Callie had only focused on Ethan's first promise. She ran over to her mom. "Mom, Dad likes me, doesn't he? Can I call him 'Dad' now?

"He hugged me and promised to be a good father to me."

Callie's eyes sparkled with eagerness as she anticipated Faith's affirmation.

She wanted to be like the other kids and throw herself into Ethan's arms. She would love to call him "Dad" and have him dote on her.

Faith, filled with bitterness, crouched down and pulled her daughter into her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes.

She avoided answering the question because she didn't want to dash Callie's hopes.

She didn't want Callie to know that they were denying Nicole and Daniel's happiness by enjoying this fleeting moment of joy.

"Callie, would you like to leave with Mom?" Faith held back her tears and inquired, much to Callie's surprise.

"But why are we leaving?" The smile froze on Callie's face, and soon, tears streamed down her cheeks.

Callie added, "We're a family. I want to be with Dad."

Faith wiped away her daughter's tears. Between sobs, she explained, "Uncle Ethan's lover is back now. It is time we leave."

"Dad likes me, though…" Callie's voice trailed off, likely because she knew the truth—that Ethan never loved her.

But she pleaded, "Mom, can we wait until after my birthday? Let's give Dad a few chances. He might actually come to like us. If he agrees to stay with us, we won't leave him. Okay?"

Faith nodded through her tears.

"Okay. I'll let you decide how many chances he gets."

She agreed to give her husband one last chance. If he let them down again, they would leave him for good.

"Okay. Thanks, Mom."

"It's your bedtime now."

After Faith put her daughter to sleep, she dragged herself back to her bedroom.

Her marriage to Ethan was as good as failed. They didn't even bother to play pretend.

…

The next morning, Ethan went to the first floor after waking up.

Callie, who was having breakfast, eagerly set down her food and ran over to him.

"Dad, you're up!"

His face immediately fell. In an icy tone, he barked, "What did you call me?"

Callie's arms halted mid-air. She was frightened by the threatening look on his face.

"Uncle Ethan…" She immediately changed the way she addressed him. Looking upset, she lowered her arms. "I'm sorry, Uncle Ethan."

Faith tried not to let her emotions show. She went over and carried Callie in her arms. "Finish your breakfast. You're running late for school."

Faith knew very well that Ethan would never change his attitude toward them.

He acted out of place last night because he was overjoyed by Nicole's return. And he had too much to drink as a result.

After Callie backed down, Ethan's attitude softened. He had some coffee in the dining hall and left home without telling Faith.

"Bye, Uncle Ethan," Callie said goodbye to him as usual, and just like before, he didn't reply.

On Callie's way to school, she kept her head low and remained silent.

When they were about to arrive, she raised her head to look at her mom.

"Mom, that was Dad's first chance. Let's give him three more chances!"

There were tears in her eyes.

Feeling sorry, Faith replied, "Sure. It's all up to you."

Chapter 2

After Callie disappeared into the preschool, Faith left for a law firm.

She showed them the divorce agreement drafted by Ethan and inquired if it was still valid.

Ethan had promised to marry her on the condition that she could not object to a divorce.

The agreement had been drafted prior to their marriage. Although it wasn't dated, it had Ethan's signature on it.

Once she confirmed that the agreement was valid, she signed her name and requested the lawyer to process the divorce for her.

"Please mail the divorce certificate to this address." She shared the address of their villa with the lawyer before leaving.

She felt a surge of emotions when she stepped out of the law firm. Tears rushed to her eyes, and she had to lift her head to stop them from falling.

Her feelings for Ethan were real. After they were married, she had put in the effort to improve their relationship. She had naively hoped for a change.

But after multiple letdowns, she slowly lost her drive in the face of his indifference.

She should leave, now that Nicole was back.

Unfortunately, Faith ran into Ethan and Nicole on the mall's first floor.

Nicole was as dazzling as before. She exuded a wild charm and beamed widely while holding onto Ethan's arm.

Ethan held Daniel in an arm with a loving expression, a sight that made Faith's breath catch. It had been her dream to go shopping with Ethan and Callie.

Tears rolled down her face as she heartbrokenly stared at the trio. Finally, she moved on with difficulty.

Once back at the villa, Faith created a résumé and sent it along with her portfolio to a few of her preferred companies in Averna. Then, she printed out her resignation letter and brought it to the company.

After she married Ethan, he had her transferred to another role. Currently, she was just an ordinary employee in the Administrative Department.

The resignation process was surprisingly straightforward. Once she completed the handover, she could leave at any time.

She returned to her office from the HR Department and started to pack up her stuff.

Before long, she heard the footsteps and words of congratulations from the door. When she looked up, she saw a few senior executives welcoming Ethan and Nicole into the office.

Nicole had changed into a new outfit. Unlike her previous flashy and seductive fits, she looked professional and eye-catching today.

Meanwhile, Ethan had not moved his arm away from Nicole's waist, and he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Seeing that, Faith felt a searing pain in her chest. When Ethan did not respond to her gaze, she lowered her eyes.

Before she knew it, the couple had arrived before her.

"Faith, this is Nicole Sutton. She is Mr. Hale's girlfriend. She will be taking over your job, while you'll be transferred to the Sales Department. Please complete the handover as soon as possible," one of the employees announced.

Ethan, however, did not deny that Nicole was his girlfriend. Faith's eyes stung as she clenched her fists tighter.

He was so eager to reinstate Nicole in his life that he showed no regard for how Faith or Callie might feel.

Once again, Faith looked at him. "Ethan…"

He glared at her, silently warning her before she could say anything.

With a frown, he stated, "Ms. Sullivan, please talk to your direct supervisor if you're unhappy about the arrangements." He appeared reluctant to reveal his relationship to Faith.

As if that weren't enough, he added, "Nicole is a better fit for your position."

However, only Faith knew that Ethan was referring to something more than the job itself. A prickly pain spread across her fingertips, yet she maintained her composure.

As expected, Ethan did not care about her.

"Alright." She quietly nodded and shook Nicole's hand.

Ethan appeared satisfied at Faith's response. His gaze became tender when he looked at Nicole.

It was a look he had never given Faith or Callie. So, that was how he expressed his love. She should've known—his lack of love for her was obvious.

Fortunately, she no longer had any expectations of him.

…

That night, the company hastily threw together a team-building event cum welcome party for Nicole.

As Faith had tendered her resignation, she refused to attend, but Nicole pestered her about it.

"Ms. Sullivan, are you unwilling to attend my welcome party because you're mad at me for stealing your job? It was never my intention to do so; it was Ethan's decision.

"This is my first day at work, and I really hope to chat with you. I don't even know most of my colleagues. Would you come with me?"

Faith scanned Nicole's unreadable eyes. Smilingly, she shook her head and denied, "You're overthinking. I have to pass because I need to pick up my daughter from school. I'm sorry about that."

"What about your husband? Make him pick up the kid!"

Oh, her husband?

Faith suppressed the stinging bitterness within and calmly replied, "I don't have a husband."

Ethan had never publicly introduced himself as her husband; they lived separate lives.

To Faith, it didn't feel like she had a husband at all.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea," Nicole apologized, but she hadn't given up inviting Faith to the party. "Why don't you bring your daughter along? My son will be there too. They'll get along well since they're of the same age."

"It's fine. My daughter doesn't really like parties."

While Faith was speaking, Callie ran over and threw herself into Faith's arms.

The little girl happily reported, "Mom, Uncle Ethan picked me up from school, and he dropped me off here to meet with you."

Faith was beyond shocked because Ethan was clueless about the preschool Callie attended. Why did he suddenly pick Callie up from school?

When she looked up again, Ethan had approached them with a smile, but his eyes never left Nicole.

He couldn't even bother to glance at Faith.

Confused, Nicole questioned, "Ethan, do you know Ms. Sullivan's daughter?"

"I ran into Callie when I was there to pick up Daniel. Callie is Faith's daughter—she's been to the office a couple of times," explained Ethan, seemingly worried that Nicole might misunderstand him.

He kept his tone indifferent and distant when talking about Callie and Faith, as though they were merely strangers to him.

Callie was about to call out to Ethan when Faith gave her a look and a shake of the head.

Callie, who caught the hint, lowered her gaze with sadness.

"Is that so? Did you know that the poor girl has no father? Let's not transfer Ms. Sullivan to the Sales Department. It's hard being a single mom, you know."

Ethan furrowed his brows and glanced at Faith. Moments later, he agreed, "Fine. I'll let you decide."

Looking overjoyed, Nicole nodded at Ethan. They locked eyes sweetly as though there was no one around.

Callie clutched tightly onto Faith and buried her face between Faith's thighs.

"Mom, Dad!" Daniel's voice interrupted Ethan and Nicole's flirting.

He dashed over and hugged Ethan by the leg.

"Dad! I want a hug!"

Chapter 3

Callie's body stiffened. Her head snapped up, and she stared at Ethan and Daniel.

She watched Ethan lift Daniel in his arms with a loving look she had never seen before. Ethan trembled a little under his daughter's gaze, but he did nothing else.

He looked away to avoid meeting her tear-filled eyes.

"Daniel, you're being naughty again. Stop asking your dad for hugs. Get down now." Nicole tried to pull Daniel off Ethan, but the boy clung stubbornly to Ethan, wrapping his arms around Ethan's neck.

He replied, "I don't want to! I like it when Dad hugs me. He likes to give me hugs too." Then, he gave Ethan a peck on the cheek. "I'm hungry. I want cake."

"Go eat your cake. Ethan, let's go." With a smile, Nicole followed closely behind Ethan. After taking a few steps, she turned around to invite Faith along.

"Ms. Sullivan, please hurry up!"

Faith was crouched on the floor. Callie looked up, crying. "Mom, are they the people Uncle Ethan loves?"

Overwhelmed by sadness, Faith pulled Callie into a hug. The mother and daughter cried together.

It was too cruel of a scene to withstand, especially for a kid like Callie.

Faith did not reply to Callie, but Callie already knew the answer.

"Mom, I want to take one more look at them." Callie wiped away her tears and grasped Faith's hand. "I want to see if they're good people."

But Faith didn't want to see her daughter get hurt again. "Callie, why don't we go home?"

Callie shook her head insistently. "I want to take a look."

"Okay."

Holding Callie's hand, Faith stepped into the crowded event hall. Ethan, Nicole, and Daniel were the center of attention. Ethan showered Daniel with a level of care that Callie dreamed of but never experienced.

Callie shot up from her seat when she witnessed Ethan feeding Daniel some fruits.

"Mom, Uncle Ethan likes them a lot. He's smiling so much. Let's leave. I don't want to stand in their way."

Callie's words crushed Faith. The pain was almost too much to bear.

"Alright. Let's go home."

Callie nodded.

Faith held her daughter's hand and made their way to the door, but Ethan's secretary, Mathias Blackwell, stopped them.

"Ms. Sullivan, please stay. Mr. Hale would like to bring Callie along to have some fun. He has instructed you to leave Callie in my care."

Mathias was the only person in the company who was privy to Ethan and Faith's secret marriage.

"Are we gonna have fun?" Callie's rueful eyes lit up with hope as she tried to search for Ethan in the crowds.

Mathias nodded. "Yes, that's what Mr. Hale said."

At the same time, Ethan had texted Faith to inform her about his plan to bring Callie to the fireworks performance.

It was his first time volunteering to bring Callie to have fun, but Faith felt uneasy about the invitation and refused to let her daughter go.

Still, she caved in after seeing the longing on Callie's face.

"Callie, take good care of yourself. Call me if you need anything."

"Don't worry, Mom." Callie very much looked forward to her time with Ethan. "I'll listen well so that Uncle Ethan likes me."

"Okay." Faith felt bitter knowing that Callie still pined for Ethan's fatherly love. She glanced at Ethan, hoping that he wouldn't let Callie down.

Faith left the event alone, and upon arriving home, she received a call from Callie—Callie was crying her heart out.

"Mom, Uncle Ethan left me alone! I'm so scared!"

"Callie, where are you?"

Callie sobbed. "I-I don't know."

"Hey, don't be scared. I'll look for you now. Don't hang up. I'll keep talking to you. I'll be there soon." Faith desperately searched for Callie's smartwatch geolocation on her phone and hurriedly drove off.

When she finally found Callie, Callie was sitting by the road alone, freezing and covered in a thick layer of snow.

Faith couldn't help but cry. She felt as if all her strength had been drained.

She pulled Callie into her arms and comforted the poor girl, "Callie! Callie, don't be scared. I'm here."

"Mom, I'm so scared, and I feel so cold." Callie snuggled against Faith and cried nonstop.

On their way to the hospital, Callie, who was warm to the touch from head to toe, had a high fever. She wouldn't stop mumbling, "Uncle Ethan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you Dad. Please don't leave me…"

Faith's fingers trembled, and she struggled to breathe. Did Ethan seriously dump Callie by the roadside because she accidentally called him "Dad"?

But Callie was just a five-year-old!

"Callie, don't cry. I'll always be by your side. I'll never leave you."

Chapter 4

Callie had lost her consciousness when they arrived at the hospital. The doctor chastised Faith for putting her daughter in such a state.

Faith did not even protest because she blamed herself as much. How could she allow Ethan to bring Callie with him in the first place, especially knowing that Ethan did not love his daughter?

For that, she blamed herself.

"Dad… I want Dad…" Cheeks flushed, Callie muttered feverishly while calling for Ethan. "Mom, I want Dad to hug me. I'll be good."

Callie wept endlessly, her tears seeping into her hair. The pain sliced through Faith, sharp and unrelenting.

Was Callie still thinking about Ethan?

Faith clutched her phone tightly. After some deliberation, she finally dialed Ethan's number, but he never picked up. So, she texted him, "Your daughter is running a high fever. I hope you can visit her at the hospital."

She still hadn't received a reply from him when dawn broke.

Meanwhile, Nicole had posted a photo on Instagram of their family of three enjoying the night view.

After leaving Callie behind, Ethan neither regretted his actions nor showed any care for Callie.

It wasn't until that moment that Faith lost all hope and expectations for Ethan. To him, she and Callie were insignificant.

After staying by Callie's side for a night, Faith was relieved to see Callie stirring awake.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I made you worry."

Faith felt even worse when faced with Callie's thoughtfulness.

"Oh, you silly girl. You have nothing to be sorry for." Faith tried her best to hold back her tears. If anything, she should be sorry for letting Callie down and losing Ethan's love.

"Mom, don't cry. I'm fine now."

"Alright, darling. I won't cry."

Faith held Callie and fed her medicine and food. Callie spent three long days in the hospital. On the day of Callie's discharge, Ethan finally replied to Faith's text.

"Are you guys still at the hospital? I'll pick you up."

Callie beamed brightly when she saw the popup notification on Faith's phone. "Mom! Uncle Ethan said he'll pick us up."

She couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope when she knew that Ethan would pick them up.

Faith nodded quietly at Callie, praying that Ethan would not stand them up. She hoped he could at least fulfill one promise, even if it were driven by the guilt of leaving Callie behind.

As time ticked past, the smile on Callie's face waned. She had been staring at the door of her room from morning until noon.

Faith glanced at the clock on the wall before turning to Callie.

Sensing Faith's gaze, Callie whispered, "Uncle Ethan's not coming, is he? He must have been swamped and had forgotten about me. Mom, let's go."

Callie tried to convince herself with a forced smile. She jumped out of bed and held Faith's hand.

Faith nodded with a heavy heart. "Okay. I'll bring you home."

They left the room hand-in-hand. At the elevator lobby, they ran into Ethan.

"It's Dad!" Callie perked up but quickly caught herself. "It's Uncle Ethan. He's here to pick us up."

The next moment, Nicole emerged from the elevator. Seeing this, Faith tightened her grip on Callie's hand.

Ethan finally noticed Faith and Callie when he turned around. He furrowed his brows with an uneasy expression.

Nicole stared at him. "Is Daniel alright?"

Ethan shook his head. "Daniel is fine. He scraped his skin, that's all." He looked away from Faith and Callie.

It dawned on Faith that Ethan wasn't at the hospital for them. All he cared about was Nicole and her son Daniel. Even if something had happened to Faith and Callie, he wouldn't feel a thing for them.

Faith grappled to make sense of her feelings. She looked down at Callie, her eyes oozing with tenderness. "Callie…"

Callie smiled at her. "Mom, let's go home."

They sat in silence on their way home. Callie stared out of the window as she silently cried.

Once they were back home, Callie locked herself up in her bedroom, but Faith did not interfere. She kept Callie company by the door.

Chapter 5

Two hours later, Callie finally opened the door. She emerged from her bedroom holding a teddy bear, and her eyes were swollen from all the crying.

The teddy bear was Ethan's only gift to Callie, and she treasured it very much.

She raised the teddy bear, and to Faith's surprise, she said, "Mom, I don't want this anymore."

Forcing a smile, she shoved the teddy bear into Faith's arm. "Uncle Ethan has two chances left."

"Alright." Faith was at a loss to comfort her daughter.

Callie raised her head and asked, "Mom, can I throw a birthday party and invite all my friends?"

Faith couldn't bring herself to say no. In the past, it was just the two of them celebrating Callie's birthday at home. Ethan had never shown up, and he never cared.

Faith agreed to Callie's idea of a birthday party, knowing it was yet another chance for Ethan to prove her wrong.

Since Callie had been coughing nonstop, Faith worried about her health and made her take a few days off school.

Over the weekend, Faith took Callie to the theme park. While Callie was having fun, she waited by the side, racking her brain about the location of the birthday party.

All of a sudden, Callie's cries hit her ear. She looked up and saw Daniel wrestling away Callie's toy. When Callie fought back, he shoved her onto the floor.

Faith hurried over and lifted Callie from the ground. Then, staring at Daniel sternly, she demanded, "Apologize to Callie!"

Daniel turned his face aside and lied, "Why do I need to apologize? She fell onto the ground by herself!"

"I saw you pushing Callie onto the ground. You need to say sorry to her."

Yet, Daniel was indignant. When he saw the approaching figure, he suddenly plopped onto the ground and started crying.

Ethan quickened his pace and came up to check on Daniel with a worried look that he had never shown for Callie. "Daniel!"

Faith snickered at his concern for Daniel. At the same time, Daniel grabbed Ethan's arm and complained, "Dad, they are bullying me! They took my toy and hit me."

That immediately fueled Ethan's rage. He snapped his head to confront the bullies, only to pause when he recognized Faith and Callie.

It took only one second for him to switch from looking concerned to indifferent.

He growled, "What happened?"

"Uncle Ethan, that boy pushed me." Callie stared at him eagerly. "Mom and I never bullied him. Mom just wanted him to say sorry to me."

She stopped crying the moment Ethan showed up; she craved his concern.

Frowning, Ethan replied, "Okay. Are you hurt?"

"No." Callie shook her head. A smile blossomed on her face after she mistook the question for his concern.

"Alright." Ethan nodded coldly and was ready to leave with Daniel.

The look in Callie's eyes dimmed.

Faith was overcome by a wave of sadness due to Ethan's outrageous favoritism. Although she and Callie never asked for his love, he had crossed a line by repeatedly hurting Callie.

"Stand there." Faith gritted her teeth and stopped them. She blurted out, "You need to apologize."

Ethan's eyes turned steely, clearly upset at her tantrum.

"Do not turn this into a big deal," he warned Faith. "Daniel is just a child."

Her heart sank, but she did not back down. "Mr. Hale, nothing is too insignificant when it concerns my child. That boy needs to apologize after he shoved Callie to the ground.

"Look, there are security cameras in the store. We could go over the footage if you need evidence."

This was Faith's first time defying Ethan, and he was surprised. His scowl deepened, but she stood her ground.

Callie had been let down too many times. This time, Faith was determined to fight for justice. Ethan might not care about Callie's feelings, but she cared.

She would never allow Ethan to back another kid and bully Callie.

"I apologize on Daniel's behalf." Since Daniel refused to budge, Ethan intervened coldly, "Daniel did not do it on purpose."

"How could you—" She could not believe that Ethan would defend Nicole's son until the very end.

"It's fine. I forgive you. Mom, let's go." Callie tugged at Faith's arm and tried her best to smile. The moment she turned away from Ethan and Daniel, tears rolled down her cheeks.

Equally upset, Faith felt her chest tighten. She croaked, "Okay."

Chapter 6

After that encounter at the theme park, Ethan did not once visit home. Faith and Callie seemed to have reached a tacit agreement not to bring him up.

As Callie's birthday neared, Faith and Callie prepared a bunch of invitation cards to give to Callie's classmates.

Later, Callie happily reported to Faith that all the classmates she invited had accepted the invitation.

Two days before Callie's birthday, Faith ran into Ethan and Nicole at Callie's school. She saw Daniel standing between them, crying with his head hung low. Both adults were comforting him.

It turned out that Daniel had broken a rule, and the school had summoned his parents.

How ironic! Ethan had never paid Callie any attention, yet here he was, playing the role of a good father to another man's son.

Perhaps, he had extended his love for Nicole to include Daniel.

Faith looked away and turned to Callie, who had stepped out of the classroom.

When Callie walked by Ethan, she paused and greeted him and Nicole. "Hi, Uncle Ethan and Ms. Sutton."

Ethan, who had noticed Callie, glanced at her.

"Ms. Sullivan, are you here to pick up your daughter?" Nicole warmly greeted Faith.

Faith nodded. "Yeah."

"I envy you for having such a well-behaved child. Mine gets into trouble all day," grumbled Nicole. "How did you manage to raise Callie this well when both kids are fatherless?"

Callie spoke before Faith could reply. She stared at Ethan. "Daniel has a dad, doesn't he? Just tell his dad to keep an eye on him."

Feeling guilty, Ethan dared not look Callie in the eye.

On the other hand, Nicole blushed shyly. "Oh, sweetheart, that's nonsense! Ethan and I are just friends…"

Tears welled up in Callie's eyes. No longer wishing to hear one word from them, she bid goodbye. "Bye, Uncle Ethan and Ms. Sutton."

Callie dragged Faith along. Faith sensed Ethan's eyes on her. He kept staring, even after she and Callie had gone a distance.

She thought, "Ethan Hale, you have one last chance to prove yourself."

That night, Ethan finally came home.

Callie was in a bad mood, so Faith stayed by her side and drew with her. When they heard the door opening, both of them turned.

"Uncle Ethan."

"You're home."

Callie and Faith greeted Ethan respectively. He nodded indifferently and handed Callie a gift box.

"Is this for me?" Callie was surprised. This was Ethan's second gift for her.

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Uncle Ethan." Callie, too excited, unboxed the gift to reveal a Lego car.

Faith immediately frowned at the gift, which she had seen before in Nicole's Instagram post. The Lego car was one of the many gifts Ethan gave to Daniel.

The "gift" was a toy that Daniel no longer wanted.

Ethan rebuked Faith, "Teach Callie better. I don't want her spouting nonsense in public. And stay away from Nicole."

He visited just to warn Faith in case Faith ratted him out in front of Nicole.

Faith flashed an icy smile. "Will do."

He did not make a move. She asked, "Anything else?"

Staring at her, he suggested, "Transfer Callie to a new preschool. Pick whichever school you like, and I'll get someone to sort it out."

Callie's heart dropped. Was Ethan trying to get rid of them for good?

She looked at Callie with a pained heart. The poor girl hung her head low, tears staining the Lego toy.

"Okay." Faith knew that any form of protest was futile.

Ethan was ready to leave after he had accomplished the mission he set out for. Suddenly, Callie got up and ran over to him.

"Uncle Ethan, my birthday is on the day after tomorrow. Can you spend the day with me? Just this once," she requested after mustering all her courage.

Her face was streaked with obvious tear stains.

Unable to take it, Faith turned away.

Callie kept her head up in Ethan's silence, awaiting an answer.