Chapter 1

When Julian went bankrupt, the first thing he did was ask for a divorce and offer to walk away with nothing.

I thought he just didn't want to drag me down with him. So I took on three extra part-time jobs to stand by his side.

To save money, every night after work, I took our five-year-old daughter, Lily, to the night market to braid and sell bracelets until midnight.

Her tiny hands worked fast and steady. Every time she finished one, she would whisper:

"Mommy, if Lily braids more bracelets and makes more money, will Daddy take me to the theme park to see the fairy-tale castle?"

Hearing her timid hope broke my heart.

Julian always claimed money was tight, ignoring our daughter's wishes again and again.

Finally, on Lily's birthday, I shook the tin box full of coins with a smile, took her hand, and headed straight for the theme park.

Only to see Julian outside the castle, bending down to smooth the hem of his first love's dress, before lifting her daughter high onto his shoulders.

The park attendant gave us an apologetic look:

"Mr. Vance booked the entire castle for a private birthday party for his daughter today. It's closed to the public."

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. You'll have to come back another day."

I froze in place. Lily clutched the hem of my shirt tightly, looking up with big eyes full of confusion and heartbreak.

"Is that Daddy? Who is that little girl on his shoulders?"

My throat tightened. I couldn't utter a single word.

Julian seemed to sense something and turned around.

Our eyes met.

The smile on his face instantly froze, replaced by a flicker of annoyance.

The woman beside him gently nudged his arm and murmured something.

Julian immediately looked away, smiling again as he adjusted the little girl on his shoulders.

The girl wore an exquisite princess dress, her laughter ringing out like silver bells.

Beside me, Lily wore a faded, washed-out old dress. The spark of hope in her eyes slowly died.

The blood in my veins turned to ice. My chest ached so fiercely I could barely breathe.

I bent down, scooped Lily into my arms, and pressed her head against my shoulder, hiding the cruel scene from her eyes.

"Good girl, Lily. We'll come back another day," I said, my voice hoarse. "Today... the castle is closed for maintenance."

"But Daddy is in there..." she sobbed softly.

"That's not Daddy," I heard myself say with terrifying calm. "You saw wrong, sweetie."

Sensing my distress, Lily forced a sensible smile.

"Maybe Lily made a mistake. Let's come back another day, Mommy. Don't be sad."

Her voice grew fainter until it was barely a whisper.

A sharp pain stabbed my heart. I lifted her small face, already drenched in tears.

Panicking, I pulled her tight into my arms and practically fled.

Yet Lily kept looking back over my shoulder until the happy family of three inside the castle completely vanished from sight.

Back home, I sat in silence for a long time.

How much did it cost to book an entire fairy-tale castle for a day?

I didn't dare to imagine.

With trembling fingers, I looked it up on my phone. When I saw the starting price of hundreds of thousands of dollars, a heavy lump caught in my throat.

"Mommy... doesn't Daddy have no money?"

After a long silence, my daughter finally gathered the courage to ask.

Her small face was filled with confusion and longing, desperate for an answer that made sense.

I was in a daze. Was he really broke?

Julian's company had been valued in the tens of millions before going under. Three months ago, he suddenly announced that his funding had collapsed.

From then on, he acted utterly defeated, insisting that Lily and I leave him so we could start fresh.

I thought Julian loved me. I thought he loved Lily.

I thought he wanted to walk away with nothing just to keep his debts from ruining us.

Never had I imagined that his so-called bankruptcy was nothing but an elaborate, years-long lie.

The old door lock clicked. Julian was home.

I listened quietly from the bedroom. Lily ran to him like a cheerful little bird, throwing herself toward her father as usual.

Julian didn't hug her.

Lily was already used to his coldness—disappointment had become routine.

She eagerly held up her phone, showing him the screen. "Daddy, can I have this princess dress?"

Julian's voice was dismissive as usual. "We'll talk about it when things get better."

Normally, Lily would quietly put the phone away.

But today, she was unusually persistent, as if trying to prove something.

Her tiny voice trembled imperceptibly. "How long do I have to wait? Daddy, today is my birthday..."

Why did she have to wait?

He had enough money to book an entire castle for another woman's daughter, so why couldn't he buy his own daughter a dress for her birthday?

The heartbreaking part was that even though Lily was choking back tears, she never said those words out loud.

Julian finally relented. "Fine. I'll make it up to you next time."

Before I realized it, Lily had thrown herself into my arms.

She chattered excitedly in my ear:

"Daddy promised! He said yes!"

I tried to be happy for her, but my heartache kept me awake all night.