The two years after I graduated from university were the worst years for Jaydin.
But after we got together, he never mentioned it.
He never once showed a trace of negativity in front of me.
"Why bother with other people's business? What matters most is that we live our lives well."
After saying this, just as he wanted, I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck.
I kissed his slightly flushed ear and whispered softly in his ear,
"Honey, our daughter is two months old now, let's go to bed early tonight."
(Clayton's POV)
When Sonia's daughter was three years old, their family of three returned to B City to visit relatives and stayed for a few months.
We had many mutual friends, and they gathered almost every day.
Of course, I didn't attend.
But after every gathering, I couldn't resist asking for news about her.
They said that after getting married, Sonia went to Paris to study for two years.
During those two years, Jaydin tirelessly commuted between H City and Paris without a single complaint.
Later, Sonia returned to H City and founded her own magazine, also serving as the editor-in-chief.
Jaydin supported all of her decisions and choices unconditionally.
The only thing he wasn't too happy about was her frequent overtime and busyness.
She could have easily lived as a pampered lady, but she chose not to.
She grew more and more beautiful, yet her beauty wasn't just skin deep.
Her relationship with Jaydin grew stronger with time.
Their daughter was unbelievably beautiful, looking exactly like Sonia when she was little.
She never knew that I still kept a photo of her at five years old in my wallet.
B City is vast, but the social circles are small.
Yet, I never ran into Sonia, not even once.
But one afternoon, I happened to see their daughter, Amiya, at a buffet restaurant.
She was hiding behind a garden, secretly eating a box of ice cream.
She looked like an adorable little squirrel, her cheeks puffed out with ice cream.
I couldn't control my steps. I just stood there, watching her, unable to look away.
Soon, I heard Sonia calling her name.
She heard it too, her eyes widened in fright as she clutched the ice cream box, unsure of what to do.
As if driven by some invisible force, I walked over, squatted down, and gently asked her, "Are you afraid your mom will find out you're sneaking ice cream?"
She nodded, her big eyes darting around, full of cleverness.
"How about I help you hide?"
She hesitated a bit, studying me for a while.
It was as if she needed to make sure I wasn't a bad guy before nodding again.
I picked her up. She was so tiny, sweet, and soft, resting comfortably in my arms.
Her little hand played with the buttons on my suit, and she suddenly spoke in a soft, childish voice, "Sir, do you know me?"
My throat felt like something was lodged in it, a bitter ache rising within me.
And everything before me started to blur.
If time could turn back to that year, that night...
I wouldn't let any of it happen again.
Sonia would be my wife.
We would get married in B City, have children.
And she wouldn't be named Amiya Mcmillan, she would be our daughter, mine and Sonia's.
I lifted my face, holding back the tears, and smiled down at her: "Yes, uncle knows you."
"Do you know my name?"
Her soft little hands wrapped around me: "I'll tell you a secret, my name is Amiya Mcmillan."
"It's because Daddy and Mommy kissed, that's how I came to be."
"Is that so? Well, that's a really nice name."
I kissed her soft little cheek: "Alright, we can't hide for too long, or Mommy will worry."
She nodded obediently: "Then I'll take one more bite of ice cream, just one."
She took a big bite and gave me a mischievous smile, like a little kitten.
I patted her hair: "Go find Mommy now."
I watched her walk away.
Her princess dress was like a blooming flower, blossoming from afar into Sonia's arms.
I didn't look at Sonia again.
I was afraid that in the crowded hall, I might foolishly start to cry.
Sonia wouldn't care about anything related to me, but Jaydin would probably find this quite laughable.
Yes, my early life was so absurd, so laughable.
And the rest of my life, even that absurdity and laughter, have become nothing more than a delusion.
