Chapter 2
Paisley couldn't forget that night, forever.
With excitement, she went to Oakwood to find her dad. But the latter pointed at a baby she had never seen before and told her, "Paise, this is your younger brother."
She was the only child in her family. Her mother had only given birth to a child.
Everything changed at that moment.
Paisley was only ten years old that year.
Her father Greyson Logan was doing business in Oakwood, a place that was far away from their hometown Plence. He was successful, but he was too busy and Paisley could only see him several times in a year. This time, Parker gave her a hitch ride and she would spend the New Year holiday with her father. She hadn't gone on a long journey and had been longing for it every day. She counted the days and it finally came. When Parker stopped the car before her house, she eagerly got into the car and then bid farewell to her mother.
Madison George was amused. She chased after the car until it disappeared from her vision.
Paisley's parents had lived apart for several years. They were all civil servants before. Later, Greyson resigned and went to Oakwood to start his own business. In the beginning, his business was not that stable and Madison had to use her wage to support their family. Now the situation was better as Greyson's business was expanding. He once proposed to bring Madison and Paisley to Oakwood and Madison refused it after consideration as she couldn't give up her job. She had led a poor life before and she thought in this way, at least they could have leeway if her husband's business failed.
Paisley couldn't understand what the adults were thinking. She just thought it was not a good thing for a family to live apart. In the past, her father would often go back. But in these two years, with the growth of his business, he couldn't even come back during the New Year holiday. She squashed her nose against the window to look at the flashing scenes outside. She desperately wanted to see her father, ask him back, and tell him that her mother missed him so much.
Paisley's excitement dissipated after the car got on the expressway and she gradually fell asleep.
They had arrived in Oakwood when she woke up. Outside the window was a city with lights turned on all night. Paisley's heart thumped wildly when she thought that her dad was in this place. She hadn't seen him for a year. She missed him very much, yet at the same time, she was afraid that he would have changed. It was a subtle feeling. With this thought, she spotted Greyson by the roadside.
"Daddy!" Paisley reached her head out of the car window and waved at him, shouting, "Daddy! Daddy!"
"Paise!" Greyson was also overjoyed.
He was 37 years old now, but he looked only in his early thirties. He was in a simple business suit and it made him look young. He wasn't handsome, just average. However, he was no longer a boy who could only attract girls with his height and appearance. He was now a successful, mature and graceful businessman, emanating the charm accumulated through time.
He hugged his daughter who was pouncing at him and said, "Paise, you grow taller."
After thanking his friend Parker, Greyson held Paisley's hand smilingly and took her back.
Though they didn't meet frequently, they were very close. Paisley had been missing him for more than half a year. She became a chatterbox at this moment, mostly complaining about him for not going back. Greyson listened to her and then promised that he would accompany her. Then he said, "You must have gotten tired after this long journey, so we will not go out to play today. Daddy will cook for you."
Greyson was a brilliant cook. Before coming to Oakwood, he was also a model husband who loved his wife very much.
He would send flowers to Madison on Valentine's Day, give her a present on each of their anniversaries, and do housework proactively. Many people in their hometown knew he and Madison loved each other very much,
Paisley walked around the house curiously. It was very big and its decoration was warm. However, she had a feeling that her father was not the only person living here. When she changed into slippers just now, she spotted a pair of ladies' slippers. But she didn't think too much about it because she was attracted by the fragrance from the kitchen.
Parker who was wearing an apron was buzzing around the kitchen. Paisley had never seen this side of him for a long time. She felt a bit upset when she thought of her mother who had to spend the New Year holiday alone and said, "It's a pity that mommy is not here. Daddy, shall we persuade mommy to resign and come here to live with you?"
"We can talk about this later," Greyson answered absentmindedly.
He cooked several dishes. The doorbell rang when he picked up a sweet-and-sour pork rib and put it onto Paisley's plate. But before they opened the door, there came the sound of the turning of the key. Paisley suddenly became panicked and rushed over. But that person had walked into the house. It was a fashionable young woman and she was pushing a baby carriage.
Greyson said in a low voice, "Why are you here? Didn't I ask you to stay away these days?" While speaking, he pushed the woman to the door. The woman said coldly, "Why can't I come? It's my home."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Greyson growled, looked back at Paisley restlessly, and pushed that woman again.
The woman didn't move. She said, "Greyson Logan, it's all right for you to forbid me to enter the house, but are you going to refuse your son?" Her voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for Paisley to hear it.
Greyson stopped. The woman pushed the baby carriage into the house. It seemed like she was very familiar with the house. She took off her coat and put it on the coat hanger. She was wearing a wool dress with pearls on it. She had a good figure and delicate makeup. She carried up the baby from the carriage. When seeing Paisley, she asked with a smile, "You must be Paise, right?" Her tone was calm as if she was the hostess.
Paisley's mind had gone blank. Holding the cutlery, she sat on the chair dumbly, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She had been dumbfounded when the woman entered the house. She was scared and worried, and her mind was filled with some horrifying thoughts. She looked toward her father for help. She would believe him if he denied it. However, Greyson disappointed her. He pointed at the baby in that woman's arms and said, "Paise, this is your younger brother."
His words exploded Paisley's mind like a bomb. She felt as if her heart was gripped and gradually crushed. She felt a sharp pain that she couldn't even utter a word. She just wanted to cry.
The one who first gave you the pain was always the one you loved. It turned out that one really couldn't speak in great pain. Her omnipotent father had disappointed her. At this moment, Paisley hated him to the core, just like how much she loved him.
Greyson sat down opposite her calmly and said, "Eat first."
Indeed, there were some rumors about Greyson's cheating in Plence, but Paisley didn't believe it before.
In her eyes, her father was an upright and honest man and he loved her and her mother very much. When she and her mother came to Oakwood to find him before, he would ask his friend to take care of her and then take her mother to various places for fun, saying that they wanted to stay alone and didn't want to be disturbed by her. Unlike those couples who got married without love, they loved each other deeply. But now, her father was pointing at an unknown baby and telling her that he was her younger brother.
Paisley could still remember what had happened during this meal many years later. The woman took the baby into the bedroom and then sat down at the table. Sitting opposite Paisley, she and Greyson acted like a couple during the meal. She would naturally put some food onto Greyson's plate without awkwardness. Paisley, however, felt like the odd one out as if she was the one who had broken into their house. She felt like she was an outsider and the three of them were a real family.
Paisley was supposed to kick up a fuss under such an occasion. To put it simply, she was a spoiled child and she was good at nothing except crying.
But now she was dumbfounded and was holding the cutlery dumbly. Her lines of sight were blurred and she felt so cold. The coldness came from that woman's confident smile, the couple with tacit understanding sitting opposite her, and that strange bedroom. It flooded like an invisible tsunami and permeated into her body bit by bit. She felt so cold that she shivered all over uncontrollably.
Greyson walked over and consoled her, "Paise, my Paise."
Paisley looked up with tears all over her face and said in a choked voice, "I want to go back."
She didn't even want to call him daddy.
...
She would love this handsome man forever and more than anyone else.