Read Daddy's Promise: New Mommy Comes, Old One Goes

CHAPTER ONE

Chapter 1 So Annoying

When Elina Ford walked out of the police station, it was already past nine at night.

When Elina Ford walked out of the police station, it was already past nine at night. She pulled out her phone and found a flood of concerned messages. All from friends and colleagues but none from her husband, Jack Mansor. The tiredness on her face deepened into a hint of sadness. She pushed open the front door. The nanny saw her and froze for a second. "Mrs. Mansor, you... oh, I mean, are you okay?" Elina caught the guilty look in the nanny's eyes. Pressing her lips together, she said nothing. She headed straight upstairs. When she opened her daughter's bedroom door, she heard her on the phone. "Aunt Elowyn, I did just like you said! Is Mom really going to be locked up by the police?" Jaslyn waved her arms excitedly, chatting away, completely unaware that Elina was standing at the door. Elina stood quietly, listening. Only then did she find out that Jaslyn Mansor, knowing full well she was allergic to peanuts, had secretly added crushed peanuts to her own lunch and called the police to say her mother had done it, trying to harm her. All because she wanted to get her locked up so she could go out with Dad and Elowyn to celebrate a birthday. After Jaslyn finished happily chatting with Elowyn Ford, she turned around and finally saw Elina standing there. Her little face stiffened. Shock and dissatisfaction flickered plainly in her eyes. She blurted out, "How come the police didn't lock you up?" Elina's throat tightened. Fighting back the ache, she asked, "You really wanted Mommy to be locked up?" She had never realized that the daughter she had poured her heart into raising for five years hated her so much. "If you don't stop me, Dad, and Aunt Elowyn from celebrating, then I won't have the police arrest you," Jaslyn said, her little face showing a look of great generosity. "Mom, I really don't get it. You and Aunt Elowyn are both Grandma and Grandpa's daughters, but how come you can't do anything? You just work and cook. You're not elegant at all. Aunt Elowyn's different from you. You know how many people envy me when Aunt Elowyn takes me out? She's pretty, she knows how to dress, and she's super gentle. Even Dad thinks Aunt Elowyn is better than you. Mom, can you just go back to work and not come to my birthday party?" Jaslyn went on and on, praising Elowyn for a long time, before finally getting to the point. Elina felt like she couldn't breathe. She asked, "So, it doesn't matter to you if Mommy gets locked up?" "It's not like you'll be locked up for long." Jaslyn pouted impatiently. "You're not gonna scold me again because of this, are you? Aunt Elowyn never nags me when I do something wrong. She's not like you. You're so annoying." Elina said nothing more. She stared at her daughter for a long time, then left the room without a word. Behind her, Jaslyn called out, worried, "You're not gonna throw a fit tomorrow and stop me, Dad, and Aunt Elowyn from celebrating, right? Mom, if you dare to stop us, I'll never talk to you again! I'll even call the cops on you!" Her voice was loud enough that even the nanny heard it. The nanny came over awkwardly and said, "Mrs. Mansor, Jaslyn's still little. She doesn't understand. Please don't take it to heart." Elina simply hummed in response. Back in her room, she called Jack. She needed to know if he was in on this. The phone rang for a long time before Jack finally answered, his voice cold. "I'm busy right now, you..." "Jack, are you ready yet?" Elowyn's voice cut in. Elina gripped her phone tightly. "Go ahead, get back to it," she said before Jack could finish, and hung up. They had been married for six years, but they hadn't really spent much time together. Jack was always busy, flying back and forth overseas, while she worked irregular hours as a doctor. Whenever she had time off, it was always scheduled around Jack and Jaslyn. Somewhere along the way, her efforts had become a burden. Her husband and daughter even preferred she didn't take any time off at all. She should have realized it earlier. In the past, she would have pressed for answers. She would have asked why he was still with Elowyn so late at night, and whether everything important to him now involved Elowyn. She would have stubbornly demanded to know… Did Jack know Jaslyn intentionally ate peanuts to frame her? But tonight, she was just too tired. She didn't feel like asking anything anymore. The next morning, she packed up and went back to work. When her coworkers saw her, they looked surprised. "Dr. Ford, isn't today your and your daughter's birthday? Why are you back at work all of a sudden?" "Yeah, Dr. Ford. You're not mad about what happened yesterday, are you? You're still going to celebrate, right?" "Kids can be such trouble sometimes!" one coworker said with a rueful smile. "Last time my son pissed me off so bad over homework, I whacked him. Guess what? He called the cops! After that, I gave him another spanking." Everyone laughed, and Elina smiled along with them. She wished it were that simple with Jaslyn, that it was just a childish tantrum. Around noon, a coworker asked if she wanted anything from outside. She shook her head. Maybe Jaslyn was still too young to remember, but Jack would surely remember that today was her birthday too. Maybe... they were planning a surprise for her. But as the afternoon wore on, Jack still hadn't sent a single message. It wasn't until she checked Elowyn's Instagram that whatever tiny hope she had left was completely shattered. In a fancy restaurant, birthday candles cast a soft glow on Jaslyn's sweet little face as she closed her eyes to make a wish. "I hope Mommy never shows up on my birthdays again." "I hope Aunt Elowyn always stays with me. I hope Dad and Aunt Elowyn stay together forever and ever!" Elina couldn't even hear the rest of what Jaslyn said in the video. She had raised her daughter by herself, and Jack was always so busy with work. Then, about six months ago, Jack suddenly started spending more time with Jaslyn. In just six months, their daughter became completely attached to him. She would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous. But she had been happy to see their bond grow. She had even thought Jack had finally realized he needed to build a real relationship with his daughter. Only later did she find out it was just an excuse to spend more time with Elowyn, who had returned to the country half a year ago. She had protested to Jack about it more than once, only to be accused of having an evil mindset. But was that really the case? Elina had been willing to put up with anything for her daughter's happiness. Even knowing about the affair, divorce had never crossed her mind. As long as Jaslyn had a complete family, she could endure anything. But now, it was clear–she was the one making her daughter unhappy. "Dr. Ford, the director's looking for you." A coworker's voice snapped her out of it. She hurriedly wiped her tears away and headed to the director's office. "Lina, are you sure about this? You're really giving up on the training opportunity? It won't be easy to get another chance like this." The director sighed. "You're one of the young doctors our hospital is investing in. Missing this opportunity could cost you future promotions." The director had been Elina's mentor back in college and had always looked out for her. When the training notice first came out, he had personally encouraged her to apply. But for Jack and Jaslyn, she had given it up without hesitation. This time... "I'm going." "I know your family's always been more important to you than your career... wait, what did you just say?" "I'll leave in a month, right on schedule."

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CHAPTER TWO

Chapter 2 Let Them Be Together

The hospital director was in an unusually good mood and even forced her to take the afternoon off so she could properly celebrate her birthday. Elina walked out of the hospital, feeling hollow and lost. She checked her phone more than once. Even a single birthday message from Jack or Jaslyn would have made her happy. But no one remembered. She wandered the streets aimlessly. Ding. Her phone buzzed. She opened it eagerly, only to find it was a birthday coupon from a shopping app. Staring at the screen, her eyes filled with tears. She wasn't the type to get sentimental. She quickly pulled herself together and called her parents. "Mom, Dad, want to grab dinner tonight? I'll book a place." There was a long silence on the other end before a heavy sigh came through. "Lina, I know you're upset that today Elowyn and Jack are celebrating Jaslyn's birthday, and you want to make her uncomfortable, but she's your sister. Can you really bring yourself to do that? Think about it. If you hadn't gotten pregnant before marriage, the one married to Jack would have been Elowyn... Don't you see? Jack never loved you. Even after having a kid together, his heart still belongs to Elowyn... Lina, I'm begging you. Let them be together." So this was how her parents saw her. All she wanted was to have dinner with them. All she wanted was someone to spend her birthday with. Every bit of hope turned to ashes. Something inside her shattered completely. Elina listened quietly. Was she hurt? She didn't even know anymore. Maybe she had gotten used to it. Her parents had always favored Elowyn growing up. They constantly reminded her she was two years older, so she should give in to her sister. Whenever Elowyn was upset, it was always Elina's fault. If making Elowyn happy meant letting Elowyn hit her, their parents would even hold her down so Elowyn could get her anger out. They never denied her material things, but they never once cared about her feelings. Just like her husband and daughter now. Did it still hurt? Maybe once. Now she was numb. Her stomach grumbled in protest. She found a small diner on the side of the street and went in, only to realize it was the same one she and Jack used to visit during college. The moment she stepped inside, the owner and his wife recognized her and welcomed her warmly. They served her a huge burger with way more meat than usual. The owner's wife smiled and said, "It's been so long! You must've missed this. Eat up while it's hot. By the way, did you end up with that handsome guy you used to come here with?" After all these years, the owner's wife still remembered Jack. Elina's hand froze halfway to her mouth. "No." The owner's wife let out a relieved sigh. "Good. You have no idea how many times I wanted to warn you about him. Sure, he looked good, but he was no good. I could tell he was just using you to get close to your sister. I wanted to say something back then, but I was afraid you'd be upset with me. Thank God you were smart." The woman kept chattering on about people and events from the past. Elina smiled faintly. Turns out, everyone has seen it clearly—my parents, friends, even strangers. Everyone but her, convincing herself that Jack had only changed because she was too busy. On her way home, she happened to see Jack's car. Jack was driving, and Elowyn sat in the passenger seat. They were laughing and exchanging glances full of intimacy, like a couple in love. Their daughter was asleep in the backseat, her little belly peeking out from under her shirt. Elina instinctively pulled out her phone. She was about to call Jack, but she stopped herself and hung up. She shook her head. She shouldn't interfere anymore. When the light turned green, she sped back to the villa and started drafting divorce papers. If she could do it all over again, she would never have slept with Jack the night he got drunk. She wouldn't have gotten pregnant. She wouldn't have wasted the last six years of her life. At ten that night, Jack came home carrying a sleepy Jaslyn. The little girl mumbled, "Daddy, why do we have to come home? I want to sleep with Aunt Elowyn." If only Mommy weren't around, then she could stay with Aunt Elowyn all the time. Jack didn't correct her. It seemed like he agreed. "Elina?" Jack's voice called from downstairs, asking her to come bathe Jaslyn. Elina didn't move. A moment later, she heard the nanny's voice. "Mrs. Mansor must've fallen asleep. I'll bathe Jaslyn." The nanny took Jaslyn from him, hesitating before finally speaking. "Today's Mrs. Mansor's birthday, too. Didn't you celebrate with her?" Jack froze, then brushed it off. "She's almost thirty. Why would she still care about birthdays? Plus, she's been busy at the hospital." The nanny sighed and didn't press further. Upstairs, Elina listened to Jack's dismissive tone and smiled bitterly. He seemed to forget that just a few months ago, he had thrown Elowyn a grand birthday party. What had he said back then? Every birthday is important for a woman. Elina felt like her heart had been hollowed out. Love and indifference really were so obvious. After her bath, Jaslyn asked Jack, "Daddy, will Mommy be mad that we didn't celebrate her birthday?" Mad? In Jack's mind, Elina rarely got mad. The only two times she had were about Elowyn, and after he snapped at her once, she never dared bring it up again. He liked how obedient she had become. He answered without much thought. "Don't worry. Even if she's mad, she'll get over it quick." "Yeah! Mommy's a pushover," Jaslyn giggled. Pushover? Elina stared blankly at the ceiling, unable to sleep the entire night. Jack didn't come back to the master bedroom. The next morning, Elina got up, planning to talk to him about the divorce, but he had already left to drop Jaslyn off at school. Fine then. She applied for an employee dorm at the hospital and started packing. In the six years of marriage, she had accumulated a lot of stuff. It took her nearly two hours to sort through everything, but in the end, it was all just memories. Her mouth tasted bitter. In the end, she left with only a few changes of clothes and some medical textbooks. She tucked the divorce papers into an envelope and placed it on her vanity table. As she closed the door behind her, a gust of wind blew the envelope into the gap behind the vanity table. Elina moved into the dorm that day. She thought she would struggle to sleep in a new environment, but surprisingly, she had the best sleep she had had in six years. Since it was only temporary, she didn't bother decorating or buying unnecessary things. Her life returned to the simple routine she had in college—work, home, work. Until her phone rang urgently.