The Daughter That Never Existed

“Not that I’ve ever wanted one.”
– “Can you stop making such a racket? People are staring at us from nearby tables. Thank goodness none of my mates are here; I’d be mortified!” exclaimed Caleb with a hint of arrogance and irritation.
– “Caleb, please…,” the young woman sitting opposite him managed to utter before bursting into tears again.
– “Here we go again! What do you mean, why? What child are you talking about? Did we ever agree to have a baby?! We’ve only been together a couple of months; that’s plenty!” Caleb’s last words were so loud that other patrons in the café began to turn their heads in surprise.
– “What are you saying? We love each other! You confessed your feelings to me! You said…” Ella didn’t finish her sentence as Caleb interrupted her again.
– “Listen, enough of this… what I said… what I didn’t say… I’m off to America in a few days with my parents. We’ve sold the house and moved all the assets. So, as they say, adiós, darling!” Caleb said these words and shifted his gaze back to the sobbing girl.
– “Caleb…” she murmured softly, struggling to regain her composure as yet another wave of tears streamed down her face.
– “Waiter, can we have the bill please? How long does it take?!” Caleb raised his hand in a gesture to catch the attention of the waiters lingering near the bar.
The waitstaff hurried around, and Caleb waved them off, pulled out a few folded notes from his wallet, and carelessly tossed them onto the table.
– “Right! I’m already late, and your drama is tiring. I never promised you anything or said anything like that! I’m off; if you want, treat yourself to something else. There’s plenty here,” Caleb declared, gesturing to the money and heading towards the exit.
Ella watched him leave, buried her face in her hands, and cried harder. A minute later, a waiter appeared at the table. He collected the money and began clearing the used coffee cups.
– “Would you like anything else?” the waiter asked politely.
– “No, thank you,” Ella whispered quietly, trying not to meet the waiter’s gaze with her puffy eyes.
She slowly stood up, grabbed her bag from the chair, and headed out. Caleb’s car was no longer parked outside the café—he had already left.
As she stepped out into the fresh air, it lifted her spirits just enough. Her tears dried up, leaving only swollen eyes to signal she had been crying. Automatically, she took out a small mirror and a tissue from her bag, dabbed at her streaked mascara, and walked away from the unfortunate café.
Heading home didn’t appeal to her. She turned into a small park where she used to stroll with her classmates during her school days.
Sitting on a bench, memories of carefree school years flooded back. “Life was so simple then, and the future was wide open. What problems did I have? The only worries were about a disco being canceled this Saturday and getting a bad mark in geography. And now! Now my life is falling apart! What do I do now? Do I terminate the pregnancy or keep the baby and become a single mother, raising a child alone while working two jobs just to get by!” Ella thought to herself as fresh tears began to well up.
– “Is everything alright, miss? Can I help you with something? Here, have a tissue,” she heard a pleasant male voice and looked up to see a hand offering her a paper tissue.
Ella took the tissue, then lifted her head and saw who had offered her help.
– “Ollie! Is that you?!” she exclaimed in surprise.
– “Ella…” Ollie said, bewildered, as he helped her up from the bench, enveloping her in a warm embrace.
– “Ella! Ella! I’m so happy to see you! You won’t believe, I was asking mum about you just this morning!” he beamed.
After a moment, he gently released her from the hug.
– “Why are you sitting here alone, crying?”
– “I was just passing by, came into our park, and memories hit me,” Ella quickly concocted her explanation to avoid revealing the real reason behind her distress.
– “I see! You’re just as sensitive as you were back then! And you’ve only gotten more beautiful!” Ollie managed to compliment her.
Ella smiled at her former classmate.
– “Come on, let’s grab a coffee. I know a lovely café nearby; we can sit and chat,” Ollie suggested, nodding in the direction of the café where Ella had just come from, still teary-eyed. Naturally, she had no intention of returning.
– “How about we skip the café? We can stroll in the park and grab ice cream instead—it’s beautiful out,” she proposed.
– “Sure, sounds good,” Ollie agreed with a grin.
They wandered through the park for a couple of hours, reminiscing about school days, with Ella momentarily forgetting about Caleb and her unplanned pregnancy.
– “So, are you still not married?” Ollie asked cautiously.
– “Nope. It just didn’t happen,” she replied, her tone hinting at deeper meanings.
– “Same here; it didn’t work out for me either,” he replied, half cheerfully, half resigned.
Ella and Ollie had started dating back in school. Everyone referred to them as ‘the couple,’ and their families had begun to prepare for their wedding.
But everything changed when Ollie got drafted into the army for a year. Ella waited for him for half a year but eventually found she had fallen for someone new.
His name was Anton, and he initially courted her sweetly. She thought he’d propose any day. But he didn’t rush into anything. They dated for four years, even attempted to live together. However, something always felt off. One day, Ella caught Anton with another woman. He begged for forgiveness, but she realized those kinds of relationships weren’t for her.
For months, Ella sank into despair, trying to forget the betrayal until she met Caleb. Oddly enough, the situation seemed to repeat itself. Ella sincerely fell for the charming young man. He made grand gestures, showering her with thoughtful gifts. She began to believe in true love again, ready to start a family. But it turned out that for Caleb, all this was merely a diversion. As it had become apparent, Caleb had been aware of his imminent move to America when they first began dating. He only needed someone to enjoy himself with—hence the beautiful Ella.
Ollie didn’t resent her for not waiting. He had always been level-headed. Ella shared her decision with him in a letter, and all he wished for her was happiness. However, he didn’t return to their hometown after his service, heading to London instead with plans to stay there permanently.
In the city, over those five years, Ollie got his degree, dated a few girls, and landed a job. His personal life didn’t pan out; there were layoffs at his company, and being the last one hired, he was let go. Without much thought, he decided to return to his hometown, not expecting anything from Ella, believing she had long since married.
But fate had a magnificent surprise in store for Ollie. His beloved Ella was not only single but also free from a relationship. Naturally, he seized the opportunity.
…Two months had passed since their encounter in the park. Ollie and Ella began to date. He was sincerely happy with how things had unfolded for him, and Ella realized that she was still in love with Ollie. However, she couldn’t shake the nagging thought that she was carrying someone else’s child. Every time she prepared for a date, it hit her—these relationships were doomed.
Once again, Ollie invited his beloved to dinner at a restaurant. After their meal, he pulled out an engagement ring from his pocket and proposed.
– “So, will you marry me and, as they say, stay by my side through thick and thin?” Ollie asked with a smile, confident that she would say yes.
– “No,” Ella replied, lowering her gaze.
– “What do you mean, no? Why not, Ella? Where are you going?” he asked, puzzled.
Ella burst into tears and dashed for the exit.
Ten years flew by…
– “Mum, who’s picking me up from school today? You or Dad?” Lila asked at breakfast.
– “I’m not sure. We’ll see in the evening, sweetheart,” Ella replied while wrapping sandwiches for her husband.
– “We’ll pick up Lila together! Then let’s go to the movies! It’s Friday!” beamed Ollie, strolling into the kitchen.
– “Hooray! Daddy! Yay! Movie!” cheered little Lila.
– “Eat up, or you’ll be late for school.”
Ollie glanced at Ella, who seemed to be nervously tapping away on her phone.
– “Is it him again?” he asked.
– “Yes. Ollie, he’s saying he’ll take Lila away through court and move her to America,” Ella said as tears filled her eyes.
– “This has to end. Give me his number; I’ll handle this,” he offered.
– “No, Ollie. I worry about you.”
– “Everything will be fine. Lila, are you ready? Let’s go!” Ollie declared as he and Lila exited their flat.
– “Oh, look who it is! So that’s who Ella left for! Her old fiancé!” remarked Caleb, leaning casually against the entrance.
– “Lila, go to the car. I need to speak with this man,” Ollie instructed.
The girl obediently made her way to the back seat.
– “So, Ella duped you, huh? You’re raising someone else’s child. Did you even know you were just her backup plan?” Caleb sneered. “She still loves me!”
– “Listen! Ella and I love each other. I’m raising my child. You were the biggest mistake she’s made, and trust me, she corrected that. Now step aside, or things will get messy…” With that, Ollie shoved Caleb. He stumbled but managed to regain his balance.
– “Dad, will you be long? We’ll be late for school!”
– “Coming, sweetheart.”
Ollie and Lila drove off. Caleb stood there watching them leave, understanding that he had been defeated. A question lingered – was it worth fighting for? Fighting for a love that was never there? And for a daughter he never had?
And never would.
That evening, he boarded a flight, and never returned to his hometown. Sometimes, you have to draw a line, even when you wish for a sequel…