“Never Was a Daughter”
“Can you stop crying already?! People at the nearby tables are staring at us. At least my mates aren’t here; I’d be mortified otherwise!” snapped Christopher, a hint of arrogance and annoyance lacing his words.
“Chris, why…?” the girl across from him managed to utter, before breaking into even more frantic sobs.
“Here we go again! Why? What child are you talking about? Did we agree to have a baby?! We’ve been together a couple of months, and that’s it!” Christopher’s voice rose sharply, enough to turn heads in the café.
“What are you saying? We love each other! You confessed your feelings to me! You said…” Lily couldn’t finish her sentence before he interrupted again.
“Listen, enough of this… what I said… what I didn’t say… I’m moving to America in a few days with my family. We’ve sold the house here, and my dad has transferred all his assets. So, as they say, farewell, darling!” he declared, casting a last glance at the inconsolable girl.
“Chris…” she whispered slowly, trying to fight off another wave of tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Waiter, can I have the bill? How long do I need to wait?!” Chris raised his hand, signaling to the waitstaff at the bar to hurry his payment.
The waiters bustled around, and ignoring them, Chris pulled out several folded notes from his wallet and carelessly tossed them onto the table.
“Right, I’m late already. Your crying is getting old. I made no promises to you! I’ve got to go, but feel free to order something else if you want. There’s plenty here,” he said, gesturing toward the money as he headed for the exit.
Lily watched him go, covering her face with her hands and crying even harder. A moment later, a waiter approached the table. He picked up the money and began clearing away the empty coffee cups.
“Would you like anything else?” the waiter asked politely.
“No. Thank you,” Lily replied softly, trying to avoid looking at him with her swollen eyes. She slowly stood, grabbed her handbag from the chair, and walked toward the exit. Chris’s car was already gone.
As she stepped outside, the fresh air had a soothing effect. The tears stopped flowing, leaving only her puffy eyelids as evidence of her earlier distress. Mechanically, she pulled out a small mirror and a tissue to dab at her smeared makeup and walked away from the unfortunate café.
Going home felt unbearable. She turned into a small park where she used to stroll with her friends back in school.
Sitting on a bench, memories of carefree school days flooded back. “How simple and clear everything was then; life stretched out ahead of me. And the problems… back then, the only troubles were that the disco was canceled that Saturday and getting a bad mark in geography. But now! Now my life is falling apart! What will I do? Should I get an abortion or have this baby and join the ranks of single mothers, raising a child on my own, working two jobs just to make ends meet?” Lily thought to herself, and once again, tears betrayed her and began to flow.
“Miss, is something wrong? Can I help you? Here, take my handkerchief, please.” She heard a pleasant male voice and saw a hand offering a paper tissue.
Lily accepted the tissue and looked up at the person who offered help.
“Lily! Is that you?!” an excited voice called out.
“Tom…” she replied, flustered as she attempted to rise from the bench.
Tom immediately came over and wrapped her in a warm embrace, repeatedly saying, “Lily! Lily! I’m so glad to see you! You won’t believe it; just this morning I was asking my mum about you!”
After a few moments, he finally let her go.
“What are you doing sitting here alone, crying?” he asked.
“I just walked by, came into our old park, and got nostalgic about school days,” Lily fabricated a story on the spot to conceal the real reasons for her sorrow.
“I see. You’re still as sensitive as ever! And just as beautiful—if not more so!” he said, his eyes twinkling.
“Tom, why don’t we skip the café? Let’s take a stroll through the park and grab some ice cream instead? The weather’s lovely,” Lily proposed, finding the idea appealing.
“Sounds perfect,” Tom smiled and agreed.
They wandered the park for a couple of hours, reminiscing about their school days. For that brief time, Lily almost forgot everything about Chris and her unexpected pregnancy.
“Are you still not married?” Tom asked cautiously.
“No, it just didn’t work out,” she replied, her tone suggestive.
“Same here. It didn’t happen for me either,” he responded with a mix of resignation and cheerfulness.
Lily and Tom had started dating back in their school years. Everyone called them “young sweethearts,” and their parents were slowly preparing for a wedding.
But then came a common tale of separation; Tom was sent to the army for a year. Lily waited for six months, only to realize that she had fallen for someone else.
Anthony was the name of her new boyfriend, who initially showered Lily with affection. She thought he might propose soon. But he took his time. They dated for four years, even tried living together. Yet something was amiss. One day, she caught Anthony with another girl. He apologized, but Lily decided she deserved better.
For months, she wallowed in sorrow, trying to forget the betrayal until she met Chris. In a twist of fate, history began to repeat itself. She found herself genuinely falling for the charming young man who wooed her with grand gestures and expensive gifts. Lily believed in love again and was ready to build a future. But for Chris, it was merely a fleeting amusement—he knew he would soon relocate to America. He just wanted a little fun while it lasted, and Lily was his choice.
Tom wasn’t angry with Lily for moving on. He was always a rational and level-headed person. She informed him of her decision in a letter, and in response, he wished her well, but instead of returning to their hometown after his service, he moved to London and intended to stay.
In the capital over the past five years, Tom earned a degree, dated someone, and found work. His personal life didn’t pan out as planned, and eventually, he became another casualty in a company downsizing. Without much hesitation, he decided to return home, not expecting anything to rekindle with Lily since he assumed she was married by now.
But fate had a surprising twist in store for Tom. His beloved girl wasn’t married after all and was surprisingly free from any commitments. Naturally, Tom seized this opportunity.
…Two months after their park encounter, Tom and Lily began dating. He was genuinely thrilled with how things turned in his life, and Lily realized she was still in love with him, though an uneasy truth lingered in her mind—she was carrying another man’s child. Each time she prepared for a date, she felt compelled to face the reality that their relationship seemed doomed from the start.
Once again, Tom invited her to dinner. They enjoyed their meal when he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an engagement ring.
“So, what do you say? Will you marry me and spend a lifetime together, in joy and sorrow?” he asked, beaming with confidence, believing she would say yes.
“No,” Lily replied, looking down, avoiding his gaze.
“What do you mean no? Why not, Lily? Where are you going?” he questioned, bewildered.
Lily burst into tears and ran towards the exit.
Ten years passed…
“Mum, who’s picking me up from after-school today? You or Dad?” Lila asked over breakfast.
“I’m not sure, darling. We’ll see tonight,” Lily replied, while she prepared sandwiches for her husband.
“We’ll come get you together! And then we’ll dash to the cinema! It’s Friday!” Tom exclaimed as he entered the kitchen.
“Hooray! Daddy! Cinema!” cheered little Lila.
“Eat up, or you’ll be late for school.”
Tom noticed his wife typing nervously on her phone screen.
“Is he bothering you again?” he inquired cautiously.
“Yes. Tom, he says he’ll take Lila away through the courts and move her to America,” Lily said, her voice breaking as tears welled up.
“We need to sort this out. Give me his number; I’ll handle it.”
“No, Tom. I worry about you,” she replied, shaking her head.
“Everything will be fine. Lila, are you ready? Let’s go!”
Tom and Lila exited their building.
“Ah, so this is where Lily ran off to! Her old fiancé!” Chris sneered, leaning against the entrance.
“Lila, get in the car. I need to have a word with this man,” Tom instructed.
The girl obediently climbed into the backseat.
“So, Lily duped you, didn’t she? And are you aware you’re raising someone else’s child? You were just a backup for her, that’s all,” Chris taunted. “She still loves me!”
“Listen up! Lily and I love each other. I’m raising my own child. You were the biggest mistake she ever made, and she corrected that. Now get lost, or things will get ugly,” Tom replied, shoving Chris slightly. Chris stumbled but regained his balance.
“Dad, are you almost ready? We’ll be late for school!” Lila called out.
“I’m coming, sweetheart.”
Tom and Lila drove away, while Chris stood watching their vehicle disappear, realizing he had lost yet another battle. The lingering question surged inside him—was fighting for love worth it, especially for a child he never had?
He left that evening, never to return to his hometown. Sometimes, you have to draw a line, even if you secretly yearn for a different ending…
