For a moment, Joy lay there stunned, her eyes wide and confused. Then came the cry—loud and raw—as the pain finally caught up to her.

She kept reaching for Eric, her arms trembling. “Daddy, it really hurts! Daddy, hold me!”

“Joy!” Hadley arrived seconds too late. She hurried over and dropped to her knees beside her daughter. “Are you hurt?”

“He’s my daddy! Daddy!” Joy’s voice cracked as she turned to Eric, her face streaked with fresh tears.

“Listen, little girl.” Eric’s throat moved as he swallowed hard. His face turned solemn. He couldn’t afford to stay longer, and with no time left, he said sharply, “You’ve got it wrong. I’m not your father, so stop calling me that.”

That hit Hadley hard. She jumped to her feet and quickly stepped in front of Eric.

The space between them disappeared until only a small gap remained. Eric could see Hadley now. Every detail of her face stood out, and for some reason, she looked even more stunning up close.

Then came that familiar feeling again. It stirred in his chest, strange and hard to name, making him feel oddly unsettled.

“You…” Eric parted his lips, looking like he was about to speak.

Before he could get another word out, Hadley’s hand came flying. The slap landed with a sharp crack that echoed through the air.

“That was too far! You heartless jerk!” Hadley’s voice shook with fury, her chest rising and falling with every breath she forced out.

She remembered it clearly—how hard she had tried to keep the truth from Joy. She hadn’t wanted the little girl to know he was her father.

But Eric? He was the one who had insisted on telling Joy everything.

Now, after pushing himself into Joy’s life, he was the one turning his back on her.

Their relationship was over, and Hadley had made peace with the fact that he couldn’t stand her. What hurt more was how easily he forgot that their problems had nothing to do with their daughter.

Even in the worst moments, when her heart was full of resentment, she never spoke ill of him in front of the child. She always let Joy believe she had a loving father.

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And Eric? The moment their relationship ended, he acted as if Joy had never existed.

That thought alone made Hadley let out a bitter laugh. To her, men were all the same. They never carried the weight of pregnancy. They never endured hours of labor. That was why walking away from their own child came so easily to them.

Eric stared at her, completely thrown off. “You hit me?”

Genuine confusion filled his face. He had no idea what he’d done to deserve it.

“I did!” Hadley lifted her chin, eyes blazing. “You deserved every bit of it!”

Her temper flared higher the more she replayed his words in her mind. Her voice sharpened like a blade. “You jerk! Just go. Leave. I don’t want to see your face.”

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