A Call That Changed Her Entire Life

Chapter 354 I Want Him To Be My Daddy

"It doesn't matter," Jacob replied. His voice had a cold and flat tone, so Emily couldn't tell whether he was angry or not. Instead of dragging the conversation, she decided not to say anything more. NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.

Beryl's eyes were red and swollen. Clear watery snot streaked from her flaring nostrils, down her red mottled skin and to her open quivering lips. She stretched out her arms towards Jacob and said, "Handsome uncle, I need a hug."

Jacob's aching heart was relieved by her affection, as he moved closer and hugged the little cute girl in his arms. Surprisingly Emily didn't stop either of them, and just watched silently from the side. Perhaps she didn't say anything because she felt guilty for treating Jacob rudely, or maybe she felt very happy to see Jacob and Beryl getting along with each other so nicely.

Beryl wrapped her arms around Jacob's neck happily and whispered in his ears, "Sorry, handsome uncle. I made Mommy scold you."

Beryl thought that she was to blame for what had happened because if she had explained to her mother clearly, maybe Emily wouldn't have lashed out at Jacob like that. Burdened with a guilty conscience, Beryl lowered her head and waited for Jacob's forgiveness.

Jacob's heart melted like butter on hot toast at the sight of Beryl's apologetic face. Not only did he forgive her, he had long forgotten about the harsh words Emily had said to him.

With a warm smile on his face, Jacob brushed his hand through Beryl's hair and said, "It's okay. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Thank you, handsome uncle! You are so nice!" Beryl smiled at him happily and rested her head on his shoulders.

Beryl's words threw Jacob into deep thoughts. Was he really a nice man?

All he did was brought her outside to play for one day, and that was enough for her to think he was a good man? Beryl had no idea that, as her father, he should have been there by her side since the day she was born. He didn't fulfill his fatherly duties, nor did he give her the love she deserved to have as a child. He had left her with an incomplete childhood.

Moreover, he even tried to force her mother to give her up and take away her chance to see this world.

Was he really a good father? Not by any means. If anything, he was the most irresponsible father in the world.

Jacob eventually understood why Emily was so nervous and disapproving of him. It was because after all this time, even before Beryl was born, he had done nothing for the good of the child.

Jacob was overcome with grief when he realized that he had failed to be a good father to Beryl. While he was wallowing in self-pity, suddenly, a soft and tender kiss landed on his face. Stunned, he froze for a while before he realized that Beryl had kissed him and was staring at him with an innocent smile.

"Don't be sad," Beryl comforted him with her lovely voice. "It was not your fault," she pointed at Emily quietly and continued, "Mommy always overreacts to everything."

"Your Mommy was just worried about you." Jacob found her so adorable that he wanted to spoil her, but he knew that he had to perform his duty as a responsible father, so he turned his smile into a stern face and said, "You should try to be an obedient child, and you should always listen to your Mommy, okay?"

Beryl stared at Jacob in a daze as she listened to Jacob. The most perfect feeling she had ever known had swept through her. For some inexplicable reason, she felt that he would be her hero, her keeper, the one who would comfort her and keep her safe.

Beryl found herself getting closer and closer to Jacob, as if some unknown force behind her was pushing her towards him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck. There was an immense comfort in his arms, that was only for her to feel.

As if... As if she was leaning on her father's shoulder.

Beryl felt an intense feeling of love, that was albeit, foreign to her, and yet comforting in ways she had never felt before.

"Emily," said Jacob. Looking at Emily gently, he held Beryl in his arms and continued, "Now that we are in a hospital, I would like to have a paternity test done."

Jacob's sudden request left them both in a moment of dreadful silence.

Emily thought about it for a while and slowly opened her mouth, "Do you see any need for it?" "I don't want to put Beryl through any of this, okay?" Emily refused.

"You just don't trust me," Jacob sighed and forced a smile. "You should know, you didn't do anything wrong to me four years ago," Jacob explained, as his voice trembled. He felt helpless for not being able to explain the truth to Emily and let her come back to his side.

"I blame myself for what happened four years ago," Emily insisted.

"But if I had known the truth at that time, I would have still made the same decision!" Jacob persuaded, hoping to change Emily's mind.

"Enough! Stop it!" Emily shouted angrily at Jacob. She did not want to discuss such matters in front of Beryl, nor did she want the truth to take away Beryl's innocence. Most importantly, she didn't want to think of her bitter past.

Emily took Beryl away from Jacob and stood up to leave, before she said, "Just forget it and let us be."

Overcome with sadness, Jacob chokes in the air. His head hung low, as he helplessly watched them walk away and gradually disappear. The happiness in his eyes waned and gave way to loneliness and suffering.

'Why didn't she want to know the truth? Did she not love me anymore?' Jacob thought bitterly.

Meanwhile, Jacob's words hit Emily hard. She agonized incessantly as she tried to understand what he had meant.

"You didn't do anything wrong to me four years ago."

Jacob's words lingered in Emily's mind and haunted her. Hoping to shake off her thoughts, Emily took a deep breath and tried hard to control her emotion. She drove back home as quickly as she could with Beryl sitting next to her.

As soon as they got home, Zoe, the nanny, rushed towards them quickly and pretended to be very anxious. "Miss Cloris! Beryl! Oh, thank god you are back! I was so worried about you!" Zoe said hastily.

Emily was still muddled, lost in deep thoughts over Jacob's words, and she failed to notice Zoe's unusual behavior. "Have you prepared supper?"

"Yes, supper is ready. I heated up the dishes again because they had gone cold," Zoe answered.

"Good, thank you so much," Emily expressed her gratitude.

Emily didn't talk to Beryl on their way home, nor did she utter a word while they were having supper. She was furious at Jacob, but she was also disappointed with Beryl for going out with a stranger without telling her. To teach Beryl a lesson, Emily ignored her deliberately so that she could reflect on her mistakes.

Beryl knew that Emily was angry with her, so she just kept quiet and finished her meal on her own. Hoping to earn Emily's forgiveness, Beryl also put away the dishes after she finished her meal and sat quietly in the living room.

Emily put down the glass of water that helped her cool down and broke the silence by asking Beryl to come and stand in front of her. She held Beryl's hands tenderly and looked straight into her eyes. "Why did you lie?" Emily asked in a strict tone.

Feeling guilty and remorseful, Beryl hung her head low and tugged at her skirt unconsciously. "I...I didn't mean to. I just...I just wanted to make handsome uncle buy me one more piece of strawberry cake, so I lied...I lied to him," Beryl explained, woefully.

"Then why didn't you say anything when I was so worried about you? Did you think it was funny to see Mommy feel so worried about you?" scolded Emily.

"No!" Beryl lifted her head and raised her voice, "You didn't give me the chance to explain, and you didn't even listen to handsome uncle. You just started yelling at the both of us as soon as you arrived, without even knowing what was going on!"

Lately, Beryl had been learning new things from her surroundings. Now, she was smart enough to explain herself and tell the difference between right and wrong.

Emily was left speechless. She recalled what happened after she arrived in the cake shop and realized that Beryl was telling the truth.

As soon as Emily saw her with Jacob, she was too overwrought to listen to reason. She erupted like a volcano, burning anyone who was in her path. She forgot that Jacob would never do anything to hurt Beryl.

'Jacob must have felt devastated when I came at him like that.

But, he shouldn't have taken Beryl out without my permission, ' Emily thought.

"If she is not my daughter, whose daughter she is?"

Once again, Jacob's words haunted her thoughts. Although Emily found it hard to believe, she couldn't help wondering what if he was telling the truth. Was it true that she didn't do anything wrong with Jack?

No, it couldn't be true, otherwise why did the paternity test show that Jacob was not Beryl's father? No! Jacob must have been lying! He couldn't Beryl's father!

Emily reflected on Jack's expression, when he looked at her that morning. She thought about how he implored her not to let Beryl call anyone else her father. It seemed to her that his love for Beryl was true.

Both Jack and Jacob asserted that they were Beryl's father, but who really was the father? And why would they both claim to be her father?

Emily's mind was still a surging perplexity. Suddenly, she heard a voice in her head, 'Why would they do that? Don't you know why?'

Aha! Emily finally reached a conclusion.

Suddenly, Emily was hit with the realization that the two men were claiming to be Beryl's father, only because they were in love with Emily and wanted her to be with them!

Neither of them really loved Beryl from the bottom of their hearts, just as she did!

Emily finally settled down, having found the answer to her questions. She moved close to Beryl and said, "From now on, you are no longer allowed to go out with anyone without my permission. Do you

understand me, Beryl?"

Beryl pursed her lips, and after much deliberation, she boldly said, "But I really like handsome uncle. I want him to be my daddy!"

"What?" Emily was totally stunned by her words, incapable of registering what she had just heard. Somewhere between amused and annoyed, Emily didn't know how to react. "I thought you wanted him to be your boyfriend? Why do you want him to be your father now? Beryl Lu! Tell me, what's exactly in your mind?" Emily asked seriously.