Angela was curled up tightly under the bed, holding her breath. Through the narrow gap, she could see the shine of a man’s shoes. Winston continued speaking as he removed his clothes one by one beside the sofa.
“You heard me, didn’t you? Or did something happen to your ears without me knowing?”
“My ears are fine, just like my sanity.”
Angela was startled by the sharp tone in Daddy’s voice—one she had never heard before. Her heart pounded as she strained her ears, and then, from on top of the bed, Yu-jin spoke.
“The only thing wrong here is your head. Or was everyone just losing their minds because of the pheromones? That trait of yours.”
Pheromones? Trait? What were they talking about?
She had heard Yu-jin briefly explain it before, but she couldn’t make sense of what was being said now. Clamping a hand over her mouth, Angela listened intently.
“I was only concerned for you.”
There was a trace of amusement in Winston’s voice, but even Angela could tell that he wasn’t truly pleased. The sweet scent in the air thickened, making her even more frightened.
“Speak clearly,” Yu-jin said again, his tone firm.
From beneath the bed, trembling, Angela heard Winston’s voice ring out.
“I’m saying there’s no need for you to burn through money so recklessly that you collapse. You do remember the contents of the will, don’t you?”
You’re obsessed with money. That was what Winston was really saying.
Yu-jin, no longer finding it worth the trouble to respond, got up from the bed.
“If you’ve got something to say, keep rambling on by yourself. I’m leaving.”
Winston immediately grabbed his arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Why should I stay here? It does nothing for me.”
Yu-jin shifted his gaze from Winston’s grip to his face and spat out his next words.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be sleeping in this room. Right next to you.”
He deliberately added the last part and turned to leave, but Winston still wouldn’t let go.
“Let me go!”
Yu-jin snapped, yanking his arm roughly, but of course, it was useless. His frustration boiled over as he gritted his teeth.
“Angela’s not here. She was sleeping with me… I need to check if she’s still in the room. Let go!”
A sense of helplessness surged inside him. Yu-jin wasn’t short by any means, but this man was just too big. Every time he was overpowered by sheer size, the frustration and resentment ate away at him. All he could do was yell.
“I said let go! Are you deaf? Let go, right now!”
Winston silently stared down at Yu-jin’s enraged face as he struggled, then, without warning, loosened his grip. Yu-jin stumbled back, caught his balance, then shot one last glare at Winston before turning and storming out of the room.
Daddy!
Angela, seeing his retreating footsteps, frantically crawled forward from under the bed and poked her head out.
The only way to reassure him—and escape from here—was to grab onto him.
“Daddy, I’m here!”
With desperation, Angela reached out her hand, but at that very moment, the door shut. Stunned, she froze in place, half of her body still sticking out from under the bed. Her heart pounded wildly as she remained still, paralyzed. Slowly, she turned her head. It felt as if her neck were moving like a rusty machine, creaking with every motion.
The first thing she saw was the same pair of shoes from earlier. They looked as big as her own head. As she cautiously lifted her gaze, she saw long legs—so long that it felt like an eternity before she reached the waist. Compared to Daddy, this man’s body was enormous, his back broad and towering. Angela craned her neck as far as she could, trying to see his face, but it was nearly impossible. Only after she pushed herself up slightly, using her hands to prop up her upper body, did she finally catch sight of his head—though only a portion of it.
From her position on the floor, the man appeared truly gigantic. Was he tall enough to touch the ceiling? A chilling sense of dread washed over her, like she was staring at the giant from one of Daddy’s bedtime stories. The moment she recalled the tale of the giant that devoured children, fear gripped her completely.
I-I have to run.
Angela moved as quietly as she could, hoping to escape his notice. Winston had yet to realize she was there. With his back turned, he was slowly untying his tie and undoing the buttons of his shirt. Angela, stealing glances at him, continued crawling across the floor. Just a little more, just a little bit more.
She swallowed down the small whimpering sounds threatening to escape her lips, inching forward like a caterpillar.
But suddenly, an eerie sensation crept over her.
She froze mid-motion, an uneasy feeling prickling down her spine. Slowly, very slowly, she turned her head.
And then, her eyes locked onto a pair of deep purple irises staring right back at her.
***
“H-HIIIIIIIK!”
Angela shrieked, her reaction so intense it was as if she were having a seizure. Winston frowned down at her. He had no idea where this child had come from, but now wasn’t the time to ask. Her wide eyes welled up with tears, and her small body trembled violently. She clattered her teeth together, the picture of a terrified child. Even Winston couldn’t say he felt particularly pleased at the sight.
“You…”
He opened his mouth, intending to ask when she got here, why she was under the bed, and what she was doing, but before he could say another word—
“Daddy can’t ride in cars!”
The sudden outburst made Winston pause.
The child, still shaking and pale with fear, cried out again in a quivering voice.
“He only went out because he wanted to buy me clothes! He was sick and had to lie down because of it…!”
“Waaaah!”
Tears finally spilled over, and she burst into sobs.
Winston was at a loss for words. He had never raised a child before, and crying children were an absolute nightmare to him. At a complete loss, he ran a hand through his hair—even though it hadn’t even fallen out of place—and opened his mouth to speak.
“Calm down. What the hell are you even talking abou—”
“Don’t say bad things about Daddy! You’re a bad person! A BAD PERSON!”
Angela cut him off, screaming louder as her sobs intensified. Winston could barely believe what was happening. Irritated, he reached out toward the child—
But before he could touch her, the door suddenly burst open without warning.
Yu-jin, his face ashen, came running in.
“Angela’s gone ag—Angela!”
“Daddy!”
The moment Yu-jin saw his daughter sprawled on the floor, wailing, his eyes widened in shock.
Angela, covered in tears and snot, immediately broke into a fresh round of sobs at the sight of her only protector—the one person who was always on her side.
“Waaaaah! Daddy! Waaaaaaaah!”
“What happened?! Why is she like this?!”
Yu-jin scooped Angela up in a hurry, his accusing glare landing straight on Winston.
Winston, who had been silently watching the whole scene unfold, threw his arms out wide in disbelief, protesting his innocence. But Angela wasn’t having it.
“Bad person! I’m going to hate you for the rest of my life!”
“Angela, what are you saying?!”
Flustered, Yu-jin held the sobbing child tightly and rushed out of the room.
Even as she was carried away, Angela clenched her tiny fists and continued shouting at Winston.
“I hate you! You’re a villain! I’ll remember this forever!”
Her voice rang out in the hallway, her words laced with fury. Soon, she disappeared from sight, but her resentful cries lingered.
Winston stood motionless, listening as her angry voice echoed down the corridor.
It wasn’t until the sound of a door slamming shut that the house finally fell silent.
Alone in the quiet room, Winston simply stood there, staring in the direction where Yu-jin and Angela had disappeared.
***
“You mustn’t say things like that!”
Yu-jin burst into Angela’s room, hurriedly shutting the door behind him. He quickly scolded her, but when he saw her tear-streaked face quivering again, his resolve wavered.
Through broken sobs, Angela whimpered, “He said bad things about you… I hate him. When I grow up, I’ll definitely get r-revenge on Mr. Campbell.”
“I told you, you can’t say things like that.”
At a loss, Yu-jin hastily placed her onto the bed. He hadn’t realized she had been in the room the whole time. She must have overheard their conversation. That could be the only reason she was reacting this way.
“Angela.”
He let out a deep sigh and met her eyes.
“Mr. Campbell didn’t know the full situation. If I explain things to him properly, he’ll apologize. So don’t hate him too much, okay? Besides, he’s the one who bought you all those pretty clothes earlier.”
“I don’t want them. I don’t need them.”
“Angela.”
She was completely upset. Yu-jin sighed in frustration, pulling her into a hug.
What do I do?
She had overheard too much. There was nothing he could say to fix this.
He had planned to tell her when she was older that Winston was her Papa…
But in the end, Winston would find someone “more suitable” and marry properly after they separated. He would have children of his own. If Angela remained unaware of her real father, it wouldn’t make much difference to him.
But to Angela, Winston was her one and only Papa.
Yu-jin had hoped to wait until she was older—until he was sure she was safe, that there was no chance of losing custody. But now… she had been hurt so badly. If she ever found out the truth, the shock would be devastating.
Maybe it would be better if she never knew at all.
Swallowing another sigh, Yu-jin hesitated, lost in thought. Meanwhile, in his arms, Angela continued sobbing, muttering words of resentment toward Winston over and over again.
