Winston’s mind went completely blank for a moment.
He stared at the child in silence before finally opening his mouth.
“What do you mean? That… Santa only likes rich kids?”
It was rare for him to be caught off guard like this. He’d thought things were going smoothly, but now it felt like someone had doused him in cold water. Angela scrunched up her nose and replied clearly, enunciating every word.
“Because Santa doesn’t give presents to poor kids.”
A cynical expression flickered across her young face—an expression too jaded, too resigned for someone her age. It was the look of someone who had been hurt and disappointed too many times, someone who no longer dared to hope. Winston felt a weight settle in his chest.
“Maybe it was just a mistake?” He tried his best to comfort her, speaking gently. “There are so many kids in the world. Maybe Santa just made a little error.”
“No, that’s not it.” Angela firmly rejected his suggestion. “Santa never goes to poor houses. Never.”
“Why not?” Winston asked reluctantly. “Why do you think that?”
Angela had such unwavering conviction in her voice—there had to be a reason behind it. When Winston asked, the girl looked him straight in the eyes and answered. “Because I saw it.”
“You saw it?” Winston involuntarily echoed her, surprised by the response. Angela nodded.
“I stayed up to see Santa. Even though I was super sleepy, I forced myself to stay awake, like this.”
She clenched her fist and mimicked hitting herself in the face to stay awake. Winston instinctively reached out, worried she might hurt herself even by accident, but Angela quickly lowered her hand and continued. “But when the door opened and someone came in to put presents in my stocking… it was Daddy.”
Winston said nothing. He just looked at her.
He could easily imagine it: Angela, startled and confused, and Seol Yu-jin, sneaking in with presents in the dead of night, trying not to wake his daughter.
Angela kept talking. “Daddy knew. He knew that kids from poor families like me don’t get presents from Santa. But he didn’t want me to be sad or disappointed, so he gave me gifts instead—pretending to be Santa.”
On Christmas morning, while other children excitedly showed off the presents Santa had left them, Angela had simply stayed silent.
Her nose twitched as if she were about to tear up. She sniffled hard, then spoke in a voice tense with effort. “That’s why I always wish for the cheapest things. Candy or chocolate… things that are easy to buy, and cheap.”
Winston still didn’t say a word. He just looked at her—the way she stubbornly pressed her lips together, refusing to waver.
Angela let out a long breath, like she’d finally released something stuck inside her, and her shoulders sagged. Her face scrunched up again. “You’re not going to tell Daddy, right?”
Winston gave a small nod after a pause. “Yeah.”
He wanted so badly to comfort the child somehow—but Angela wasn’t crying. There was nothing he could do. All he’d managed was to mumble some hollow reassurance, and the sheer inadequacy of that made him feel pathetic. His brow furrowed on its own.
And then it hit him—that sense of something being off.
At first, it was just a chill crawling down his spine. But soon, it sank deeper, cooling his thoughts and forcing him to confront a truth he’d been overlooking.
“…Angie.”
At the sound of his quiet voice, Angela, who had turned her attention back to the doll, looked up. Her eyes met his, curious, and Winston chose his words carefully before asking, “Did you buy everything you wanted today?”
“Yes! Everything!”
She answered instantly. Too instantly. The speed of her response only deepened the sense of unease. He’d never once doubted that smiling face of hers before—so why did it suddenly feel so unnatural now?
When exactly had Angela become this… compliant?
Then a memory flickered—and with it, the answer. It was after Yu-jin had been hospitalized.
“Angie.”
He called her name again, and Angela tilted her head. There was a brief pause before Winston spoke.
“If you want to see Daddy, you can visit him anytime.”
Angela flinched. Just barely—but Winston noticed. He continued, his voice slower than usual. “No one was trying to keep you apart from him. Daddy wasn’t well, that’s all. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
Angela replied. But her small, timid face—now shrinking, trying to read his mood—was already etched into Winston’s mind.
No matter how clever she pretended to be, she was still just a child. The reaction she failed to hide only confirmed Winston’s suspicion.
And for the first time, he realized what kind of thoughts he’d harbored toward Angela all this time— Why he had never really noticed before.
It was because he’d never intended to get truly close to this child.
Only now did it feel like the fog in front of him was finally lifting. But instead of clarity, a dull, numbing haze settled in his head—as if he’d just taken a blow.
***
In the darkened study, Winston sat alone, deep in thought, his expression grave. Angela’s words kept echoing in his mind. Why hadn’t he realized it until now?
He’d known Angela was unusually mature for her age.
But he’d brushed it off—she’s just a kid, he’d told himself. When she started to waver, little by little, after being so stubborn at first, he thought it was just as he’d predicted.
Was I wrong all along?
Looking back with a cold, clear mind, the child’s ploy had been painfully obvious.
The only reason he hadn’t seen it was because of his own arrogance. He’d dismissed her—just a child, after all.
With a bitter twist in his chest, he recalled it now. There was only one reason Angela was so obedient: to avoid displeasing Winston, to earn his approval, no matter what it took.
Pretending as hard as she could to be happy. Because she was scared she might be separated from Yu-jin again.
The weaker one is always more attuned to survival. Children know this instinctively. To survive, they must recognize who holds the most power. Angela had simply realized it: that opposing Winston would do her no good.
…But does it matter?
In the end, the result was the same. Winston had wanted Angela to fall in line. As long as she at least acted obedient, Yu-jin would eventually soften. Winston had never once asked for the child’s sincerity—so wasn’t this the outcome he’d wanted all along?
Then why does it feel so awful?
His brow furrowed deeper as his thoughts spiraled. He couldn’t shake the image of Yu-jin and Angela spending another bleak, meager Christmas together.
A sigh boiled up from his chest and spilled out. Haah…
Even so, he remained in that spot for quite some time, unmoving.
***
“Daddy!”
“Angie!”
The moment he opened his eyes, Yu-jin lit up at the sight of his daughter bursting into the room. He spread his arms wide in delight.
Angela, thrilled, ran toward the bed—but stopped short just before jumping onto it, hesitating right at the edge.
“Daddy, are you not sick today?”
Her face was full of worry, and Yu-jin couldn’t help but give her a sorrowful smile. Seeing his daughter looking so dejected wrecked his heart all over again.
“I’m okay, Angie. Come up.”
He smiled through the ache in his chest, and Angela glanced nervously around the room before moving. Catching the meaning in her eyes, Yu-jin gently reassured her.
“Mr. Campbell already left for work. It’s just the two of us here.”
“Yay!”
At those words, her eyes lit up and she leapt onto the bed in a flash. As her small body burrowed into his arms, Yu-jin finally felt a wave of relief wash over him.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of his child. Then he asked,
“Did you sleep well? Have any nice dreams?”
“Uh-huh. I slept good. You too, Daddy?”
“Yeah, Daddy did too.”
Still holding her close, Yu-jin gently stroked her back as he continued,
“You’re wearing such a pretty dress. Do you like it?”
He recognized it as one of the many dresses she’d tried on before.
“Was there nothing else you wanted? Winston would’ve bought you anything.”
But once he actually saw how happy she looked, Yu-jin couldn’t bring himself to object outright.
It’s fine… just while she’s here. He lowered his guard, reassuring himself.
But unexpectedly, Angela hesitated and let out a quiet, unsure “Mmm…” instead of answering. He looked at her, puzzled, and watched as she seemed to wrestle with something inside her. Then, as if making up her mind, she lifted her head.
The moment their eyes met, Yu-jin couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“What’s wrong, Angie? Why are you looking at me like that?”
He asked gently, lightheartedly.
Angela swallowed hard, then opened her mouth, her voice cautious.
“Daddy… You know, I don’t really like this stuff.”
Yu-jin blinked, startled by the unexpected confession. “What do you mean?”
I’m not the type to fall for presents and stuff.
He suddenly remembered what she had said before. Now, with a serious expression on her face, Angela added:
“Is it because I kept misbehaving and getting mad…? Is that why Mr. Campbell won’t let me see you anymore? I think… maybe he thought I’d do something bad to the baby…”
