Chapter 589: Not Wanting to Leave Regrets
The last sentence hit Caleb like a ton of bricks.
Candy straight-up said she wouldn't be happy with them.
Hearing that from Candy herself was a gut punch for Caleb as a dad.
It felt like someone was stabbing his heart, the pain was that real.
He knew he wasn't winning any "Dad of the Year" awards, but his own daughter not wanting to live with him? That was too much.
Grace had this sneaky little smile, and Caleb saw it, confirming all his worst fears.
Caleb lost it, "Grace, this is all your doing!"
"Caleb, why are you always blaming me?" Grace put on her best innocent act, "I never said anything to Candy."
"It's not about Mommy. Like I said, even though I'm only three, I get it. This is my choice. Daddy, if you love me, respect my choice," Candy said.
Respecting her choice meant giving up custody and letting her stay with a manipulative mom? No way.
"Candy, I love you. That's why I can't let you stay with Grace," Caleb tried to explain.
"She's my mommy. She treats me better than you do, and she hasn't found another man. Why can't I stay with her?" Candy's voice was all grown-up now, totally different from before. Her cute face now had this mocking look.
"Caleb, I know you love your daughter, but love isn't about keeping her to yourself. You need to respect her wishes. If you force her to come back, she'll be miserable and might even get depressed. That wouldn't be good for her. Trust me with her, okay? I'm begging you!" Grace said.
"You—" Caleb raised his hand, almost ready to hit Grace.
"Don't you dare touch my mommy! If you hurt her, I'll never see you again," Candy screamed.
"Candy..."
"Go away! Get out!" Candy yelled at Caleb, but she was so weak she started coughing like crazy.
"Caleb, you need to leave now, or Candy's gonna get worse," Grace said, all worried.
"Candy, you'll always be my daughter. I'm not giving up on you," Caleb gave her one last look and then walked out.
"Candy, it's okay, it's okay," Grace quickly got her a glass of water.
Candy caught her breath, her face now full of childish hurt, tears streaming down, "Mommy, I made Daddy leave. Daddy must hate me now... I won't have Daddy anymore..."
"Candy, don't cry. You still have me. I'll always be here," Grace comforted her, but there was a smug smile on her lips.
Thinking about the mess this would cause Caleb and that witch Susan, she couldn't help but feel pretty pleased with herself.
Susan hadn't slept a wink last night and woke up with a pounding headache, so she called in sick.
Half-asleep, she heard the door open and got up to check.
"Why are you back so soon? I thought you'd be at the hospital all day."
Caleb took off his coat and gave a bitter smile, "I wanted to, but Candy kicked me out. She doesn't want to see me."
"She's just a kid throwing a fit. Kids get cranky when they're sick. She'll come around with a little coaxing," Susan tried to comfort him.
But Caleb couldn't lie to himself. He'd watched Candy grow up from day one. He'd never seen that cold look in her eyes before, and it cut him deep.
"You haven't had breakfast yet, right? I'll get you some bread and milk," Susan turned around but felt dizzy.
The sleepless night was taking its toll on her pregnant body, every hour felt like a battle.
She steadied herself on the sofa for a moment, then was about to get the food, but Caleb grabbed her hand, "No need, I can't eat right now."
"But you need to eat. When I was down, you always told me to eat on time no matter what. Otherwise, your body won't handle it."
Caleb gave a bitter smile, "It's easy to give advice to others, but hard to follow it yourself. People are like that. I'm just really tired; I'll eat later."
"Let me give you a massage then," Susan walked over and gently placed her fingers on his temples, massaging lightly.
Her touch was perfect, easing a lot of Caleb's stress. He slowly closed his eyes and murmured, "Candy wants me to give up custody. She wants to live with Grace."
Susan's fingers paused for a moment before continuing, "Was she just saying that out of anger?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe... she really wants to live with Grace. Things are simpler with Grace. It's not as complicated as it is here, with Oliver and me being pregnant. I can see why Candy would want to stay with Grace."
"This is Grace's game. Today, I saw her with that smug smile. I'm sure she was playing the victim from the start."
"Maybe. But she is Candy's biological mom, and family comes first. I can't force Candy to like me. Caleb, maybe you should..."
"Knowing that Grace is a snake, how could I let Candy stay with her? Today's visit only made me more determined. Candy has to stay with me."
"Okay," Susan didn't know what else to say. Her position was a bit awkward.
"Sorry, am I putting pressure on you?"
"No, it's just that I feel useless."
"Having you by my side is already a huge comfort." Caleb gently held her hand, "I'm so grateful to have you."
Susan smiled faintly, "Isn't that what couples do? Comfort and support each other when one is troubled."
"Couples?" Caleb opened his eyes.
Susan blushed, "That's what boyfriends and girlfriends do too."
"Even more so for couples. When will you marry me? If your belly gets any bigger, the wedding dress won't fit."
"Then let's skip the wedding. We can just register our marriage and have a simple meal with family and friends. I never wanted a big wedding."
"No, I owe you too much already. I have to give you a grand wedding."
"But I don't need that. Everyone values different things, and I don't care about a wedding."
"But if you don't wear a wedding dress, there'll be a void in your life. You'll regret it later."
Susan hesitated, "Maybe we don't need to think too much about the future."
"No, I won't allow any regrets in your life, not even a little. If you don't want a big event, we can have a small wedding, even a reception, or in a chapel, but it has to happen. I want to see you in a wedding dress; you'll look beautiful. Do it for me, okay?"
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