Chapter 156 Lydia Always Stood by Daffy
No wonder her mother while she was still alive, had never advised them to find someone kind and loving like their father.
It was all a lie.
An act.
"What's Sophia to you?" Daphne withdrew all her emotions, her voice lighter than ever before.
At her question, Mr. Murphy sat down silently next to her.
In the half-hour that followed, Mr. Murphy told her everything. He recounted how he had married her mother and the nature of his relationship with Sophia. After hearing it all, Daphne felt like there was a heavy stone pressing on her chest. She stood up, her eyes brimming with emotion, and said, "I'm going upstairs."
"Daffy," Mr. Murphy called after her.
"Go ahead and get married to that person if you want, but Lydia and I have only one mother," she said with finality. Then, she left the living room, taking heavy steps toward her room.
She now knew their story.
Mr. Murphy's first love was Sophia. They had been in a passionate relationship when Marcus intervened, forcibly breaking them apart and arranging a marriage to her mother. Her mother also had someone she loved, but she couldn't stand up to the will of Daphne's grandfather.
It was a different time back then where marriages were often arranged by parents and matchmakers. Even though her parents loved other people and ended up in a loveless marriage due to their inability to rebel against the custom.
After the wedding, they led a life of mutual respect, both secretly pining for the ones they truly loved. They thought they could tough it out until they could divorce. But things didn't go as planned; they were unable to separate and, three years into their marriage, Daphne was born.
With Daphne's arrival, they decided to raise her right, determined not to let her endure an arranged marriage like theirs, hoping she could live in a happy environment. And indeed, they had succeeded in creating one.
As for her father and Sophia...
Three years ago, Sophia suffered from domestic abuse. In her despair, she happened upon Mr. Murphy and reached out to him for help. He provided a lawyer for her but didn't get too involved beyond that. He was very clear that he had a family and no longer harbored the love he once had for Sophia; his assistance was merely a way to make amends for the past.
Later, Sophia divorced, and around the same time, Daphne's mother fell gravely ill. Two years ago, not long after they laid her mother to rest, her father, in a drunken sorrow, ended up in bed with Sophia and was caught. It came out later that the Hayes family, having seen Mr. Murphy's help, mistakenly thought he still harbored feelings for her and therefore staged the whole ordeal.
She had asked him why he resorted to drinking away his sorrows. "Your mother and I were together for decades," her father had explained. "We may not have had a fiery love, but our companionship was real. After all, everyone has a heart." Hearing this, she began to realize that people can be together for reasons other than love.
Daphne had no recollection of how she managed to take a shower and lie down in bed. Staring at the ceiling, memories of her parents' past filled her mind. All those warm days made her believe they truly loved each other. Her father's distress during her mother's illness seemed genuine.
But how could it not be love?
"Sis?" Lydia knocked on her door. "Are you asleep?"
Daphne gathered her emotions, got out of bed, and stood in front of the mirror to compose herself before opening the door.
As usual, she asked with her warm demeanor, "What's wrong?"
Lydia stood at the doorway, sensing a shift in her sister's mood. "What did you and Dad talk about?" she probed. "He just asked me to come check on you, and have a heart-to-heart with you."
"It's nothing."
"Really?" Lydia probed.
"Mm-hm."
"I don't believe you," Lydia said, trying her best to cheer up Daphne. "Not unless you give me a smile to prove it."
At that, Daphne couldn't help but laugh and ruffled her sister's head.
Reflecting on their earlier conversation, Daphne told her, "If Dad wants to get married to that woman, let them. Adults' decisions are not for us to meddle in."
Lydia's eyes widened in shock, her face a picture of astonishment.
Stumbling over her words, she said, "Sis, you...?"
"Yes?" Daphne was still gentle.
"What you just said... about Dad?" Lydia found it unbelievable. Their relationship had been strained for the past two years, and Daphne hadn't called him 'Dad' even once during that time.
But now she did. It was such a novelty!
Daphne's world had crumbled, yet through it all, she had come to understand so much more. She had matured in an instant and was no longer the girl who needed the thought of a home to motivate her.
She reached out to tousle Lydia's freshly dried hair with a tender, doting gesture, "Yes, Dad."
"Then, can you tell me why you were at odds with Dad before?" Lydia ventured cautiously. "After all, you two have made up now."
"I didn't have the full picture before," Daphne replied. "I now understand that some things can't be judged as simply right or wrong."
She didn't want to dwell on the past or take it upon herself to do so. From her point of view, it was wrong for their dad to find someone new so soon after their mom's death, even if reluctantly.
But from another perspective, their parents had never spent their life with the person they truly loved, so perhaps there was a sense of regret there.
Lydia scratched her head, utterly confused.
She didn't press the issue further but instead focused on one key question. "So, what did you mean when you said to let Dad and Mrs. Kiernan get married? Do you approve of her now?"
That didn't make sense. It wasn't like her sister to simply accepted it.
"I don't approve," Daphne regained her composure. "I just don't want to interfere in Dad's love life anymore."
More than two decades ago, he could not decide for himself and was forced into a marriage to their mother.
Now... Even if she didn't like that woman, she wanted to give Dad a chance to choose for once. At least this time, it was his choice.
Lydia pouted, feeling left out. "You two talked about some big secret behind my back." She made her way into Daphne's room, declaring, "To show how mad I am, I'm sleeping in your room tonight."
Daphne was at a loss for words.
Such a childish little imp. Leaping onto the bed, Lydia seemed as adorable as a cherub, playfully declaring, "I'll steal your bed, steal your blankets." She grinned mischievously at Daphne. "And I’ll even steal you from Fred."
Daphne moved her plush doll-shaped pillow onto the couch next to the bed before sliding under the covers to sleep.
After turning off the light, Lydia cuddled up to Daphne, resting her head on Daphne's arm and whispering, "Big sis."
"Hm?" Daphne glanced over at the little one who had closed her eyes and was drifting off to sleep.
"You still have me." Lydia’s fuzzy head nuzzled against her arm, her face the picture of tranquility in slumber, "Lydia will always be on Team Daffy."
"Go to sleep," Daphne admonished softly while adjusting the blankets around her.
Both she and Lydia had grown up; they each had their own lives, and indeed, there was no need to meddle too much in their father's affairs.
If it didn’t involve the Murphy Group, she vowed to step back. After all, their parents' arranged marriage was intricately entwined with the Murphy Group.
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