Seven Years Abroad: Now He Wants Us Back

On the seventh year after we moved overseas, my 13-year-old daughter, Anna Jackman, is hailed as the internationally renowned piano prodigy. No matter how difficult the song is, Anna is capable of weaving beautiful melodies with it. But there's only one song that Anna refuses to play. It's a seemingly ordinary lullaby. She's worried that she might end up forgiving that despicable man again once she plays it on the piano. So, when said man, Micah Jackman, turns up on our doorstep with a piano that's handcrafted by a master craftsman and asks Anna to play him the lullaby, she just shakes her head calmly in return. "I don't know how to play that song, sir." Micah's eyes redden immediately. He grabs Anna's hand and navigates it to the piano keys. "That's impossible! Aren't you a piano prodigy, Anna? Haven't you always wanted to have a piano of your own? I've already bought you your own piano this time! From now on, if you have any wishes, you should tell me, and I'll grant them for you." Anna draws back her right hand coldly. "It's fine, sir. I can earn my own money to buy my own piano. You should take the piano back to your daughter." Micah feels as though his heart has plunged into the abyss. He immediately pulls Anna into his arms. "What are you talking about, Anna? You're my only daughter!" But Anna looks a little puzzled. "Didn't you say that Ms. Sinclair's daughter is the only one worthy of becoming your child? Didn't you give the piano you promised for me to Ms. Sinclair's daughter?" Having reached that point, Anna just smiles nonchalantly at Micah. "It's fine, sir. Since you like Ms. Sinclair, you can just raise her daughter. I'm already content enough with Mom by my side." Chapter 1 Micah Jackman's heart churned with a hundred conflicting emotions. No matter how much he'd speculated before coming here, he never imagined his daughter Anna Jackman's attitude would be so resolute. What he didn't know was that Anna and I had already given him countless chances, yet he remained completely unmoved. During the five years we were married, he had endless opportunities to be honest with us about his identity, to tell us he was actually the eldest son of the Jackman family. Yet he remained silent the entire time. Whenever Anna said she wanted to play piano for him, he would always brush her off by pretending to be poor. "Alright, but I don't have enough money right now. When I earn more money, I'll buy you a big piano." For five years, I took Anna to the plaza every day to perform and earn money. He just watched coldly. He watched for five whole years. Every time we packed up and came home, Anna would ask me hopefully, "Mommy, did we earn enough money to buy a piano yet? I want to play a lullaby for Daddy. It's the first piano piece I've learned!" Whenever this happened, I would count the money in our bag and shake my head at her. "We're still a little short. We'll save more tomorrow, and we'll have enough soon." Finally, one month before Anna's birthday, I counted the bag of loose change and discovered with delight that we had enough to buy the cheapest piano. But when I took Anna's hand and arrived at the piano store, I spotted Micah on the second floor immediately. He was holding his first love's daughter while they looked at pianos together. My hand trembled as I pointed at the piano they were examining and asked the salesperson, "How much does that piano cost?" The salesperson gave a standard professional smile. "That Steinway piano was reserved by that gentleman a long time ago. The entire instrument was handcrafted by masters. The price is 800 thousand dollars." Eight hundred thousand dollars. In an instant, all the blood in my body froze. People had told me before that Micah's background was unusual, but looking at our drafty house and shabby furniture, I would never have believed that Micah was actually wealthy. Thinking about it now, I suppose it really must have been hard on him, to be willing to endure living in that dilapidated house for five years. Seeing my silence, Anna asked me curiously, "Mommy, does Daddy have a lot of money? Did he order that piano for me?" Anna was still too young to understand the relationship between the people on the second floor. Looking at her dress that had been washed until it faded, I opened my mouth but couldn't find the words. Chapter 2 Sensing my discomfort, Anna spoke up. "Mommy, it looks like Daddy has something to talk about with that lady. Why don't we go home first? We can come back another time to buy a piano." Her voice grew softer and softer, her small face unable to hide the disappointment. But I didn't notice. I left with Anna in a daze. When we got home, I dug out our marriage certificate and other documents. I pulled up his listed address on the computer. "Heartview Estates, Capital City." Even living all the way here in River City, I'd heard of that place. Every inch of land there cost a fortune. Only the country's wealthiest elite could afford to buy property there. Micah had kept us in the dark so thoroughly. I couldn't stop wondering what he'd been thinking all those times he watched us leave early and return late, day after day, rain or shine, performing in the park. Had he felt sorry for us? Or had he been laughing at how foolishly ambitious we were? At that thought, I let out a self-deprecating laugh and dialed a divorce lawyer. After what felt like an eternity, footsteps sounded outside the door. Micah was home. Anna ran to the door to greet him enthusiastically like always, but Micah was too stingy to even give her a hug. Normally, Anna was already used to her father's coldness. But today, for some reason, she grabbed the corner of Micah's shirt and wouldn't let him go. "Daddy, can you buy me a piano? My classmate's teacher taught her a lullaby, and I learned it after hearing it just once. I want to play it for you." "Sure. When I earn the money, I'll buy you one." Micah brushed her off like usual. "When will that be?" Anna seemed unusually stubborn today, insisting on getting an answer. After hesitating several times, Micah finally agreed. Anna threw her arms around my leg and cheered with excitement. "Mommy, I'm going to have a piano! I'll play so many songs for you and Daddy!" I was happy for my daughter too, looking forward to hearing her perform. But a day passed, then two, then an entire week. The piano Micah promised was still nowhere to be seen. One morning, I found Anna hiding under her blanket, crying quietly. Micah saw it too, but showed no reaction whatsoever. Instead, when he spotted me, his eyes lit up. "Perfect timing. Make me some honey-ginger tea and put it in a thermal flask. I need to take it with me." Honey-ginger tea. He was making it for Lucy Sinclair, wasn't he? My menstrual cramps were severe. He'd seen it with his own eyes, yet he never reacted. I heard something snap inside me. That sentence ignited the last fuse in my heart. Rage shot straight to my head, and the bag in my hand flew at his face. By the time I realized what I'd done, tears were already streaming down my face. Micah was the one who got hit, but I was the one crying harder. After being struck, Micah's own temper had flared, but seeing my tears, his anger extinguished instantly. "If you don't want to make it, fine. Do you really need to throw such a tantrum?" "What about the piano you promised Anna?" As if he'd completely forgotten about the piano, embarrassment flashed across Micah's face before he masked it with impatience. "I'll buy it. Do you have to hound me like a debt collector?" "I'll buy it." Over the past five years, he'd said those words countless times. At least when someone threw a stone into water, it'd make a splash. His words didn't even create a ripple. I stormed into Anna's room and pulled her out from under the covers. "I'm getting a divorce from your father. When I do, we'll go abroad together. How does that sound?" Going abroad seemed too distant a concept for Anna to grasp, but it was our best option. The Jackman family wielded too much power domestically. Only by going overseas could Anna's talent truly flourish. All my savings combined were just enough to purchase one-way tickets. Chapter 3 Seeing my red-rimmed eyes, Anna threw herself into my arms and said softly, "Mommy, can we give Daddy one more chance? If he still doesn't remember by my birthday, then we'll leave." "Alright." But this was the last chance Anna and I would give him. The next morning, Anna and I went out to set up our stall as usual. I'd graduated from a prestigious university, but I'd been out of the workforce too long after having a child. No company wanted to hire me. Left with no other options, I could only take Anna to the park to sell things. I sold small items like toys and snacks while Anna sang and danced nearby to attract customers. Anna was sweet-natured and well-behaved. Many people were willing to patronize my little stall for her sake alone. "Excuse me, how much are these popsicles?" "Three dollars for one, five dollars for two." I looked up and discovered the customer was actually Lucy. "I'll take two then. Hurry up, though. Don't let my husband see." Like she was doing something illicit, Lucy handed me ten dollars, then glanced around furtively before sneaking the popsicles into her pocket. Just then, a large hand reached out from the side and grabbed Lucy's wrist. "Lucy, I've told you a hundred times. You can't have these right now. Your cramps are already bad enough. "We're not taking these popsicles." The moment our eyes met, Micah's expression darkened instantly. Lucy, however, seemed completely oblivious. "Oh, come on, Micah. Look how adorable her little girl is. Let's buy two. We'll be supporting her business." Right now, the pity in Lucy's eyes felt more like a blade cutting into me. "Ah!" I winced. In my distraction, the knitting needle in my hand pierced my finger. Blood welled up immediately. Seeing me bleed, Micah frowned and instinctively started walking toward me. "Micah! My stomach hurts so much!" The next second, Lucy clutched her lower abdomen and cried out in pain. At her words, Micah immediately turned around and gathered Lucy into his arms. Lucy rested her head on Micah's shoulder and smiled at me triumphantly. So she'd known who I was all along. In that instant, it felt like someone had driven a needle into my heart. The pain was sharp and throbbing. "Mommy, are you okay?" Anna didn't understand what was happening. She came over worriedly and blew gently on my finger with her small mouth. "Mommy's fine." My heart softened, and I pulled Anna into my arms. At least I still had Anna. Micah carried Lucy toward the exit. Anna, not understanding, tried to call him back. "Daddy, Mommy's hurt. Come help her." At her words, Micah's steps faltered for a moment. But then he left without even looking back. Faintly, I could still hear Lucy's voice. "Micah, is that your daughter?" "I don't know her. She must have me confused with someone else." Confused with someone else. After five years together, after everything Anna and I had been to him, that was all we were worth. A case of mistaken identity. I gently stroked Anna's head. "Did you hear that, Anna? That man isn't Daddy. We got him confused with someone else." That evening, the piano store suddenly called me. They said a piano was waiting for me to sign for at home. Hearing this, I couldn't wait to rush home with Anna. Micah was already there. Before I could say anything, Micah pulled me into the bedroom. "Is your hand okay?" He took my hand and examined it carefully. I pulled my hand back and asked him urgently, "My hand is fine. Where's the piano you bought?" "What piano?" I thought he wanted to surprise Anna, so I smiled and said, "Stop pretending. The piano store already called me." Micah's gaze flickered. "The piano store must have called the wrong number. Don't worry, I'll buy one when I have time." Chapter 4 When he had time. That was always his excuse. Micah clearly had enough time to take Lucy to the park, but no time to buy the piano he'd already promised his child. I couldn't hide the disappointment in my heart. My arms dropped to my sides. I had no idea how I was going to explain this to Anna. Just then, my phone buzzed. I opened it to find a friend request. I had a sinking feeling, and my heart pounded. I accepted the request and opened the profile. The first post had just been uploaded. It showed a little girl posing with a piano. The caption read, "Thank you, Mr. Jackman, for the piano." It was the very same Steinway that Anna and I had seen at the piano store that day. My mind went blank. So a piano really had been delivered today. We just weren't the ones receiving it. Perhaps out of guilt, Micah was unusually gentle that evening. He patiently washed Anna's feet and even read her a bedtime story. Anna was so surprised she didn't know how to react. Everything that happened today was beyond what she'd ever dared to dream. Before Micah left Anna's room, she carefully tugged at the corner of his shirt. "Daddy, next Monday is my birthday. My teacher is throwing me a party. Will you come? I'll play you a lullaby then." Seeing Anna's cautious expression, something twisted uncomfortably in Micah's chest. "Alright. I'll definitely be there." With Micah's promise, Anna drifted off to sleep blissfully happy. The next day, Anna was the first one at kindergarten. She earnestly invited every single classmate to her birthday party. "My daddy's coming too!" Seeing Anna's expectant face, anxiety churned in my stomach. Micah had to come. Anna used the tip money she'd collected from the elderly people who watched her perform in the park over the years to buy herself a brand new princess dress. "Mommy, this is my first time performing on stage. I need to dress properly so Daddy won't be embarrassed." On Anna's birthday, she dressed up carefully. She put on the new princess dress and wore the plastic crown she'd always been too reluctant to wear before. She stood at the kindergarten entrance with her teacher, greeting the arriving children. She waited and waited. All the other children arrived, but Micah never appeared. I called him countless times. On the 18th call, Micah finally picked up. Before I could say anything, his impatient voice came through. "Lucy's daughter has a piano competition today. Stop calling me." "But you promised Anna you'd come listen to her play the lullaby." "She's never even had lessons. What the hell is she going to play?" Seeing Anna's face suddenly turn deathly pale, I pulled her into my arms anxiously. But something in her seemed to shift. She suddenly looked older than her years. Anna calmly took the phone from my hand. "It's okay. If you're busy, don't come. "You don't need to buy me a piano anymore. And I won't ask you to listen to me play the lullaby ever again." With that, Anna hung up with a sharp click. On the other end, Micah felt a jolt run through him. He stood up, ready to leave. Seeing this, Lucy quickly grabbed his sleeve. "What's wrong, Micah? Melody's about to go on stage." Micah opened his phone with trembling hands and instinctively dialed my number. But this time, all he heard was the busy signal. Before blocking Micah's number, I sent him one last message. "You don't need to come. We don't need you to come anymore." The next second, the previously empty chat was flooded with messages.