Too Late, Mr. Billionaire: You Can't Afford Me by Thedora Birnir

Chapter 207 Can't Bear To Add Any More Sorrow

In Blathe when he first met Joy, Eric had always found it peculiar how the little girl frequently spoke of her

mother but never mentioned her father. Today, she posed a question that ignited his curiosity.

“Joy...”

Eric was on the brink of probing deeper.

“Joy!”

A sudden shout sliced through the air.

It was Melba!

She had been vigilantly observing from the sidelines, her gaze unwavering. Who would have thought that even

with such keen attention, a stranger could approach unnoticed?

“Hey!”

Melba, panting from her sprint, scooped Joy into her arms and shot a fierce glare at Eric.

“Who do you think you are, approaching a little girl just like that? Back off, you perv!”

Without pausing for Eric's defense, she turned and dashed away, as if he were a lurking predator.

As she clutched Joy close, Melba whispered, “Don’t be scared, Joy. I'm here! Remember, you mustn't talk to

strangers, I'm so glad | got here in time. If anything had happened to you, losing my job would be the least of my

worries compared to how your mother would cope...”

Tears brimmed in Melba’s eyes as she spoke.

“You are the light of your mother’s life!”

“Melba,” Joy lifted her chubby little hand to dab at Melba’s tears, “Don’t cry. He's not a bad person. I've seen.

him before”

“You have?” Melba raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on her face. “Where did you spot him? What's his

name?”

Joy opened her mouth but faltered, unable to respond.

You must have mixed him up with someone else.,” Melba concluded. “You're just a little kid, what do you know?

Never mind, I'll keep an even sharper eye on you from now on!”

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Eric stood there, feeling utterly helpless.

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Chapter 207 Can't Bear To Add Any More Sorrow

Was he genuinely mistaken for a predator or something?

But what did Joy mean with her words? Were her parents at odds? Had her father walked out on them?

How could anyone abandon such a delightful daughter?

And now Joy was gone, and he hadn’t even had the chance to buy her the strawberry milk she adored so much.

Back at the apartment, Hadley noticed that Joy seemed unusually quiet, as if a shadow loomed over her.

She checked Joy’s temperature-no fever.

Feeling a sense of relief, Hadley found herself pulled aside by Melba, who began to recount the entire encounter

with the stranger.

“This was on me,” Melba said, her voice laced with remorse. “Don’t worry, I'll make sure | never take my eyes off

Joy again.”

Her sincerity was palpable, she was still shaken by the incident.

If anything had happened to Joy, not even her life would suffice to atone for it.

*Melba,” Hadley said softly, “it’s not your fault.”

Who could foresee such unpredictable circumstances?

“Besides, you managed it well, Joy is fine now, right?”

“Fine?” Melba pointed to Joy, who appeared distressed. “No, she’s frightened.”

Seeing the tears welling in Melba’s eyes, Hadley realized just how rattled she truly was,

“Melba, why don’t you take a breather? I'll look after Joy. | can help her settle down.”

“Okay.” Melba nodded. “Joy feels closest to you. Just being near you will help her forget the scare.”

“You're right.”

That night, as Hadley bathed Joy in the soothing warmth of the bathroom, she placed Joy's favorite rubber duck

in the tub, but Joy didn’t giggle as she usually did.

Hadley sensed something was seriously amiss.

“My dear Joy, is something bothering you today?”

“Mom.” Joy looked up, her big eyes blinking, hesitant to speak.

“Hmm?” Hadley felt a twinge of anxiety. “What's troubling you, Joy? Can't you share it with Mom?”

“No, | just...” Joy shook her head. Though young, she sensed that her question might disturb her mother, which

was why she had kept it bottled up.

But now, under her mother’s gentle gaze, she felt the weight of her thoughts pressing down.

“Mom, every child has both a mom and a dad, right? With both a mom and a dad, that’s how | cto be,

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isn't it?”

Hadley froze, her mind momentarily blank as the question hung in the air like a delicate thread.

She never imagined that Joy’s worries would revolve around this.

From the moment Joy took her first breath, Hadley had known this day would eventually arrive.

Joy wasn’t conceived from love between her parents...

father harbored resentment toward her mother!

Her fa

Over the years, Hadley had skirted the issue, never once mentioning the topic in Joy’s presence.

But what was destined to happen couldn’t be sidestepped.

“Mom.” Joy's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she tugged at her mother’s sleeve, “Do | have a dad too?”

Hadley’s heart twisted painfully, and she managed to nod.

“Yes, of course.”

“Then.” Joy’s face brightened. “Mom, where is Dad? Why hasn't he ever cto see me? Doesn't he like me?”

Hadley’s heart felt as if it might crumble. “No, that’s not it...”

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Herm

Her eyes reddened, “How could that be? Dad loves Joy very much. When you were little, Dad was with you.”

Though only for a fleeting moment when Joy was still nestled in her mother’s womb...

“Really?” Joy's brow furrowed in confusion. “I don’t remember. | must have been too young! So why doesn’t Dad

cto seenow?”

“That's because...” Hadley struggled for words, her voice trembling as she tried to soothe her daughter. “He is

very busy. His work keeps him extremely occupied, more than you can imagine.”

“Oh.” Joy seemed to understand. “Then, when Dad finishes his work, will he cto see Joy?”

Looking into her daughter's hopeful eyes, Hadley reluctantly nodded, “Yes.”

“Mom.” Joy's spirits seemed to lift a bit. “Why doesn’t Dad ever call me? You calledeven when you were bus

Hadley had once cto Srixby alone and would often pick up the phone to talk to Joy.

She froze, a chill running through her.

Hadley’s heart ached so deeply it felt as if it might stop.

Choking back tears, she said, “That's because Dad’s work is special. He can’t just make calls.”

Lies flowed easily, but she preferred crafting a fairytale for Joy rather than revealing the truth about her father’s

coldness and irresponsibility.

She would shoulder the burden of Eric's disdain alone.

Joy would remain blissfully unaware of who her father really was; she would live in a beautiful illusion about him.

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Chapter 207 Cant Bear To Add Any More Sorrow

Her joy was already dealt a tough hand, Hadley couldn’t bear to add more sorrow.

“I see.” Joy accepted her mother’s words, nodding with innocent belief. “I will wait at hfor Dad.”

“Good girl”

For a fleeting moment, a sharp pang pierced Hadley’s heart, and she struggled to meet her daughter's gaze.

Joy would never get the chance to meet her father....

Just as Hadley had been, a child cast aside by her own father.

In a moment of daze, Hadley saw her younger self cried out loud. “Dad, please! I'm begging you! Dad, please

takewith you. | promise to be good, | won't eat much, and I'll help take care of my siblings...”

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