A Second Chance to Save My Daughter

Chapter 004

Sophie White’s face remained cold.

Even after hearing her daughter’s explanation, she showed no sign of softening. Her eyes were like frozen glass as she stared at Frank Lane, without the slightest ripple of emotion.

She would never believe another word he said.

“I know I was wrong, Sophie.” Frank’s voice trembled. “I swear I’ll change. From now on, I’ll treat you and Lily well.”

“I’ll never drink or gamble again. Please believe me!”

“I just had a terrible dream. I dreamed that you and Lily were both gone, and I was left all alone.”

Frank had never looked more determined.

There was even a trace of ruthlessness in his expression—not toward Sophie, but toward the worthless man he had once been.

His eyes were bloodshot from the intensity of his emotions. The nausea and pounding headache left behind by years of heavy drinking twisted his features into something almost frightening, but every word of his oath came from the bottom of his heart.

“If I ever drink or gamble again, may I die without even a grave!”

Sophie remained indifferent.

She did not even look at him again. Holding Lily in her arms, she turned and walked out of the room.

Frank followed them into the kitchen.

The sight before him made his heart sink.

The run-down kitchen contained little more than a chipped iron pot. The stove was cracked and worn, though Sophie had scrubbed it spotless.

Steam rose from the pot with a soft bubbling sound.

But inside was nothing more than watery rice broth.

There were so few grains of rice that Frank could almost count them individually.

There were no vegetables.

No meat.

Nothing else at all.

It was bitterly cold outside. Their home was falling apart, and his wife and daughter had nothing to eat except thin rice water.

Frank’s vision darkened.

He could not imagine how, with an able-bodied man still living in the house, his family had been reduced to this.

“You... you’ve been eating this?”

He still clung to a shred of hope.

Frank searched every corner of the dilapidated kitchen, only to find two small bowls of old rice left in the pantry.

A trace of mockery flashed through Sophie’s beautiful eyes.

She picked out most of the rice and carried it to the room where Frank’s mother lay weak and feverish. What remained was reserved for Lily.

As for Sophie herself, she drank only a little of the watery broth to keep the hunger at bay.

“What else did you think we were eating?” she asked coldly. “How much food do you think this family has left?”

“You took all our money to drink and gamble.”

“Smell yourself, Frank. The alcohol on your clothes was paid for with what should have fed this family for half a month.”

“You caused all of this.”

Frank saw the coldness in her eyes.

But beneath it, he also saw grief.

Sophie was still young, yet hardship had already made her look worn and exhausted.

Her hands, once soft and delicate, were now covered in chilblains, cracks, and rough calluses from endless work.

Her beautiful face had also been weathered by poverty, leaving behind a numbness that no woman her age should have carried.

Frank’s heart felt as though it had been pierced by needles.

The freezing wind howled through the cracks in the walls, producing an eerie, mournful sound.

He drew a deep breath and gently touched Lily’s thin cheek.

Then he forced a smile.

“Be good, Lily. Eat with Mommy first.”

“Daddy needs to go out for a little while. I’ll be back soon.”

Lily looked up at him with innocent eyes.

“Then Daddy has to come back quickly.”

“I’ll be good and wait for you.”

Though she was so young, she was already remarkably sensible. Seeing that her mother was busy, she obediently sat by herself on the broken threshold.

Frank was afraid that, if he stayed any longer, he would be unable to tear himself away from the wife and daughter he had miraculously regained.

He turned and hurried out of the house.

After walking some distance, Frank arrived at a remote stretch of wilderness.

He carefully looked around.

Once he was certain no one was nearby, he entered the Pocket Dimension.

The instant he stepped inside, Frank took a deep, comfortable breath.

The air was warm, pure, and refreshing.

Before him lay an acre of fertile Herb Garden. At its center was a small spring, bubbling continuously as streams of clear water rose from the ground.

White mist drifted over the surface.

Frank hurried toward the spring, his eyes widening in amazement.

At that moment, the system’s cold mechanical voice sounded inside his mind.

“The Healing Spring is a system-provided reward.”

“Its effects are substantial. Long-term consumption can gradually treat various chronic illnesses and stubborn injuries.”

“The spring water may also accelerate the growth of plants and crops.”

Frank was overjoyed.

He immediately found a small cup, scooped up some water from the Healing Spring, and left the Pocket Dimension.

Sophie and Lily were still waiting for food at home. Frank did not dare waste a single second.

He quickly gathered several wild greens from the surrounding area and soaked them in the spring water.

What happened next left him stunned.

The wild plants had been yellowed and wilted by the winter cold only moments ago.

But within seconds of being placed in the Healing Spring, they turned fresh and vibrant. Their leaves unfolded, glistening with moisture, and they looked so crisp and appetizing that it was difficult to believe they were the same plants.

It was the middle of winter. Nearly every edible plant in the mountains had already withered.

Yet these few handfuls of wild greens had become lush enough to provide a proper meal for his entire family.

Frank stuffed them into his coat pocket.

On the way home, he spotted an abandoned pheasant nest and found two eggs inside. He carefully took them and hurried back.

At home, Sophie was holding a bowl of almost transparent rice broth, feeding Lily one small spoonful at a time.

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

Lily was usually obedient, but even she could no longer endure the hunger. Her little face was filled with grievance.

Sophie’s heart ached.

She blamed herself for being so useless that she could not even give her daughter a full meal.

At that moment, Frank pushed open the door.

Seeing what was happening, he hurried forward and took the bowl from Sophie’s hand.

“What are you doing?”

Though Sophie had already lost all hope in him, anger still flared across her face.

She stood up and shouted, “Are you trying to steal your daughter’s food now?”

Frank gave a bitter smile.

He knew she had misunderstood him.

But after everything he had done in the past, he had no right to blame her.

He reached inside his coat and took out two eggs.

“I found two pheasant eggs outside.”

“Let Lily eat these instead.”

With that, he hurried into the kitchen.

Looking at the pitiful ingredients around him, Frank let out a helpless sigh.

In his previous life, he had never thought much about the conditions in which they lived.

Now, looking back with a clear mind, he realized just how much he owed his wife and daughter.

He quickly found half a scallion and chopped it finely.

A little oil hissed as it hit the heated pan, releasing a mouthwatering aroma.

When Frank poured the beaten eggs into the pan, the rich fragrance instantly filled the tiny house.

Sophie had been holding Lily and trying to comfort her.

The moment Lily caught the scent, she became restless and begged her mother to carry her into the kitchen.

Sophie watched Frank’s busy figure and gave a cold laugh.

She had known since their college days that Frank had grown up poor. Back then, he had been hardworking and perfectly capable of doing household chores.

But after losing the use of one leg, he had fallen into despair.

Eventually, he had become so lazy that he could not even be bothered to straighten his own bed.

This was the first time Sophie had ever seen him cook for their family.

A bitter thought crossed her mind.

Apparently, she and Lily had never been worth the effort before.

Frank quickly made an egg pancake with the wild greens, then cut it into small squares no larger than the tip of a finger.

He placed the plate on the table.

Lily had never eaten anything so delicious in her short life.

Her appetite immediately awakened.

“Daddy’s food is so good!”

She chewed happily, her mouth filled with the fragrance of egg.

“The last time I ate an egg was at Thanksgiving!”

“It’s so delicious!”

Seeing the bright smile on Lily’s face filled Frank with unbearable sorrow.

Lily had been born in winter, and her birthday was only two weeks away.

Yet his poor daughter could go for months without tasting even a single egg.

The more Frank thought about it, the more he despised the man he had once been.

At that moment, Lily’s small, thin hand gently poked the back of his hand.

She struggled to lift her spoon and held it in front of Frank’s lips.

“Daddy, eat some.”

“I love you, Daddy.”