HE LOST HIS DAUGHTER ONCE, NOW HE’S A RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE

UNTIL HER BIRTHDAY

“Divorced?”

Lyra repeated, as if she could not understand what he was saying.

She then let out a mocking laugh as she slammed her glass onto the counter, then turned back to him.

“Are you being fucking serious, Brandon? You are really pushing your luck here.”

But Brandon did not move. He kept his eyes on her with a blank expression.

“I’m very serious, Lyra.”

“No, you’re not!” she shouted, stepping close to him. Her face twisted with annoyance. “You are just using this to threaten me. You’re throwing a tantrum like a child because of Jake. You think if you say divorce, I will get scared and do whatever you think? You always do this when things don’t go your way. You think I’ll promise never to speak to Jake? Isn’t that your plan, Brandon?”

“I don’t care who you speak to anymore,” he said in a low and flat manner. “Your heart hasn’t been in this family for a long time, Lyra. And I’m tired. I’m done trying to hold together something you already walked away from, and I am willing to let you go do whatever you want. You want to be with Jake? Go ahead and be with Jake. I don’t even care anymore, Lyra.”

Lyra’s breath hitched, and for a second she looked into his eyes and saw that he was cold. There was nothing warm left there anymore.

Her heart started to beat faster as she quickly pushed the feeling down.

She refused to believe Brandon.

Brandon had loved her unconditionally for seven years. He had always obeyed her, given up his career for her. He had given her his savings. A man like that would never dare leave her after all those sacrifices.

“Will you stop playing these games?” Lyra said, crossing her arms. “You think you can fool me? What is your goal here, Brandon?”

“I only have one condition,” Brandon said, ignoring her question, like she had not asked any. “And it’s just one.”

“Ha! I knew it,” Lyra sneered, throwing her hands in the air. “There it is, the catch. What do you want, Brandon? Money? House? Why don’t you just lay it out for me?”

He shook his head.

“I don’t want anything from you. All I ask is for you to stay with our daughter until her birthday. Act like a mother for a few weeks. Eat dinner with her. Come home early. And once her birthday reaches, just don’t go to work on that day. Be with her. After her birthday, I will sign the divorce papers. You can have everything. The house, the money, your freedom, and I will walk away with nothing. That’s all I want.”

Lyra narrowed her eyes at him.

In her mind, everything Brandon was saying about the birthday was just another tactic. She believed he was trying to create a delay. She thought that if she stayed home for a month, he would use that time to pressure her into distancing herself from Jake.

She scoffed.

“You are really something, you know that?” She shook her head. “Using Maggie’s birthday to get me to do what you want? You do not need to use these methods on me, Brandon. I will be here for her birthday. I am Maggie’s mother.”

Brandon shrugged.

“Then promise me you will be there for Maggie’s birthday.”

He did not tell Lyra why it was so important, because he knew that she wasn’t going to believe him anyway.

“Just keep your promise. Be there for Maggie. That is all I care about.”

Lyra sighed, flailing her arms by her sides in frustration.

“Fine. I promise I will always be there for Maggie.”

“No,” he shook his head, stopping her before she could go further. “Just… that day, on her birthday, don’t work. Just be there for her.”

“Fine, I promise. Are you happy now? Stop acting like you’re the only one who cares about Maggie.”

Before Brandon could say anything, they heard Maggie coming from the hallway as they both turned around.

Maggie was standing by the kitchen door, wearing her pajamas and holding her teddy bear. Her face was pale. Her eyes looked big and tired.

When she saw Lyra, her face lit up.

“Mommy!” she cried out, dropping the teddy bear and running to Lyra.

Maggie threw her arms around Lyra’s waist and buried her face in Lyra’s dress.

Maggie had not seen Lyra home in the daytime for weeks.

“Oh, Maggie, be careful.”

Lyra’s voice came out softer. She looked a little awkward as she patted Maggie’s back. Lyra's movements looked awkward, almost like she didn’t know how to comfort her own daughter anymore.

“Why are you awake so early?”

“I woke up and I heard voices,” Maggie responded, pulling away from her mother.

She had a wide smile on her face.

“You are really home, mommy. You have not left for work yet. I missed you so much.”

“Yes, mommy’s home.”

She looked at Brandon. Then looked at Maggie.

“Wait here. I have something for you,” Maggie said, running back down the hall.

Brandon and Lyra stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before Maggie ran back with a piece of paper in her hands.

She was smiling as she gave the paper to Lyra.

“I made this for you a long time ago, but you were always sleeping when I went to bed.”

Lyra took the paper.

It was a drawing, and it showed Brandon, Lyra, and Maggie holding hands under a yellow sun. At the top, it said, ‘my happy family.’

“It is daddy, you, and me,” Maggie whispered. “I hope daddy, you, and me will always stay together happily forever. No one should go away anymore.”

Lyra looked at the drawing as her expression shifted for a second. For a second, guilt crossed her face. Then she placed the drawing on the counter and moved on.

“It’s very nice of you to do this, and thank you so much,” Lyra said, without even looking at the drawing again.

Brandon saw this as his eyes got bitter.

He got up and walked to the stove.

“How about we eat breakfast?” Brandon said, his voice getting tight. “The food is almost ready.”

The three of them sat down at the table as they got ready to eat together, which they had not done in months.

Brandon made eggs and toast.

Maggie was so happy she could not stop looking at Lyra. It was like she was afraid if she looked away from her mother, her mother would disappear.

“Mommy,” Maggie asked quietly.

“Yes, baby,” Lyra answered, looking at her phone under the table.

“Are you… are you busy today? Can you and daddy take me to school together later, just for today? Please?”

Lyra looked up from her phone, saw how much Maggie wanted this, as she looked at Brandon, who was staring at her from across the table, before she gave a small sigh.

“Sure. Mommy will go with you today. I can go to the office a bit late.”

“Yay!” Maggie screamed, jumping up and down on her chair. “I’m going to change into my pretty outfit. Don’t leave without me, mommy.”

Brandon watched her go as he felt a little better.

He knew Maggie had a bad time at school. The other kids would say mean things to her like Lyra did not love her, and Maggie would cry about this a lot.

But seeing Maggie being so happy, Brandon felt a little bit at peace.

He thought if Maggie could stay happy for a little longer, that was enough for him. That he can deal with whatever happens if that will make his daughter happy.

A few minutes later, Maggie came running back down wearing her pink dress with her hair freshly brushed after her bath. She had her backpack on as she stood right next to Lyra.

She grabbed onto Lyra’s dress and would not let go.

“I’m ready.”

“Okay, give me ten minutes first unless you want your mommy showing up looking like this.”

“Well, you look pretty, mommy.”

Lyra nodded.

“Alright then. Let’s go.”

Maggie smiled warmly at her parents as she held Brandon’s hand with her right hand and Lyra’s hand with her left hand.

“You want both mommy and daddy to come?”