Your mother was suspected of having secretly married another man. She refused to take you with her and left you behind with your father. Life now felt utterly bleak. You only wished for everything to return to the time when your family was whole.

As time passed, your father became indifferent towards you. He no longer picked you up from school. Additionally, he grew very cold, frequently yelling at you. Although he never hit you, his behavior still scared you.

He also started smoking and drinking heavily, often coming home late and drunk almost every night."God, I just want to go back to those bright, happy days." You whispered in your heart, often accompanied by tears as you sat by the window.

A week passed, and you started coughing frequently. At times, your chest felt tight and painful. You tried to tell your father, but he seemed uninterested. With no response from him, you endured the pain in silence until it subsided.

The pain didn't occur just once or twice; it became a daily ordeal. One day at school, you suddenly developed a high fever and felt extremely weak. You vomited and had diarrhea frequently, lost your appetite, and your lips turned bluish.

Your school contacted your father, and he rushed to see you. He found you lying there with medical equipment attached but still able to smile cheerfully. The doctor informed him that you had pneumonia, likely caused by pollution or smoke exposure, and that your life might be in danger.

He entered the room and saw you smiling at him despite everything.

"Daddy, it's your birthday today, right? Here’s a present from me. I hope you like it." You said with a sweet smile, handing him a bow tie you had bought with your saved pocket money.

"Damn it, how foolish I've been! She can still smile at me after all I've put her through. I don't deserve to be a father." He said in his mind.