THE FORGOTTEN DAD

Chapter 65: The Pain of Innocence

The kindergarten Emil hurried into wasn't just any kindergarten—it was a world of its own, designed for the children of the rich and powerful. The floors gleamed with marble, and the walls were adorned with luxurious tapestries and artwork more suited to a gallery than a school. Crystal chandeliers sparkled from the ceilings, casting soft light on the well-manicured lawns visible through the towering windows. The place looked more like a lavish hotel than a place for learning.

But Emil didn't care about the grandeur. He barely noticed it as he rushed down the hall, his heart pounding with worry. The teacher had called, and the words she used haunted him: Eva had been crying for hours. An emergency.

He reached the teacher's room, and there she was. His precious Eva, curled up in a chair, her face buried in her hands as her little body trembled with sobs. The sight of her broke something inside of Emil.

"Mr. Langston, she's been asking about her mother..." the teacher started, looking awkwardly at him.

"I'll take care of her," Emil cut in gently, though his voice was laced with urgency. "Can I have some time alone with her?"

The teacher nodded, and after a sympathetic glance at Eva, she quietly exited, leaving father and daughter alone in the room. The silence was thick, broken only by Eva's quiet sniffles. Emil knelt down in front of her, his heart heavy with dread and guilt.

"Eva... sweetheart," Emil began softly, trying to keep his voice steady as he reached for her hand. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Slowly, Eva lifted her tear-streaked face to look at him, her big eyes swimming with sadness. "I miss Mommy," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Emil felt a sharp pain in his chest. Of course, she missed Jasmine. She was too young to understand why her mother wasn't there, and Emil had struggled to fill the void left behind. But there was more, he could feel it. Something deeper was troubling her.

"Where is she, Papa Emil?" Eva asked, her voice small but full of longing. "Why doesn't Mommy come to school with me? All the other kids... they come with their mommy. But not me."

Emil swallowed hard, unsure of how to answer. How could he explain a truth so complex, so painful, to a child who still believed the world was simple and fair?

"I... I know it's hard, Eva," Emil said, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Mommy's not here right now, but she loves you so much. More than anything."

Eva's lip quivered as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "But why isn't she here?" she pressed, her voice filled with confusion and hurt. "Why don't I get to see her like the other kids do? And why am I with you, Papa Emil? Where are my parents?"

The words hit Emil like a blow to the chest. She didn't know. She didn't understand who he really was—her real father. And in her eyes, her "parents" weren't him and Jasmine—they were Jasmine and Dae Ho.

Her innocent confusion only deepened the guilt Emil already felt. He had failed her in so many ways, and now he didn't know how to make it right. How could he tell her that the man she thought of as her father wasn't her biological father? How could he explain his absence, the mistakes he had made that led to this heartbreaking misunderstanding?

He took a deep breath, his heart heavy. "Eva," he whispered, struggling to find the words, "I... I want to tell you something important. I'm your father. I'm your real father."

But instead of comforting her, the words only seemed to confuse her more. Eva stared at him, her brow furrowed, as if trying to make sense of what he was saying. "No, you're not," she said softly, shaking her head. "You're Papa Emil. My daddy is with Mommy. I want to see them both."

Emil's heart sank further. She meant Dae Ho. The man she had come to know as her father in his absence. The man who had stepped in while Emil had been far away, caught up in his own mistakes, missing the chance to be a part of her life.

He reached for her hand again, trying to keep his voice steady. "Eva, I know it's confusing. But I am your daddy. I always have been."

But she just shook her head again, her face scrunched up in frustration. "No! You're not! You're just Papa Emil. Where's my daddy? Where's Mommy?"

The words cut deeper than any wound. Emil felt his chest tighten with a painful mixture of guilt and regret. He had hoped that in time, she would understand—maybe even accept him as her father. But now, faced with her innocent confusion and pain, he realized just how deep the divide was.

"I'm sorry, Eva," Emil whispered, his voice breaking as he pulled her gently into his arms. "I'm so sorry that you've had to go through this. I wish I could make it better for you... I wish I could make all the hurt go away."

Eva's small body trembled as she sobbed into his chest, her words muffled against his shirt. "I want my mommy and daddy... I want to be with them."

Emil's tears flowed freely now, mixing with the pain of a thousand regrets. He had missed so much—missed watching her grow, missed being there for her when she needed him most. And now, she didn't even know him as her father. To her, he was just Papa Emil—a stranger trying to fill the shoes of someone else.

"I promise you, Eva," Emil whispered into her hair, his voice raw with emotion. "I'm going to do everything I can to be the father you need. I love you more than anything, and I will always be here for you."

But as he held her, feeling the weight of her sadness and confusion, Emil knew that promises weren't enough. No words could undo the pain she felt, the loss she couldn't yet understand. She didn't want him—she wanted Jasmine. And Dae Ho.

"Please... I want to see them," Eva sobbed, her tiny hands clutching his shirt. "I want to be with Mommy and Daddy."

Emil's heart shattered. He couldn't take this away from her. He couldn't change the fact that, in her eyes, Dae Ho was her father and Jasmine was the mother she longed to see. All he could do was hold her and hope that one day, somehow, he could find a way to heal the wounds his mistakes had caused.

"I know, sweetheart," Emil whispered, his voice trembling as tears continued to fall. "I know..."

As the weight of Eva's sobs began to fade, Emil looked down at her tear-stained face, realizing something profound. This innocent little girl, the daughter he longed to protect and love, was caught in the crossfire of a battle she never asked to be part of. She was a victim of his mistakes, of Jasmine's choices, of the tangled web of lies and half-truths that had become their lives.

It wasn't fair. Not to her.

Emil swallowed the lump in his throat as he brushed her hair from her damp cheeks, a decision forming in his mind. For the sake of Eva, for the love he had for her, something had to change.

South Korea. Jasmine. Dae Ho.

Maybe... maybe moving back would be the answer. It wasn't a thought he'd entertained before, but as he looked at Eva's tear-filled eyes, he realized he couldn't keep her apart from the people she thought of as her family. He couldn't keep punishing her for the decisions he and Jasmine had made. Maybe it was time to reconsider everything—for Eva's sake.

Because she didn't deserve this. She deserved to have a family, not be caught between his war with Jasmine. And Emil, more than anything, didn't want to be the cause of her pain anymore.

"I'll make it right, Eva," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I promise."

And as he held her close, a new resolve settled within him: he would do whatever it took to make sure she wouldn't be a casualty of their broken past. Even if that meant returning to South Korea, facing Jasmine, and trying to fix the impossible.

For Eva, he would.