Chapter 10
“I’m not Daniel’s father,” Ethan immediately denied it. “I’m here to pick Callie up.”
Anna looked bewildered. She had always assumed Callie was fatherless because Faith was the one sending her to school and picking her up.
“Stop joking around..Callie doesn’t have a father.”
Ethan’s expression fell. His voice grew stone–cold. “I am really Callie’s father. Where is she?”
Amidst her astonishment, Anna replied with a sneer, “I’m sorry. Everyone thought you were Daniel’s father. Callie has applied to drop out of school. Did her mother not tell you?”
Do you know where she went?” Ethan pressed on.
Anna shook her head, feeling sorry for Faith and Callie for having to put up with a deadbeat husband and father.
Losing all her respect for Ethan, she taunted him, “How could I possibly know where she went when her own father had no idea?”
“I know! I know!” A young boy jogged over. “Callie’s mommy is a homewrecker. She went home to Homewrecker County with Callie!”
Anna looked aghast. “Stop with the nonsense! That was very rude of you!”
“Ms. Burns, he isn’t speaking nonsense. Daniel told us that Callie’s mommy took his daddy from him. She ruined his family. Daniel said that Callie had gone back to Homewrecker County with her mommy.”
A deep frown crossed Ethan’s forehead. Looking grim, he demanded, “What else did Daniel say to you?”
“Daniel said Callie was a bastard child. He always snatched her things and told her to get lost. He told Callie that Daddy only loves him.”
A homewrecker? A bastard child?
Ethan held his breath. An invisible hand seemed to grip his heart, and he was overcome by a wave of pain.
Callie had endured such injustice out of his sight, yet she had never cried about it or complained to him. The children’s words drove a knife into Ethan’s heart.
What had he done to subject Faith and Callie to such cruelty? (1
That explained why they had been treating him with increasing coldness.
Sensing that Ethan was distraught, Anna quickly grabbed the two kids and made them leave.
Ethan clenched his fist and asked Anna, “When did Callie quit school? As her father, I have a right to know.”
