“You wanted the amusement park? Fine. Hector and I had gave up our time for you. Your kid was bleeding? I had sent over some band-aids. But if you come up with one more excuse to interrupt me and Hector today, I swear I won’t let it slide.”

Regina was still yelling through the phone, but I wasn’t listening anymore.

I just held my daughter tighter, calling her name, gently rubbing her little hands that had already gone cold and stiff.

“Regina,” I said quietly, “It doesn't matter if you want to believe me or not, but I never did anything to harm your baby with Hector. I didn’t even know you had one.”

I felt like the life had been drained from me. “Fact remains that you killed my daughter. I want a divorce.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before I heard Regina scoff coldly.

“Still trying to play the victim, huh? Luciano, your performance is getting old.”

Then she hung up.

I stood there in a daze, still cradling my daughter’s body and walked over to Gloria.

The moment she saw us, she knew. Her eyes welled with tears. There was no saving Claudia now.

“This is my fault,” she whispered. “I should’ve never forced you to marry Regina just because I once saved your life. I used that debt to make you save the Seco Enterprises when we were drowning.”

Then she looked at me, her voice shaking.

“But Luciano… for the sake of everything we’ve been through, please… give Gina one more chance. Before Hector came back, you three were happy. She did love you. It’s just… she’s been blinded by him all over again.”

Her words stirred up memories I’d buried.

Ten years ago, Hector had left Regina in the hospital after a car crash, stole 300 million from the company and vanished. The Seco Enterprises collapsed overnight. They couldn’t even afford Regina’s hospital bills.

That’s when Gloria came to me. I was already a rising executive at a rival firm. She was an old woman then, but she still knelt in front of me, begging me to marry Regina and take over the failing Seco Enterprises.

And I said yes.

I had never forgotten how, when I was just a boy, Gloria had saved my mother’s life by finding a specialist when no one else could. She had paid for my schooling all the way through college.

I agreed to marry Regina out of gratitude.

Over the next three years, I rebuilt Seco Enterprises from the ground up. I stayed by Regina’s side through her stroke recovery, from her hospital bed to the wheelchair and eventually to her feet again.

After she gave birth to our daughter, I stepped away from work and devoted myself entirely to raising Claudia, so Regina could return to the career she loved.

For ten years, I gave everything I had to Regina and the Seco family. Now… I had lost my daughter. The only gift the Secos ever gave me was gone.

I looked at Gloria, tears streaming down her face and slowly shook my head.

“I gave her ten years of my life. My marriage. She didn’t deserve to throw that away like it meant nothing.”

“I repaid my debt to the Secos ten years ago. Now it’s time Regina repaid hers, to me.”

With burning eyes, I carried Claudia to the morgue.

The moment the mortuary attendant left after returning Claudia’s personal belongings, my whole body trembled.

“Claudia,” I whispered, “Daddy will make this right. I swear I’ll get justice for you.”

Gloria couldn’t stop crying.

“I’ve caused you so much pain... I have no right to stop you now. But Luciano, if Gina ever comes to her senses — if she truly changes — could you find it in your heart to give her another chance?”

I wiped away the last tear from my cheek and looked her straight in the eyes.

“When Claudia was crying and begged Regina to come, why couldn’t she give her daughter one more chance?”

Then I turned and walked out, Claudia’s death certificate clenched tightly in my hand.

I went home to pack up our things, mine and Claudia’s.

The moment I opened the door, I was hit by a thick, sickening scent... and the floor was littered with Smurf toys scattered on the floor.

Hector looked up at me, eyes glinting with smug satisfaction. He didn’t even stop. In fact, he moved harder, more deliberate.

“Gina,” he said mockingly, “your husband’s back. Should I get going? Or are you gonna make him watch? You know how he gets. Poor Claudia… had to start faking tears and playing games just to keep her daddy from losing it. Kid was a real little actress.”

“Luciano! Don’t you dare walk away from me!” Regina snapped. “You think I’m just gonna let this slide? You killed Hector’s baby—and I haven’t even started holding you accountable for that. What, you think I won’t come after you?”

“I already told you, I didn’t even know you were pregnant, let alone hurt anyone,” I said, voice cold and flat. “And I’m tired of saying it. Believe whatever the hell you want.”

She let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Keep telling yourself that. It won’t change anything. Truth is, you were never fit to be Claudia’s father anyway. Maybe it’s time I let Hector take over, let him be her dad.”

I didn’t respond. I just turned and headed upstairs. But Regina grabbed my arm, her tone shifting.

“Fine, if you won’t let Hector raise Claudia, then I’ll give him another baby. But you’d better not get jealous — if he’s staying, you need to accept that.”

“Do whatever you want,” I said flatly.

A flicker of uncertainty passed through her eyes before she sneered again.

“If you’re really that understanding, then clear out the master bedroom. Hector and I will need it — you know, for the baby-making. And while you're at it, grab us some wipes and rip open some more of those damn Smurfs.”

“Oh, and Hector got a little too excited earlier — tore one of my limited-edition lingerie pieces. Be a dear and stitch it up for me.”

She hurled a piece of damp and torn fabric at me, with a crushed Smurf doll. The edge of the foil packaging sliced across my cheek, leaving a shallow but bleeding cut.

Disgusted, I shook the lingerie off my shoulder and hurled the toy straight at them.

“You done now? Or do I get to leave?”

Regina blinked, unsure for the first time. Meanwhile, Hector still sprawled half-naked beside her. He just smirked and picked up right where they’d left off.

I didn’t care. I turned away from their sick little scene and headed upstairs without another word.

In my room, I carefully folded Claudia’s tiny clothes and laid them in her suitcase. Then I pulled out the photo album, the one I had made just for her.

Page after page, her bright little face smiled back at me like she was still here, full of life. Then, the heavy unstoppable tears came.

Just a day ago, my daughter was still talking to me.

“Daddy, don’t be sad,” she had said. “Mom’s just really busy with work, that’s why she can’t be with us.”

“Mom works so hard… so this year, I won’t wish for her to come to the amusement park with me. I’ll wish for her to finally get a day to rest.”

I sobbed into the tiny shirt that still carried her scent. Claudia was so thoughtful, always trying to understand her mother. Yet, her mother chose to send her to her death on her birthday of all days.

After packing up all of Claudia’s things, I called my lawyer and made arrangements to leave.

As I came downstairs, I stopped short at the sight in the kitchen, two barely-dressed bodies tangled together against the counter. Hector’s exposed chest was covered in red marks, as if proudly showing off their night.

“Mr. Andino,” he said with fake concern, “Gina only did this to make up for the pain you caused me. Don’t blame her. And maybe stop filling a kid’s head with your bitterness. What if she grows up to be just like you?”

Then, with an exaggerated sigh, he added, “I heard today’s Claudia’s birthday? What a shame. It also happens to be the 5,200th day since Gina and I first met. She swore she’d celebrate every one of our milestones in style. Guess that’s why she ditched you two.”

He smiled, full of smug pride despite his supposed apology. “Anyway, I baked a mango cake for you both, a peace offering. I hope you’ll accept it.”

I didn’t have the energy to respond to his acts. I just wanted to bury my daughter and be done with this nightmare.

As I silently left, Regina misunderstood. She thought I was giving Hector the cold shoulder.

“Where the hell are you going?” she snapped.

Then she ordered one of the bodyguards to grab me. The man shoved me forward, slamming me face-first onto the kitchen counter.

“Did your manners rot along with your pride, Luciano?” Regina sneered. “Hector is being kind enough not to hold a grudge against you or your brat and you stand there acting like you’re too good for us?”

“Where’s Claudia?” Regina snapped. “Where are you hiding her? Bring her back so she can finish this cake and apologize to Hector!”

“Claudia’s dead,” I said through clenched teeth, fighting the burning pain in my chest. “If you want someone to eat that cake, let it be Hector—in hell!”

“You’re disgusting!” she shouted, eyes blazing. “Jealousy has made you so twisted, you’d curse your own daughter just to get back at me?”

Her fury boiled over. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did back then. After my accident, it was Hector who stayed by my side, he told me everything! I gave birth while I was still unconscious and you killed our child. You forced Hector out of the country, stole the company shares, did everything in your power to erase him!”

She was trembling with rage now. “I kept quiet all these years out of gratitude — for you sticking around, for raising a family with me. But you weren’t satisfied. You kept bullying Hector and now you're cursing my daughter.”

At her signal, the bodyguard twisted my arms behind my back and pinned me to the counter. Regina grabbed a handful of greasy mango cake and started shoving it into my mouth.

The scent hit me first, mango. I began choking almost immediately, my throat tightening, lungs gasping for air.

“Let me go!” I wheezed. “Regina… you know I’m allergic to mango—”

She paused for a second, but turned ruthless the next second.

“Oh, please. After everything you’ve done to Hector, you think this is some kind of tragedy? It’s just an allergy. You’re not going to die. Stop being so dramatic. You're a grown man. Now finish the damn cake and apologize.”

My throat swelled faster than I could speak. My eyes burned and puffed shut. Breathing felt like sucking air through a straw. Darkness started creeping in from the edges of my vision.

Then I stopped struggling. The moment my hands went limp, Regina froze. Panic flickered across her face.

“Where’s his allergy meds? The ones he keeps in the house! Find them! Now!”

Someone must’ve found them, because minutes later I was swallowing the bitter pills and little by little, air trickled back into my lungs. My vision blurred, my face burning, but I could breathe.

I opened my swollen, bloodshot eyes.

Regina let out a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. “Alright,” she said, her voice uneven. “You and Hector are even now. But I want your word—swear to me that from now on, you’ll never hurt Hector or his child ever again.”

“Hector’s a rising star in the business world now. He’s got real potential.” She smirked. “You, on the other hand, get to lounge around playing house all day. So do the decent thing—promise you’ll help him raise his kid. Treat the child like your own.”

She looked pleased with herself, already spinning fantasies in her head. “I’ll make time to visit you and Claudia once or twice a week. That should be enough.”

I said nothing. Her smile faltered.

“What are you even angry about?” she snapped. “If you hadn’t meddled all those years ago, our baby wouldn’t have died. Hector wouldn’t have been forced to leave the country. And I wouldn’t have had to give up everything just to marry you for the company shares. Don’t you get it? By now, our child would be the same age as Claudia.”

Her voice rose, “Everything you and Claudia have, it was all stolen from Hector! So what right do you have to be upset?”

I couldn’t take another word. I cut her off, my voice hoarse with rage. “Don’t you dare talk about my daughter again. I’m done. I’ve already sent you the divorce papers. You can go back to Hector.”

She laughed, “Fine. But don’t think I won’t fight for custody. I’ll hire the best lawyers money can buy. You think a deadbeat like you stands a chance?”

Then her tone turned mocking. “Unless you want to lose Claudia too, you’d better get on your knees and apologize right now.”

That was it. I pulled out the document I’d been holding and threw it at her.

“You want to talk about Claudia? She's dead! Read this!”

Regina picked it up, confused, then froze. It was Claudia’s death certificate. Her name—“Claudia Andino”—stared back in stark black ink on white paper.

Regina staggered back like she’d been physically struck. “No... That’s not possible…”

Before I could speak, Hector suddenly chimed in, glancing at his phone. “Wait, that’s weird. Claudia’s nanny just texted me—she says Claudia’s been crying nonstop, looking for you.”