?Chapter 599:


    “Mom.” Joy’s spirits seemed to lift a bit. “Why doesn’t Dad ever call me? You called me even when you were busy.”


    Hadley had oncee to Srixby alone and would often pick up the phone to talk to Joy.


    She froze, a chill running through her.


    Hadley’s heart ached so deeply it felt as if it might stop.


    Choking back tears, she said, “That’s because Dad’s work is special. He can’t just make calls.”


    Lies flowed easily, but she preferred crafting a fairytale for Joy rather than revealing the truth about her father’s coldness and irresponsibility.


    She would shoulder the burden of Eric’s disdain alone.


    Joy would remain blissfully unaware of who her father really was; she would live in a beautiful illusion about him.


    Her Joy had already been dealt a tough hand; Hadley couldn’t bear to add more sorrow.


    “I see.” Joy epted her mother’s words, nodding with innocent belief.


    “I will wait at home for Dad.”


    “Good girl.”


    For a fleeting moment, a sharp pang pierced Hadley’s heart, and she struggled to meet her daughter’s gaze.


    Joy would never get the chance to meet her father…


    Just as Hadley had once been, a child cast aside by her own father.


    In a moment of daze, Hadley saw her younger self crying out loud.


    “Dad, please! I’m begging you! Dad, please take me with you. I promise to be good, I won’t eat much, and I’ll help take care of my siblings…”


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    Throughout the night, Hadley drifted in and out of restless dreams, waking with puffy eyes and a throbbing headache. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she found her daughter, Joy, curled up peacefully in her arms.


    “Sweetheart,” she whispered, pressing a tender kiss to Joy’s forehead. Just then, her phone buzzed, pulling her attention to a new message from Eric.


    “Good morning, darling. I’ve headed to the office. I’ll be there to pick you up after your performance tonight.”


    Hadley rolled her eyes and turned off her phone screen, choosing not to reply.


    Arriving early at the dance studio, Hadley was greeted by Elissa, who pulled her into a tight hug. “Hadley!”


    “Elissa!” Hadley hugged her back, her voice bright with relief. “It’s so good to see you’re doing well!”


    Elissa grinned. “Yes, I’m feeling much better! But there’s something you should know…” She hesitated before continuing. “We won’t be performing starting this weekend.”


    Hadley’s eyes widened. “What? Howe? Who told you?” Her mind raced with worry about the uing shows.


    “Didn’t you check the bulletin board when you came in?” Elissa asked, a yful smirk tugging at her lips. “It was Ms. Nicolson’s decision.”


    nche, the troupe leader, had made the difficult call to pause performances following the the scandal, which had left the group exhausted and demoralized. After much deliberation, the leadership agreed that a break was necessary to recover.


    Ding! Ding!


    Both Hadley and Elissa’s phones buzzed simultaneously, lighting up with a notification from their workgroup. Scanning the message, they read about the halted performances—but also the new tasks assigned to them.


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