"No." The girl leaned against the chair back, answering awkwardly.
"What's wrong? Can't I get full marks with this? Daughter, aren't your standards a little too high?" Her father joked.
She took a deep breath, a hint of sadness in her voice, "How great would it be if you weren't married?" There seemed to be a bit of complaint in her tone.
Upon hearing this, Algerone Swain was slightly taken aback.
Monica lowered her eyes, then let out a bitter smile, not wanting him to feel pressured, "But everyone has their own life, and no one can live in someone else's expectations."
Just as Algerone Swain didn't know what to say.
"So..." Monica turned her eyes, and spoke with a sense of relief, "I wish you well."
In fact, she was sad deep down, because her wish was going to be crushed, never to come true.
Algerone Swain didn't know what to say for a moment, looking at the daughter who had grown up beside him, recalling when he divorced her mother, she was just a little girl.
His heart was filled with guilt, wanting to make amends.
The car wasn't moving fast, and the time the father and daughter spent alone together was extended.
The car drove towards the small western-style building, and no one spoke to break the silence...
Algerone Swain was a very measured man. When he brought his daughter into the living room, Belinda, who had finished unpacking, had already come downstairs.
"The front door code is your birthday," he told his daughter. "A Mrs. Smith will come later to cook and clean. If you need anything, you can talk to her directly, or, of course, you can talk to me."
Belinda listened with a calm expression, her face serene.
Monica nodded, "Okay."
"I'll leave now." Algerone Swain glanced at the mother and daughter, then stepped away, giving them enough space, not to disturb.
When he was gone, Monica looked up and found her mother staring at her intently, causing her chest to slightly shrink, as if being judged.
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