They Called Him Daddy

Five years ago…

  "Will you marry me?" A man with a handsome face, Edzel Swift was proposing to his longtime girlfriend Stacey Moore.

  He finally uttered the question that every woman on earth wanted to hear from their boyfriends.

  They were in a relationship for four years and they just graduated. So, here he was fulfilling the promise that he made to Stacey.

  His promise to marry the woman. The woman whom he wanted to carry his children and spend the rest of his life with.

  He waited for this moment for so long and now that the day had come, he couldn't feel more excited in his entire life.

  Stacey Moore felt like something had exploded in front of her because of what Edzel just said. She was staring at the man with shock registered in her face though it was something that she already expected to happen.

  Deep inside, her heart was swelling in joy because the man that she had loved didn't forget the promise that he had made to her.

  "Y---" but suddenly something had flashed in her mind. She stopped before she could say the word yes as an answer to Edzel's question.

  Stacey felt like there was a knife inside her chest that was slowly slicing her heart. There was a sensation of pain that started to cripple inside her body.

  She bit her lower lip and bowed her head. Stacey had to say no. She had to turn down his proposal no matter how much she wanted it.

  It was heartbreaking for her but she had no choice but to reject the man.

  She slowly shook her head as an answer to Edzel's question. She couldn't even lift her gaze to look at him.

  "I am so--- sorry," she said. She felt like a heavy object fell on her chest and she couldn't speak or breathe clearly. "Bu--- but I can't."

  And before her tears came out, she turned around and left Edzel alone inside the restaurant.

  She quickly left the place because she couldn't stand to see the hurt in his eyes.

  Stacey ran out of the restaurant while she was sobbing.?

  "I am so sorry," she kept on mumbling those words even if she was already far from her boyfriend.

  She hated what she did to Edzel.

  But she had to do it for her mother's sake.

  Beyond Edzel's knowledge, she already knew who he was and what kind of family he came from. His family, the Swift, had her mother and they wouldn't release her unless she broke up with Edzel.

  It was a clear deal. A deal that was sealed without the need of her word because she didn't have the power to disagree.

  For her to ensure her mother's safety, she had to end whatever was between her and Ezdel.

  She had to end a picture-perfect relationship and it never came in her mind that this day would come.

  When Stacey was ten years old, her father died in an accident with his employer. And then, an accident happened to her and her childhood friend which almost caused her life and her friend's life, that's when her mother decided to move to the city.

  For her mother to provide everything that she needed, she worked as a domestic helper at the Swift Residence, a well-known family in the place.

  Despite this fact, she had no idea that Edzel was a part of that family. She had no idea that he was an heir. All along, she thought that they were living in the same world.

  But, he was the sky and she was just a mud.

  Stacey and Edzel met in school when she was in college.

  Edzel had been very patient with her. He was a gentleman that's why she responded back to his love.

  The man never forced her with anything. She thought that their relationship would last long until today.

  And though they had been in a romantic relationship, she couldn't understand why Edzel didn't tell her about his identity. It was never obvious that he came from the Swift family because he was so simple. She wouldn't be able to know about it if it wasn't for his mother who came to their house the day of their graduation.

  Edzel didn't mention anything to her about what kind of life he was and how rich their family was. If his mom didn't come to her house on the day of their graduation day, she would have zero knowledge about the truth.

  Everything was still vivid to her.

  Stacey was waiting for her mother at home. She came back from the party of her best friend, Ariana. Her best friend held a party after she finished college and she was invited.

  While she was trying to get some rest, she heard a knock on the door and she immediately opened it, thinking that her mom might have forgotten the key from her work place.?

  But, her eyebrows were knitted together when she saw a woman that was not familiar to her.

  She quickly tried to search her mind where she had seen her but she couldn't find any fragments of her in her mind.

  She couldn't help but wonder what the woman was doing at the front of their house

  She looked at the woman.

  Stacey was surprised when she realized that the woman who was standing in front of her was all dressed up.

  She was wearing designer's clothes. Her jewelry was expensive and she couldn't deny that she looked like she came from a prominent family.

  "So," the woman finally spoke, which made her attention to be put on her. She seemed to look familiar but she couldn't just tell where she had seen her. "Are you Judy Moore's daughter?"

  She was shocked for a second. How did this woman know her mother's name. Stacey nodded to her as a response.

  "Well, I wouldn't be beating around the bush. Leave my son or see your mother behind bars. And, you know that it isn't impossible for me to send her in jail, right?" Mrs. Swift said straight to her face.

  She was stunned. She didn't even get the chance to respond because the woman immediately turned around and left her.

  She felt like she was a melting candle as she felt her knees literally trembling after she heard what the woman said.

  Stacey couldn't understand what the woman was talking about. Her mind was at loss when she closed the door.

  She stood up at the back of the door for a couple of seconds before she got back from her seat and decided to wait for her mother.

  Hours had passed and she didn't notice that she fell asleep.

  She opened her eyes slowly and she realized that her mom seemed not at home yet.?

  She checked the wall clock, it was already three in the morning.

  She looked around and she was right. Her mom wasn't at home yet.

  She picked her phone which she placed on the center table earlier and dialed her mother's phone number. Her heart started to beat fast when she wasn't picking up after a couple of rings.

  Stacey didn't want to think that the woman earlier was serious about what she said to her. Then, there's only one thing that she needed to do to get her mother back, she needed to break up with Edzel.

  She took a deep breath before she called Edzel. She told him that she wanted to meet him in the restaurant, their usual meeting place. She told him that they needed to talk.

  "Sure. I will see you there. I have to say something important as well," Edzel said before they ended the call.

  She could still remember how she wished that Edzel would just break up with her so it wouldn't be hard for her. Though, she knew that would be so far on what's going to happen because the man promised her that as soon as they graduated, he was going to marry her.

  So, with a heavy heart, Stacey finally arrived at the place they agreed to meet and Edzel was already there. He was waiting patiently for her like what the man always does.

  Edzel was wearing a fitted polo shirt that gave way to his biceps to be easily noticed. His muscles were firm and she knew how comfortable it was to be inside those arms.

  Her boyfriend and soon to be ex-boyfriend looked like a model. He was stunningly handsome. He had prominent jaws and his nose was his best asset. It was perfect as if it was drawn by the greatest artist in the world.

  The man waved at her. Her eyes met the pair of blue eyes that made the man more attractive.

  He was sitting in the corner of the restaurant near the glass wall. It was their favourite place at the restaurant.

  This was the place where ordinary people spend their time and that's one of the reasons she never thought that Edzel was not-so-ordinary man. It never came in her mind that Edzel was an heir, that the man came from a prominent family like the Swift.

  She felt like fate had hated her. Why did it need to happen when they love each other? Does their status in life matter? So, a rich man couldn't fall in love with a woman like her.

  They were into two different worlds. Their paths crossed but that's it, there's no way for the end of their roads to meet.

  Edzel was smiling sweetly at her while she was walking towards his direction. She felt like her whole world was slowly moving as she walked.

  She silently wished that Edzel was just an ordinary man.

  But, she knew what they had was not an ordinary love.

  Edzel was an heir and she was a poor woman. The love they had for each other needed to stop whether they liked it or not. Wealthy families have their rules when it comes to love and that's not to get hooked with poor people like her.

  They were like heaven and earth. The distance that they have between each other was undeniable. They were totally opposite but those opposite that couldn't attract each other because it would bring chaos.

  She was poor. She was able to enter college because of her hardworking mother and the scholarship that she had. Without that, she wouldn't graduate though she should admit that she graduated with honours which was something that she was proud of.

  She may lack financially but that never been a reason for her to do good in her studies.?

  While she was lacking a lot of things, Edzel was from a rich family and even if he wouldn't be working in his entire life, he wouldn't experience hardship unlike her.

  Edzel wouldn't get a day with an empty stomach even if he wouldn't lift a hand. Their situation was so different. Stacey and her mother needed to work to put food on the table or if not, they would die in hunger.

  She needed her mother.

  Her mother had sacrificed a lot of things just to give her a beautiful life. So, even if what she did breaks her heart into a thousand pieces, she had to do it.

  This time, she had to be the one to sacrifice her happiness for her mother's sake. Her mom loved her unconditionally and this was the least that she could do for her after being her mother and a father to her at the same time since her dad died.

  She finally turned her back to Edzel and she knew that there was no way of turning back.

  She needed to go far away to heal her broken heart.

  Stacey was just hoping that the woman she spoke to would be true to her words and will release her mother.

  Stacey never thought that this day would come that she would silently pray for Edzel to have a happy life.