Chapter 543

Caleb just stood there, not saying a word, his brow all scrunched up.

Mia chimed in, "Candy probably thinks this is gonna make you dump her. She doesn't mean any harm, though. It's normal for a kid to act out like this. She's probably scared now that you have Susan and Oliver, you won't want her anymore."

"She's my little girl, my pride and joy. How could I not want her?" Caleb said.

"That's how you feel, but she's still freaked out. Think about it, she just got out of a bad situation with her mom, and now you have kids with another woman..." Mia's heart hurt just thinking about it.

Caleb felt the weight of it too.

He hadn't done wrong by Grace, but he felt a ton of guilt towards Candy.

"I'll go check on her," Caleb said.

"Yeah, she just needs you right now."

Caleb gently pushed open the door, and Candy on the bed slowly opened her eyes.

"Not asleep yet?" Caleb whispered.

Candy shook her head, her voice muffled, "Daddy, I can't sleep. I'm so scared. Every time I close my eyes, I dream that you don't want me anymore."

Candy's sad little face tore at Caleb's heart. He really had been a crappy dad.

"Silly girl, you're my treasure. How could I not want you?"

"But Daddy has Susan and Oliver, so I'm just extra," Candy shot back.

"You will never be extra."

Candy bit her lip, whimpering, showing just how insecure she felt. "Daddy thinks that now, but after you marry Susan, you'll think I'm extra. I know, that day will come sooner or later. Daddy, I'm really scared," Candy said, almost crying.

"No, I will always love Candy the most."

"No, you won't... Daddy, I miss Mommy... Mommy only hit me because she was too sad. She still loves me. She used to be very good to me. Daddy, the teacher said everyone makes mistakes. Can you forgive Mommy and give her another chance? Daddy, I'm begging you..." Candy clutched Caleb's hand, crying and pleading, "Daddy..."

Each cry felt like a knife to Caleb's heart.

Caleb replied, "Candy, Daddy understands how you feel, but Daddy and Mommy have already separated. We can't go back."

"Daddy..."

Caleb continued, "Susan and Oliver both like you a lot. I know it's hard for you to accept them in a short time, but Candy, I promise that you will like them."

"I don't want to. I just want my own Mommy. Daddy, you don't really love me. If you did, you wouldn't marry another woman and have kids..." Candy started crying loudly, "Daddy is a bad person."

"Candy..."

"Go away, I don't want to see you. I want Grandma." Candy shouted.

"Candy..."

"Go away!" Candy covered her head with the blanket, shouting at Caleb through it.

Caleb felt very uncomfortable, feeling bad for both sides.

"Candy, you rest well. I'll go out first." Caleb sighed silently and got up to leave.

Candy cried even harder under the blanket.

Caleb sat in the room, lost in thought for a long time, until his phone rang.

He moved his lips, realizing they were parched, and his throat felt painfully dry.

"How's Candy? Is she okay?" Susan asked worriedly.

"She's fine. My mom is with her." Caleb replied.

"I'm sorry, I didn't watch her well today."

"It's not on you. You've already done so much. Thanks, Susan," Caleb's voice was all raspy, showing his gratitude. "It's not easy for you to accept Candy, but you're so good to her. I know it's tough."

Susan tried to comfort him, "Don't be silly. Since I decided to be with you, Candy is my daughter too. It's only natural for me to be good to my own kid, right?"

Caleb gave a bitter smile. "But it'll take time for Candy to accept you, and you might have to put up with some stuff."

He had no right to make her put up with that. He wanted her to be happy, without any hurt or hassle. If he couldn't do that, he'd feel like a total failure.

"She's just a three-year-old who's been through hell. It's normal to be more patient with her. Don't worry, I won't feel bad about it." Susan reassured Caleb, "You don't need to stress so much. I'm really okay."

"You're amazing."

Not every woman could be so understanding. He hadn't picked the wrong person.

"I wish you were here with me," Caleb murmured.

Susan replied, "You should stay home and spend more time with Candy these days. I'll be fine."

"Yeah, that's all we can do for now. I'm sorry, you want to see me but can't."

"Who said I want to see you? You're so full of yourself. I even find you annoying when you're around me all the time," Susan said, teasing him.

Caleb shot back, "Yeah, I know when a woman says she's annoyed, it means she wants to see him sooner. Just like when a woman says she hates something, it means she likes it. When she says she doesn't love, it means she loves. Same logic."

"Caleb, I seriously think you're overthinking this." Susan held back her laughter and said seriously, "I really find you annoying when you're around me all the time."

Caleb replied, "Really? I think you say you're annoyed, but deep down you like it a lot."

"You're so full of yourself. I can't argue with you."

They joked around a bit, and both felt better.

Susan said softly, "It's late. I need to rest. I have work tomorrow. You should sleep early too."

Hearing her gentle voice, Caleb's heart softened.

"Okay, I know. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

After hanging up, Susan's heart wasn't calm. She knew Candy had deliberately gotten lost to avoid her. She didn't blame her; instead, she was very worried that Candy might get into trouble again because of her.

Being a stepmom wasn't easy; she had known that for a long time. However, the situation was more intense than she had imagined.

Susan sighed silently.

But since she had already decided, she had to try her best. Feeling down and discouraged was useless. She had to give it her all. She believed Candy would accept her.

Susan knew she could never replace Grace in Candy's heart, but she never intended to. She just hoped to give Candy a warm home, to be there for her and guide her as she grew up. If Candy could see her as a friend, she would be very happy.

While brushing her teeth, Susan suddenly felt a wave of nausea, quickly squatting down over the toilet, but nothing came out. She just felt a tightness in her chest.

This was the third time this week, a familiar dull pain.

The next second, Susan's face turned pale as if struck by lightning. 'Could I be pregnant?'