That little girl—Vivi—was upset.
She had reached the end of her tiny rope. All she wanted was a simple apology from her daddy. Just one. After all, he had been nothing but rude to her since yesterday.
Even when she tried her best to show him how sincere she was—singing him a soft lullaby, or offering him her favorite snacks—this cold-hearted daddy didn't even flinch. Instead, he kept threatening to hit her little butt with a slipper. The final straw had come earlier that day. He didn't help her change her clothes. Not even a button. And worst of all, he still kept forgetting her name.
No matter how many times she stood in front of him, puffed out her chest, and clearly repeated, "My name is Vivi," it never seemed to stick. He would just grunt and call her "you" or "brat." Over and over again. As if she were invisible.
Vivi, of course, remembered what her mommy once said—that people who forget things quickly are just like goldfish. Their memory is tiny and slippery. Just like their brains. She had nodded thoughtfully back then, not really understanding. But now, after meeting this forgetful daddy of hers, Vivi was starting to believe it.
In her mind, she was already making a list about her father. The kind of list only a serious little girl like Vivi would keep.
First: this daddy is poor. She remembered it so clearly—him saying the words "can't afford" to her yesterday. That had shocked her. Could her mommy have made a mistake? Had she picked the wrong man to be Vivi's daddy? Because if he couldn't afford to raise her, then clearly… he must be poor. That made a deep impression.
Second: he has a very short memory. He couldn't even remember her name, even after she said it so many times. Vivi began to think maybe it was because he hadn't eaten properly. She recalled watching an educational show once, where they explained that people who don't eat enough become weak and lose focus. Maybe that was her daddy's problem.
And finally: this daddy is just plain rude. And bad. Her mommy had warned her. "All daddies are bad people," she had said. At the time, Vivi had simply nodded and let it pass. She didn't really take it to heart. But now? Now she was experiencing it for herself. Daddy number one was mean. He ignored her. He forgot her name. He didn't even offer her food. And that made Vivi feel sad. Deeply, seriously sad.
She was only a baby. Why did she have to suffer like this? Huu… Vivi's big eyes welled up with emotion. She suddenly missed her mommy. She wanted her mommy to hold her tightly again.
Still no response from him.
She turned her head slowly. He was still sitting there—cold, unmoved, eyes glued to that bright laptop screen like nothing else mattered. Vivi let out a loud popping sound with her lips, a small act of protest. Then she leaned back on the sofa, arms crossed, face puffed with frustration. Her tummy grumbled softly. She was hungry again.
Timidly, she called out to her daddy one more time. Her voice was small. Hopeful.
Nothing.
No answer. No glance.
That was it.
With a furious little huff, Vivi jumped up on the sofa. She marched toward the door with purpose in her steps and a pout on her lips. If this bad daddy wasn't going to take care of her, then she'd find someone who would.
She remembered the kind sister from yesterday—the one who gave her fried chicken and fries. That sister was nice. That sister smiled at her and didn't call her "brat." If Vivi acted cute enough again, maybe—just maybe—that sister would feed her again.
She reached for the door. Her little hand stretched as far as it could go, fingers fumbling to grab the doorknob.
But just as her fingers brushed it—
BANG!
The door suddenly burst open.
The moment the door burst open, a loud thud followed right after.
Poor Vivi, who had been trying so hard to reach for the doorknob with her tiny fingers, was knocked off balance by the sudden force of the opening door. With a surprised gasp, her little body went tumbling backward and hit the floor. Thankfully, the thick carpet underneath cushioned most of the impact, and her trusty backpack—still strapped to her—absorbed the rest of the fall.
Still, it had all happened so fast. Vivi didn't even try to get up right away. She just lay there, sprawled out flat on her back, arms and legs stretched out in all directions. Her big round eyes stared at the ceiling in silent defeat.
At that moment, she wasn't angry or hurt—just dramatically heartbroken. In her tiny heart, Vivi genuinely believed she might be the unluckiest baby in the entire world. First, a cold and mean daddy who kept ignoring her… and now, a random door attack? Truly tragic.
While Vivi lay there contemplating the injustices of toddler life, the man who had so carelessly burst into the office marched forward without even noticing the little girl he had flattened. His shoes pounded heavily on the carpet until he reached Stanley's desk. And then—bam!—he slammed both hands down onto the polished surface with no regard for volume or manners.
Stanley didn't even flinch.
He had long since learned not to react to this particular individual's dramatic entrances. However, that didn't mean he appreciated them. His brows furrowed sharply, and he gave the man a cold, unimpressed glance. This again.
Why—why—couldn't this man act like a normal, functioning adult for once? Was it really so hard to knock and speak at a decent volume like everyone else?
"Dude!" the man all but shouted, leaning across the desk dramatically. "How could you do this to me?! I thought we were friends!"
Stanley barely looked up from his laptop screen. "I'm busy," he said coolly, typing another line with no pause.
The man, completely unbothered by the dismissal, flailed his arms for emphasis. "Busy?! Busy?! I thought we were sworn brothers! You—you dared to hide this from me?! You went and secretly married someone?! And you didn't even tell me?!"
Stanley sighed.
Meanwhile, still on the floor, Vivi blinked slowly.
This was the second adult today who had ignored her existence entirely.
She made a loud popping sound with her lips—again—a signal of protest, though no one seemed to hear it.
Her tummy gave a tiny growl. She was hungry. Again.
Still no response from daddy.