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Even Vernon had to admit that Mackie was far more mature than him when he was her age. Because he saw the world as bleak and full of hatred, while Mackie could still see the love and hope in it.

'I think it's because of Chloe's education too. She is a great mother for that little girl,' Vernon thought.

But at the same time, he was also sad that Mackie's maturity shocked Chloe so much.

"Chloe..." Vernon called her name again. He thought Chloe wouldn't respond, but she did;

"Mm?"

"... You should be happy that Mackie is a smart and sensible kid," Vernon said. "She knows that you've been suffering this whole time with Vincent, and genuinely wants you to be happy."

"She handles this whole thing maturely, something even the young me can't do," Vernon admitted. "So don't be sad anymore. You did great as a mother. You've raised a sensible, smart, and kind little girl."

...

Chloe buried her face deeper into Vernon's chest. She said nothing at first but then opened her mouth after realizing she couldn't keep being upset.

"I know that I should be happy, because Mackie has grown up to be a sensible and smart little girl. Maybe it's also my fault because I tried to baby her too much, even though she's already seven years old," Chloe admitted. "I think I projected my own childhood onto her."

"Your own childhood?"

"Mhm. I wish I wouldn't mature too early when I was young, so I don't need to worry about anything and spent my childhood studying, playing, and having fun in general," Chloe said. "I want to give that life to Mackie. But fate brought me to Vincent, and... you know the rest...."

Vernon gritted his teeth. Knowing how toxic her family was, it wasn't surprising that Chloe was robbed of her childhood.

So it was natural for her to want the best childhood for Mackie since she couldn't enjoy hers.

But still...

"You may want to raise her with your standard. But Mackenzie is still her own person. She has independent thought no matter how much you try to control her," Vernon said. "You did great nonetheless. You've raised a sensible and smart little girl, in fact...."

Vernon gently pushed Chloe's shoulder until his arm's length, so they could stare into each other's eyes. He confessed, "You are a great caretaker in general, Chloe. You raised me well too. You're the only reason why I haven't turned into a monster like Vincent."

"So, I've never doubted you and your motherly instinct," Vernon said. "You just need to know that you can't fully expect Mackie to grow up like what you expected her to be."

"You also shouldn't try to hide anything from her. You don't need to tell her explicitly about Vincent. But you don't need to hide it anymore."

"But... What would happen If Mackie knows that her father is an abusive scum? Will it ruin her future? Will it ruin her view of men? What about the father figure in her life?" Chloe's mind was filled with anxiety.

"She will know about it eventually. If you keep lying to her, you'll only ruin your relationship with Mackie. She might blame you for hiding things for too long," Vernon said. "And no, her future and view of men will not be ruined. Because I will be her new father figure. I will raise her as my daughter," Vernon claimed boldly.

He had already claimed it a few times in front of Chloe, but Chloe was always unsure whether Vernon was ready to bear such a heavy responsibility as a father.

"I don't know if you're ready for it, Vernon," Chloe said. "After all, fatherhood wasn't something you do during your free time. You need to be present in the child's life, and you can't get bored of it, because a child is not a toy. They will always see you as their father, and you cannot simply leave when you are tired."

Naturally, Vernon knew and understood the role of a father.

He experienced a life where he was treated like a toy by his own family. His father treated him like an insignificant family member, almost like a toy. His Big brother treated him like an obedient pet, and his mother... he didn't even want to be reminded of that bitch's awful abuse towards him when he was young.

"You forgot that I don't have a good parent figure in my life," Vernon mentioned. "Naturally, I don't want to be an awful man like my Big brother and late father. I also don't want to be an abusive asshole like my mother. My desire to have a normal family is far bigger than you expected."

"I want to raise Mackie as my daughter. I want to have a family of my own, and I can only see it when you and Mackie are inside the picture," Vernon admitted. He thought there was no need to hide his own feelings at this point.

It was clear that he did everything for Chloe and Mackie. He did everything because he wanted a family, and no woman would do anything except Chloe.

Chloe wanted to deny Vernon's statement as she thought he was just making empty promises.

But she saw the spark of seriousness in his eyes. He also gave Chloe that pleading look, begging for Chloe to trust him and his promise to be a good father.

"Trust me, Chloe. Trust me with everything and I will give you the happy ending that you deserve," Vernon said.

Chloe kept staring into Vernon's eyes, and her heartbeat started accelerating.

She sighed defeatedly and murmured, "I really can't say no when you're pleading like that."

"R--Really? So you will accept me as Mackie's new father?" Vernon couldn't believe what he had heard just now. He confessed his desire to be Mackie's father because he truly cared for Mackie and Chloe deep down. He didn't expect Chloe to accept his plea.