Kiss the Scumbag-Chapter 43

Yujin froze at the soft voice. A part of him wanted to lie for the sake of Angela’s excitement, but he couldn’t. If she believed him and felt safe, the eventual day it all ended would only hurt more.

"Yeah, Angie. I’m sorry."

He looked into her face as he apologized. Yujin braced himself, thinking she might cry—but instead, his daughter wore a cautious expression and asked:

"Then I should be careful not to break anything, right?"

Her unexpected response took Yujin by surprise. Contrary to his fears, there were no tears in Angela’s eyes. Instead, she looked up at him, full of concern. Seeing her like that made Yujin think crying would’ve been easier to bear.

"It’s okay if something gets a little broken. Mr. Campbell’s rich."

He gently stroked her cheek, but Angela furrowed her brows and protested,

"But what if they make us pay for it? We don’t have money."

Yujin barely managed to swallow the sigh that rose up. It was his fault that a child so small was already worrying about money. Trying to ease her mind, he forced a smile.

"Didn’t I say that’s not the case anymore, Angie? Don’t think like that. You can play as much as you want. Mr. Campbell would probably prefer that."

To convince her, Yujin glanced meaningfully toward the playroom and continued.

"Think about it. Why would he buy all those toys if you were just supposed to look at them? If someone gives you a gift and you don’t use it, it makes them sad, right?"

Angela’s face visibly wavered. The idea of having to restrain herself from playing with all those toys was too much for a little girl. She hesitated, glancing toward the playroom, and Yujin gently patted her head.

"Got it? So it’s okay to play with them. Just make sure to say thank you to Mr. Campbell later, and that’s enough. Okay?"

She seemed to mull it over, then gave a small nod. Yujin smiled and picked her up, heading toward the playroom.

"So what should we play with first? Want to try the slide?"

When he asked, Angela hesitated before quietly saying, "The doll."

She picked up a baby doll that was clearly brand new and carefully pressed a toy bottle to its mouth. Watching his daughter be so cautious made Yujin’s chest ache. Even though he’d told her it was okay, it was clear how tense she was, afraid she might break something.

At the very least, while we’re here, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) I have to make sure Angie never lacks anything.

He didn’t know why Winston was doing all this, but as long as Angela was happy, that was all that mattered. No matter what Winston called him or how he treated him.

"Angie, how about we have breakfast on the balcony tomorrow morning?"

Yujin’s question made Angela look up in surprise.

"Can we really?"

"Of course. Though we might need permission from the room’s owner."

He added the last bit with a smile, and Angela’s face immediately tensed up.

"Who is it?"

Yujin made a mock-serious expression.

"Well... I hope they say yes, right?"

"Yeah."

Seeing her all stiff again, Yujin continued with exaggerated seriousness.

"Angie, there’s this really cute and cool girl. Do you think it’s okay if I have breakfast with her tomorrow on the balcony?"

"Huh?"

Angela blinked wide-eyed, not realizing he was joking. Yujin struggled to keep from laughing and spoke in an overly polite tone.

"She’s such a sweet girl, I really want to eat breakfast with her. Can I invite her to your balcony?"

Angela kept blinking in confusion. She was smart for her age, but maybe this one was a bit too tricky. Yujin finally burst out laughing.

"Angie, it’s your room! You have to give permission!"

"Uh—uh?"

Her eyes grew bigger and her expression slowly shifted into realization. Yujin beamed and said,

"Yeah, Angie. I’m asking you. The owner of this room."

"Ah... aah!"

Finally understanding, Angela’s mouth opened as wide as her eyes. She was just beginning to realize this was really her room. Watching the dawning awe spread across her face, Yujin asked gently,

"Is it okay, Angie? Will you let me?"

"Uh-huh!"

A beat later, she nodded. Her eyes, sparkling with joy, looked up at Yujin.

"Of course! Totally yes! I love it!"

She threw herself into his arms and smothered his cheek with kisses. Hugging her tightly, Yujin asked with a laugh,

"Want pancakes for breakfast tomorrow? With maple syrup? And milk?"

Angela couldn’t contain her excitement and let out a loud "Waaah!" as she danced around the room. Yujin watched her with a fond, contented smile.

Maybe it was the excitement from all the day’s events, but Angela had a hard time falling asleep. Yujin had deliberately given her an early bath, finished dinner, and dressed her in pajamas earlier than usual.

"I’m not sleepy yet, Daddy."

Seeing her wide-awake eyes, Yujin chuckled and caressed her cheek.

"You’ve got to sleep now if you want breakfast on the balcony tomorrow."

"Mm-hm."

She nodded obediently and climbed into bed, looking up at Yujin.

"Starting tonight, I sleep alone, right?"

"That’s right."

Yujin’s heart ached a little, but it was something she had to get used to eventually.

"I’ll stay until you fall asleep, Angie."

He thought about telling her a made-up bedtime story like usual, but then he had an idea.

"Want me to get you a doll? There were some pretty big ones. Want to hug one to sleep?"

He mentioned the plushies stacked in the playroom, and Angela, startled, quickly shook her head.

"No, it’s okay. Just Max is fine."

"Max?"

It was the very first doll Yujin had bought for her after she was born — the only one she had ever owned. Old, worn, and dirty. And then another thought struck him.

"Is it because you’re afraid the others might get damaged?"

He asked gently, and Angela didn’t answer right away. She looked down and hesitated, then mumbled softly,

"I just like Max."

Yujin looked at her for a moment and then brought the doll to her. Taking Max from him, Angela clutched it tightly in her arms and closed her eyes. Yujin sat at the edge of the bed and told her a story until her breathing settled into the deep rhythm of sleep. When he was sure she was truly resting, he kissed her forehead and quietly stepped out of the bedroom.

Now then.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Yujin involuntarily took a deep breath. Slowly letting it out, he steeled himself and looked to the side. Winston had already returned. Yujin had seen his car through the window.

He’s behind that door.

Looking at the tightly closed door, Yujin swallowed dryly. He felt an overwhelming urge to run — but he knew that was impossible. Forcing himself to think of Angela’s face, he willed himself forward.

He finally knocked, but there was no response. Was he already asleep? That would be nice.

But Yujin knew better than to hope. He took another deep breath before reaching for the handle. When he opened the door, the sound echoed through the quiet mansion, and his heart lurched in fear.

The moment the door creaked open, the familiar interior came into view. And the instant he spotted the man sitting by the window, legs crossed, Yujin froze in place, hand still on the doorknob.

Winston hadn’t even changed out of his vest — only his jacket and tie were gone. On the tea table beside him sat a bottle and a glass, the brown liquid inside nearly drained. Had he been drinking ever since he got back?

Even then, he was focused on tapping away at a tablet resting on his thick thigh. Occasionally, he glanced at his phone. Yujin figured he must’ve heard the door open — and yet he didn’t even look up. And somehow, Yujin understood exactly why.