5

"Dinda, honey, let's go back to sleep," Sebastian said softly, holding back the emotional turmoil that was still swirling inside him. He looked at his daughter lovingly, realizing that this argument was not something a child should hear. "Mommy and daddy are just talking, there's nothing for you to worry about."

Dinda stood in the doorway, confused. Her eyes moved from Sebastian to Sara, then to the lawyer sitting quietly beside her mother. Her expression did not show fear, but confusion, as if she was trying to understand this complicated situation. Sebastian's heart sank when he saw his daughter's innocent face.

He opened his arms, wanting to hug Dinda, trying to give her the sense of security she needed.

"Come here, honey. Daddy's here."

However, Dinda did not immediately run into his arms. Instead, she looked at her mother, then turned to the lawyer who was sitting calmly, not the least bit disturbed by the tension in the room. Dinda hesitated for a moment, then what happened shocked Sebastian and broke his heart instantly.

Dinda ran, but not towards him. He ran towards the lawyer, hugged him tightly and, in a small but clear voice, called out, “Dad.”

Sebastian froze in place. The words were like a hard slap in the face, jolting his entire consciousness. His eyes were in disbelief, observing the scene that seemed like a nightmare. How could it be? How could Dinda call this stranger ‘Dad’? Then, suddenly everything became clear—this lawyer was not just a professional who was handling their divorce. He was his wife’s lover, the man who had ruined their lives, the man who even dared to sit in front of him, acting as a mediator.

Anger bubbled up inside Sebastian. His fists clenched tightly, his breath quickened. Without thinking, he stepped forward, wanting to punch the man in the face, shattering the fake calm he was showing.

However, before his fist could be raised, the lawyer turned around with a cold smile and said in a calm voice.

“Sebastian, this kind of action won’t help. A man with violent tendencies will never win custody of the child. You know that, right?”

Those words made Sebastian stop. His anger was still boiling, but his brain was starting to work. He knew that once he struck, everything he had fought for would fall apart. One small mistake, and Sara would use it to destroy his hopes of getting Dinda. Still gasping for breath, Sebastian lowered his fists, trying to control himself.

"So, this is what you did?" he said, staring at Sara sharply. "You planted bad ideas in Dinda. You let her call this man 'Daddy'! You are simply not fit to raise our daughter!"

Sara, who had been watching with a sneer, now laughed softly.

"Sebastian, don't overdo it. Dinda is just following what she knows. This man—" Sara glanced at the lawyer with false warmth, "—he is always there for her. He buys her toys, gives her the attention you never could because you are too busy working. I told her to call him 'Daddy' because that is what is best for her. Dinda does not need a father who is only physically there, but never really present."

Sebastian felt as if his heart was being punched repeatedly. He struggled to keep his voice under control, but anger and sadness spilled out at the same time.

"Dinda is my daughter! I worked hard to give you the best life, and this is your reward? You twist the truth in front of our child!"

Sara shrugged nonchalantly, as if untouched by his attack.

"Sebastian, no matter how hard you try, Dinda has already decided. She will never choose you."

Sebastian just stood there, his body stiff. Dinda, his flesh and blood, was hugging another man as if he were her father. And before him, Sara, the woman he once loved, stood with a satisfied smile, knowing that for now, he was in complete control of Dinda and her future.

Sebastian looked at his daughter softly, his eyes filled with hope that he held tightly. In a situation filled with hatred and betrayal, only Dinda gave him a reason to survive. Only Dinda kept him standing strong in the midst of the storm. Even though things had gotten worse with Sara, and his wife’s betrayal had brought his world crashing down, Sebastian was convinced that his love for Dinda would be the last link between him and the happiness they once had.

“Dinda,” he said in a voice filled with affection, slightly shaking with emotion. “You want to live with Dad, right? We can live a happy life together. Dad promises to always be there for you.”

Dinda frowned for a moment, seemingly thinking. Sebastian waited for the answer with bated breath, hoping that the words that came out of his daughter's mouth would heal the wounds in his heart. But then, Dinda said in an innocent tone, "I want to live with Mommy... and Rich Daddy."

Sebastian fell silent. His heart seemed to stop beating, and time seemed to slow down.

"Rich Daddy?" he whispered, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Yes, Mommy said Rich Daddy bought me toys and took me out. I like him. I want to live with Mommy and Rich Daddy."

Those words hit Sebastian like a hard slap that shattered all his beliefs. A feeling of deep pain crept into his heart, more painful than all of Sara's betrayals. Dinda, his little daughter who he had always considered the light of his life, was now affected by Sara's lies and manipulation. How could her child choose a stranger who was not even related to him by blood?

"Dinda..." Sebastian called her softly, but his words were drowned in emptiness.

As Sebastian felt the world crumbling around him, the lawyer, with a calm yet disturbing demeanor, leaned forward and stared at him coldly.

“Sebastian, it’s time for you to sign this agreement,” he said, sliding the document toward Sebastian, as if the entire conversation had been an unimportant formality.

Sebastian ignored the lawyer. His mind was still filled with the pain that was constantly pounding at him. How could this be? How could Dinda, his daughter, choose a man who wasn’t even her biological father?

However, the lawyer remained calm. Seeing Sebastian’s lack of reaction, he added,

“You know, even if you don’t sign it, it won’t be a big deal. The judge handling this case… she’s my aunt. We’ve already discussed this. So whether you sign or not, the outcome will be the same. Sara will get custody.”

Sebastian’s eyes, once filled with confusion, now stared intently at the lawyer. There was something in the man’s tone that made him uncomfortable, and a deep sense of distrust began to creep up on him.

The lawyer leaned forward, his voice dropping to a cold whisper, a deadly secret.

“Oh, and one more thing,” he said in a dismissive tone. “Dinda is not your biological daughter, Sebastian. I am her biological father.”

Sebastian fell silent, his body frozen. The world that had collapsed around him was now completely shattered. The man’s words cut deep, tearing apart every illusion that remained. Dinda… his daughter… was not his. She was the result of Sara’s betrayal, a betrayal greater than he had ever imagined.

His hands clenched on the table, as if trying to gain control over the reality that had just been thrown at him. However, the reality was too cruel, too devastating. The lawyer sat with a relaxed attitude, a cold smile on his lips, while Sara remained silent, not trying to deny what had been revealed.

Sebastian could only stare blankly, feeling devastated, both as a husband and as a father.