"Daddy! Wake up, wake up, Daddy!"
"Huh?"
After waking up, Fred Cunningham looked at the timid little girl in front of him, asking bewilderedly, "Where am I?"
"Daddy! I'm Callie, why did you come to pick me up from school?" The little girl asked timidly.
"Callie? Are you Callie, my daughter?" Hearing this name, Fred’s eyes widened in an instant.
He gripped Callie's tiny arms urgently and asked, "Callie, is it really you? Where's your mother?"
"Wah…!"
Callie suddenly began crying loudly out of fear.
Fred jumped with fright, quickly pulling Callie into his arms.
"Callie, don't cry, don't cry, it's all Daddy's fault. Let's go home!"
At that moment, Fred was beyond moved.
Holding his daughter, he rose to his feet and saw a small blackboard next to the school gate with the date May 18, 1992, Monday, written in chalk.
Only when he saw this date, did Fred confirm that he had indeed been reborn.
Suddenly, his face changed dramatically.
If he hasn't remembered wrong...
His wife and daughter Callie were horrifically murdered tonight.
Even after thirty years, he remained penniless, spending his days on indulgences, and acting violently towards his wife.
At that time, although Fred was lucky enough to survive by a hair's breadth.
He lost his beloved daughter and wife forever.
Now, he had been reborn, and would definitely not allow such a tragedy to happen again.
Hence, Fred, holding his daughter Callie, hurriedly returned home.
The moment he opened the door, Fred was taken aback.
The room's familiar decorations were still in place, the walls were plastered with old newspapers, and there were cracks in several places.
A few yellowed celebrity posters were also affixed to the wall.
A wooden bed where three people could barely fit, on the old small table under the window sill, there were two Chinese porcelain bowls containing a small amount of pickles and two halves of steamed buns.
"Honey, you're home, come sit down and eat!"
As Fred was stunned, a familiar voice came from the small kitchen.
Fred turned his head towards the kitchen door, witnessing an emaciated yet stunningly beautiful woman in her twenties.
She wore a ponytail, but her bangs were let down in an attempt to cover the bruised part of her forehead, yet it couldn't hide her stunning features.
Her appearance, if put in the era of internet in the future, would undoubtedly make her an internet celebrity.
Indeed, this was the very woman, Madeline Blanton, who filled Fred with relentless heartache and eternally kept him in grief.
"Mom!"
At that moment, Callie, who was being held by Fred, suddenly struggled out of his arms and threw herself into Madeline's embrace.
Seeing his precious daughter, pale and thin, bearing the signs of malnutrition, nestled into her mother's arms, pain clenched at Fred's heart like a vice.
"Callie, be a good girl, go and sit down. It's time for dinner," Madeline gently caressed Callie's head before turning back into the kitchen.
"I'll help." Fred snapped back to reality and quickly followed her into the kitchen.
Fred walked over to the worn-out table holding two bowls of corn porridge.
Yet just as he was about to feed Callie, Madeline looked at him and managed to squeeze out a small smile before saying, “Darling, can we stay at home tonight?"
As she spoke, Madeline's gaze irresolutely flickered towards the space under the bed.
Seeing where Madeline was looking, Fred's pupils suddenly constricted.
Underneath the bed?
He suddenly remembered, at this very moment, how distraught he had made his dear wife Madeline.
That night, she had planned to set fire to the gasoline underneath the bed while he and Callie were sound asleep, intending to send all three of them to their deaths together.
However, in the heat of the moment, Fred had jumped through the window to call for help, only to return to a sight of devastation. His wife and child had already been burned to death by the fierce blaze.
"Fred, ever since I married you, I haven't experienced a day of happiness. You continually disappoint me. You're not fit to be a father, let alone a competent husband. I detest you!"
"This will be the last time we share a bed. If there's another life, I'll never marry you again."
These were the last words Madeline said to him that night.
And they became the regret Fred lived with for the rest of his life.
Even when he ended up becoming a billionaire, he could never make up for the regret and guilt he felt.
With these thoughts, Fred choked back tears, vigorously nodded, and said, "Alright, I won't go out tonight."
The tragedy hadn't happened yet, and he was determined to prevent it.
Fred grabbed Madeline's wrist and suddenly apologized, "Wife, I'm sorry, I'm not a human, I'm a beast."
At that moment, he felt overwhelming guilt. He did not treasure his virtuous and beautiful wife. He was worse than a beast.
"The sun hasn't set yet, Fred, what are you trying to do? Callie is still here!"
Madeline was startled by his actions, struggling and rebuking while doing so.
She thought that Fred’s animalistic instincts were acting up again.
In the past, whenever she resisted, Fred would beat and scold her indiscriminately.
Now, Madeline evidently wasn't willing to compromise anymore.
She glanced towards the direction under the bed as if her heart had turned into ashes.
"Honey, I didn't mean that, I was such a jerk before, it's me who wronged you. I'm so glad to see you again, I can hardly contain my excitement," explained Fred, pulling Madeline into his arms, choking back tears. "Honey, I, Fred, swear that if I let you down in this life, may I be struck by five bolts of lightning."
At this moment, Madeline went stiff.
So this jerk finally learnt to sweet-talk women.
Her heart was already so wounded that she no longer had the capacity to process such words.
She forcefully pushed Fred away, gazing at the jerk who would belittle and chastise her at every turn.
He always did this, falling to his knees in apology, only to return to his abusive ways later.
Even if he were to speak eloquent words of promise now, Madeline would no longer believe him.
Promises not to fail her? Go to hell!
"Mummy, mummy! Is daddy drunk again?"
Callie timidly ran over, tugging at Madeline's skirt, sneaking glances at Fred as she asked her question.
Even their daughter Callie didn't believe his words, showing just how poor an impression Fred left in the hearts of this mother and daughter in the past.
Fred hurriedly waved his hands, explaining, "Callie, daddy hasn't been drinking. Daddy will work hard to earn money from now on, so you all can enjoy a better life, I'll get you lots of pretty clothes and tasty food, okay?"
With that, Fred picked up Callie and planted a kiss on her cheek, promising, "Daddy guarantees that I'll not make mummy angry anymore."
Callie looked surprised, this sudden change in her father was too abrupt.
Fred knew that the mother and daughter were still skeptical and shocked about him at this moment.
However, he was not in a hurry as he believed that time could change everything.
After the meal, while Madeline was cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen,
Fred quietly took the half bucket of gasoline hidden under the bed and hid it somewhere outside.
Before going to bed, Madeline noticed the half bucket of gasoline she previously hid under the bed was missing.
Without guessing, she knew it was taken by Fred.
However, Madeline didn't care. If she really wanted to die, there were many ways to do it.
But Madeline suddenly had the idea of giving Fred one last chance.
Considering his behavior today, maybe he could really reform?
Thinking about the situation, Madeline's heart was filled with a hint of expectation.
At that time, Callie came over and asked, "Mom, Dad is different now, has he become better?"
"Maybe!" Madeline patted her daughter's head and smiled. "Callie, be good and continue playing, it’s still early."
At that moment, Fred suddenly came in with some pork and vegetables.
"Wife, I bought some vegetables. Just wait a little, I am going to prepare dinner. We can have a good meal today, and I will earn money from tomorrow so that you guys can eat meat every day."
Without waiting for Madeline to reply, Fred headed straight to the kitchen to start cooking.
This scene left both Madeline and Callie gobsmacked.
