Father's Struggle

My little baby girl had just gotten a boyfriend.

Althea… That little girl who I'd loved with all my heart… She actually went and got herself a boyfriend without me knowing.

No, I'd expected that this day would come sooner or later. When I first saw her beautiful face as she popped out from my wife, I knew that my daughter would be popular with the boys. As she grew from a toddler to an infant, it became increasingly apparent that it would be even more so.

She inherited my wife's hair and her stunning, ethereal looks. Just that alone would contest her as the top ten in the nation. But, Althea got my distinct emerald eyes as well. Being a father, I was delighted that she got something from me. The problem was… Althea had become too dazzling for her own good.

I might be biased, but I knew from the beginning that Althea was going to be one of the most beautiful girls in the world.

That's why I did my best to protect her, to shelter her from the wolves for as long as I could. At least until she could fend for herself.

I enrolled her into all-girls schools with the best programs. I ignored any calls from agents who wanted her to be a child model. I prevented any harm that might have befallen her. But alas… No girl could be sheltered from the world forever.

Like any young girl, Althea would dream of having a loving relationship, so much so that it had become a yearning for her. So, I guess it was inevitable that she would get a boyfriend…

"Oh, you're back already?"

Holding back my sigh, I sauntered into my home, where I was greeted by my wife. She was dressed in her nightgown and was wearing her signature reading glasses while holding today's papers.

"Yeah, I dropped Althea off at her apartment."

"Haha, I bet you a hundred dollars that she isn't there. She's probably at Desir's apartment." Maya said with a soft laugh. "That girl has been missing her boyfriend throughout the week, after all."

"... I don't like it."

"Oh, don't be that way," Maya dropped her paper and stared right at me. "They're in love! It's a good thing that they have found each other!"

"I know," I grumbled. "That's why I didn't do anything to separate them."

I saw how much Althea was looking forward to her return. It wasn't just that, throughout the week that she'd spent with us, my baby girl was basically attached to her phone. While she did spend time with us, most of her day was spent staring at her screen.

Even when I dropped Althea off, she only said goodbye to me once before running up to the lift. That maiden expression and pure desire to see her boyfriend… As much as it irked me to see it, I could tell that Althea was genuinely in love.

"I just hope that he doesn't do anything to hurt her."

"..."

"What?"

I got annoyed after seeing Maya's knowing grin. It was the face of a person who had found a desire to tease their favourite toy.

"Dear, are you telling me that you didn't do a background check on Desir?"

"... Of course I did."

If it were two years back, I would have respected Althea's privacy. She was a grown woman, after all. I couldn't be vetting every single person that came into her radar.

But… All of that changed after that incident.

It was my greatest failure. My daughter, my precious beloved that I would protect over my own life… She was actually sexually assaulted.

Fortunately, there was someone present to stop that brat from going too far, but still… The fact remained that my daughter's virtue was almost ruined that night.

When I first heard the news, I dropped everything I had and returned to the country. I didn't care if the Prime Minister wanted me to handle peace negotiations or improve our foreign relations. All that mattered to me was that my daughter was almost hurt.

So since that day, I was always sensitive when I heard about boys approaching Althea. To ensure that there weren't any bad apples, I would do a routine background check through my connections at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"Then you should know that he's clean, right?"

"Honey, did you do a background check on him as well?" This time, it was my turn to raise the brow.

"Of course, who do you think I am?" Maya folded her arms with pride. "The moment Desir saved Althea, and I asked him to look after her, I called my buddies to do a simple check."

"Buddies..."

Maya's connections were far more extensive than mine. I was only limited to the government sector, while Maya had the entire private industry at her disposal. Board Chairmans, University Deans, Company CEOs… The list was endless. If Maya wanted to do a background check, her connections would leave no stone unturned.

"So, what were your findings of Desir?"

"... Don't you already know?"

"But I'm intrigued by what you've found."

"Hah..."

I recalled all of the information I'd received about Desir from memory. Born in a rural neighbourhood. Worked his way up from poverty through scholarships and hard work. Aced every test in his hometown. Joined the Dean's List every single year during his tenure at the university. Got a programming job at a top company…

The list went on.

No history of violence or narcotics use. Never once got caught by the police. Rarely left the country. Never married or applied for any couple grants.

When I first read the report, I thought I was reading a fictional script. How was someone so squeaky clean? Other than the fact that his parents were no longer around, there wasn't anything off with his profile.

In fact, if I were to choose the perfect man for Althea, I would find someone who had a similar profile to Desir's.

"Wow, you even got the details about his parents! I'm impressed!" Maya clapped her hands with genuine surprise.

"Why? Did I miss out on anything?"

"No, I just have one other detail to add," Maya closed her eyes and whispered. "Apparently, Althea is Desir's first girlfriend."

"... How on earth did you find that out?"

"I'm close friends with the Dean of his department. She was the one who mentored him during his final year. Also, I have some friends in his company. It was quite easy to get them to talk."

… Woman, just how many connections do you have?!

Even my friends and the Ministry of Home Affairs won't be able to dig into details about his private life. All they could find were the things on his public record.

"A hard worker. A squeaky clean reputation. Never dated or married another woman. Always at the high end of the educational spectrum… If it wasn't for his impoverished childhood, the man might have become an executive by now."

Maya had nothing but praises for the young man that stole my daughter's heart.

"So, are you satisfied with his background?"

"... I'll have to observe him a little more."

"Oh, don't be like that." Maya chuckled as she slapped my shoulder. "He isn't like that brat that Althea met in university."

That brat… What was his name again? Paul?

Yeah, if it weren't for the modern laws, I would have skinned that guy alive, just to make sure that he wouldn't ever dare approach my baby girl again. It was a shame that we couldn't put him in jail or, at the very least, get him expelled from school.

While I was somewhat influential, even I can't bend the laws of the land. Given the evidence and the circumstances, it would be challenging to even charge the boy in court. At least, that was what all the lawyers I'd spoken to say. In fact, if not for Maya's connections to the university, it would have been hard-pressed for the boy to even get suspended.

Of course, that didn't mean that I could sit back and do nothing about it.

I ensured that our internal database had recorded that the boy had a sexual assault record. That way, it would be difficult for him to get a job in the public sector, at least in the ministries that use our internal database.

Given Maya's connections, I'm sure that she did the same with her buddies in the private sector. The boy didn't know it yet, but the day he touched my precious daughter was the day his future was ruined. It didn't matter if he went to jail or not. I was going to make sure that he doesn't climb up in society after the nefarious deeds he'd done.

"Besides, you can't expect Althea to remain single forever, right? Eventually, she'll have to marry and have kids-..."

"Kids?! She's far too young for that!"

"I'm just saying hypothetically… Jesus, why are you so up in arms about it?" Maya folded her arms in akimbo and glared at me. "Are you saying that I shouldn't have grandchildren?"

"... She's still young."

"Althea's already twenty-two! In a few more years, she'll reach the median age for women who marry! She's no longer a child, Harper."

"I know that..."

I know that… I know that very well! But…

"Haha, is this the infamous 'I'll never ever hand over my daughter to you, you piece of scum' scene that happens in every drama?"

"T-That!"

I could feel the blood rush to my face. My lips trembled, and my heart faltered just a bit. It took me a good while to regain myself. Goodness, I'm already in my fifties, and I still get played by my wife.

"He might be trustworthy, but you never know."

"Haha, you don't have to worry about that! It's the first time I'd ever seen Althea this happy! Anyone who can make my baby girl smile like that can't possibly have malicious intentions!"

"If you say so..."

While I agreed with her sentiments, I can't say that I've accepted her words.

Hmph! If you want to win my daughter, you'll have to prove your worth!

Crap… I'm really beginning to sound like those cliched movie fathers...