My Ex and His Brother Fight to Be Daddy

Four months after we broke up, I called Blake.

I'm pregnant. Do you want this child?

Blake practically recoiled.

We were super careful, Skylar. Don't try to pin this on me.

I asked again.

You're sure you don't want this child, right?

I don't.

Blake's answer was firm.

A wave of relief washed over me. Good, one less battle to fight for my child.

I was on my own, raising her from day one.

Until my daughter turned five. Suddenly, my ex and his best friend were practically fighting over who got to be her dad.

It had been six years since I last saw Blake.

Honestly, he hadn't changed much. Still stylish, but his expression was dark, like a storm cloud.

"Mom, I'm hungry!"

Lily rubbed her tummy.

I turned and headed into the kitchen to prepare her some oatmeal.

Blake remained frozen in the doorway.

Lily finished a big bowl, then turned to look at Blake, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"Mom, you two should probably talk it out. I need to do my homework."

She picked up her small backpack.

"But just so we're clear, my custody is non-negotiable."

Those three words C "custody is non-negotiable" C finally hit a raw nerve with Blake. He glared at me, seething.

"Skylar, you secretly had my child!"

I glanced back at Lily's closed bedroom door.

My daughter was mature for her age, but some things weren't meant for her ears.

Worried the house wasn't soundproof enough, I simply stepped outside, leading Blake to the stairwell.

"Skylar, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Are you trying to get your hands on my family's fortune by having a child, hoping for a piece of the pie?" Blake sneered.

"I'm telling you, it's not that easy!"

I pulled out my phone and played a recording I'd saved for six years.

"I'm pregnant. Do you want this child?"

"We were super careful, Skylar. Don't try to pin this on me."

"You're sure you don't want this child, right?"

"I don't."

Once it finished, afraid Blake hadn't heard clearly, I replayed it.

He froze, like someone had suddenly cut his mic, his accusatory tone dying in his throat.

"I knew this day would come, so I kept my receipts."

I crossed my arms, giving Blake a critical once-over.

"Your parents still haven't made you the heir after all these years. Guess they know you're not exactly leadership material. You think you have a shot at custody? Please. You're not even in my league."

Blake slammed his fist against the wall in frustration.

I patted Blake's shoulder.

"Just a warning: stay away from my daughter from now on. Otherwise, don't blame me for calling the cops and reporting you for trying to snatch my kid."

"Why not? I'm her dad!"

"Oh? Proof?"

"I can do a DNA test!"

I looked at him with pity.

"Without a court order, a private DNA test means nothing legally."

Blake left, dragging his feet, clearly furious but with no choice.

That evening at dinner, Lily kept sighing dramatically.

"Mom, why weren't you more careful when you picked my dad?" she grumbled.

"Were you just blinded by his looks?"

"I was too young back then."

I seriously reflected on my past choices.

"Will he keep bothering me?"

"Hard to say," I thought for a moment. "He definitely didn't want kids back then, but what if he's changed his mind now that he's older? But how did you even run into Blake?"

"I saw him talking to our principal after school today."

Lily didn't even look up.

"I guess they know each other?"

The next day, after dropping Lily off at school, I drove to my shop.

A few years ago, when Lily was little, I ran a custom baking business from home to make it easier to care for her.

Once she got a little older, and I happened to win a decent international baking award, I decided to open this dessert shop.

Business has been pretty good these past two years, and I have a stable customer base. I've been thinking about opening a second branch.

Soon after I arrived at the shop, a middle-aged woman walked in, saying she wanted to order a five-tier birthday cake.

"Of course," I said with a smile, sitting down with her to discuss the details.

She wore an elegant green dress and had a very kind smile.

Suddenly, the woman asked me, "Are you married?"

I smiled and said, "No."

She then asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

I shook my head again.

Then the middle-aged woman beamed.

"I'm Mrs. Davies, Blake's mom! Blake's single now, too! Would you consider him again?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she eagerly pulled out a bracelet and tried to put it on my wrist.

Mrs. Davies was incredibly sweet the whole time.

She probably worried I'd misunderstand her intentions, so she proactively explained that she just wanted to get close to Lily.

"It must be hard for you, raising a child alone. I just want to help."

I wasn't naive enough to believe Mrs. Davies was as good as she appeared. She was a powerful businesswoman, a force to be reckoned with.

The Davies family must have already done a private DNA test and confirmed Lily was Blake's biological daughter.

They had also consulted lawyers, and the chances of winning a custody battle were very low.

So they had to settle for a compromise: they wanted joint custody.

"Mrs. Davies, I respect my daughter's feelings," I said with a smile. "As long as Lily is willing to get close to you all, I won't object."

Mrs. Davies excitedly said, "Then I'll arrange a dinner party right away!"

I told her I needed to talk to Lily first, respect her feelings.

After exchanging contact info, Mrs. Davies smiled brightly and made a call.

"Come in. Apologize to Ms. Skylar properly, and thank her too."

Then I saw Blake walk in, looking awkward. He must have been waiting in the car, ready on standby.

When he saw me, a flash of smugness crossed his face.

Near dismissal time, I finished up my work and planned to pick Lily up.

Blake lingered, saying he wanted to see Lily too.

"You should probably lay low around Lily for now."

I told him honestly.

"You need to give her some time to process things."

To process that her dad was a handsome but ultimately brainless guy.

"Why?"

Blake looked genuinely hurt.

"I'm tall, handsome, and rich. What could Lily possibly be unhappy about with me?"

"Lily prioritizes a man's inner qualities."

"Skylar, what do you mean by that?" Blake exploded instantly.

"Clarify that! You were the one who pursued me first back then!"

"Yeah, and now I'm using that life lesson to teach my daughter not to only look at a man's face, aren't I?"

I hit the gas, not bothering to say another word to Blake.

During school dismissal, the school gates were an absolute madhouse.

I parked my car in the lot and walked over. Lily was just walking out with her backpack, chatting happily with a classmate.

She saw me from a distance and excitedly waved.

"Mom! Did the teacher tell you? We have a parent-teacher conference next week!"

"Yeah, I saw the announcement in the group chat."

I scooped Lily up in my arms and walked towards the parking lot.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, swinging her little legs and humming a happy tune.

She was ecstatic!

I briefly told Lily about the Davies family's visit.

She tilted her head, thought for a moment, then said,

"It's just dinner, right? Let's go."

A car horn blared behind us. I quickly pulled Lily closer to the curb.

The car drove out from inside the school grounds. The back window was halfway down, and I only caught a glimpse of a young man sitting there.

"Mom, that's our principal! The one I told you was talking to my biological dad before."

"Really?"

I was a bit surprised and subconsciously looked again, but I couldn't get a clear look at the man's face.

Since Lily agreed to meet the Davies family, I didn't deliberately delay and set the time for the weekend.

The location was the Davies' home.

They said it was so Lily could get familiar with the house and feel free to come over and play anytime.

Blake and I had dated for a very short time, and we never got to the point of meeting each other's parents, so this was my first time visiting the Davies' home.

An exclusive gated community, a massive villa spanning over two thousand square feet.

But Lily was only six. While she already had a sense of money, in her eyes, this villa was no different from the house back in our old town.

She even grumbled that the backyard wasn't big enough for a proper treehouse, let alone a trampoline.

"Lily, hello, I'm Grandpa."

"Sweetheart, I'm Grandma."

Blake's parents smiled very kindly.

Lily wasn't shy; she greeted them confidently.

"Hello, Grandpa and Grandma."

"Oh, you sweet thing, you're absolutely adorable! Here, these are from Grandpa and Grandma, a little welcome gift."

Gold bracelets, a gold necklace, a diamond tiara, and a wad of cash C they had it all.

Lily sweetly thanked Grandpa and Grandma, then said she was afraid of losing them, and handed everything to me.

She even specifically reminded me, "Mom, keep them safe for me, okay? They're precious, because they're from Grandpa and Grandma's love!"

I knew she just thought they were heavy and a bit much to wear.

"Son, I've raised you for thirty years, and you finally did something right!"

Mrs. Davies dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, telling Blake,

"Thank goodness you brought a child into the Davies family. Otherwise, I swear, I never wanted to see you step foot in this house again!"

Blake slumped alone on the single sofa, a protest forming on his lips but dying before it could escape.

He had dressed up meticulously for the occasion C meticulously styled hair, earrings, necklace, rings C the whole nine yards.

But Lily usually hangs out with the retirees in our neighborhood, so her fashion sense is, shall we say, a little old-school. She looked at Blake with clear disdain.