Salute To The General

Chapter 2 The Reunion Of Father And Daughter

Penny did not struggle in his arms. It was as if she had lost her will to fight.

The only sign of defiance was the tears that spilled over the corners of her eyes.

She had lived her life in the past five years like a zombie, benumbing herself to the relentless insults and humiliation targeted at her. She had thought of ending her life several times to escape from the pain and misery, but each time, her daughter's face would surface in her mind. With her daughter as her sole anchor, Penny gritted her teeth and forged onward.

It was all because of this devil who had torn her life apart!

Nathan was the one who had brought the relentless misery and despair upon her and her daughter. She swore that she would strive to work hard and stay single for the rest of her life. Her only purpose was to make up for her daughter's sufferings by giving her a blissful and promising future. Little did she know that the man who had started the tragedy five years ago and brought upon the most torturous times of her life was now back to haunt her. It was like rubbing salt in her wound. Upon his reappearance, all the poignant memories which had been long buried came back to life, flashing across her mind like indelible ghosts.

How she yearned for a break. She prayed to God for a little salvation, earnestly begging the heavens to stop piling up on her hardships.

The sight of Penny's piteous state was unbearable to Nathan. He gently put her down and let her stand on her feet.

“Can you give me a chance to make up to you and our daughter, please?” A stony-hearted creature like him was a complete stranger to tenderness, but he begged for the first time in the gentlest manner he could muster.

“For the sake of our daughter, and for you as well, please give me a chance,” he pleaded.

Penny quivered uncontrollably when he uttered “our daughter’.

It gifted her with a glint of hope as she slowly lifted her eyes.

“Trust me, I know what kind of hell you both have gone through over the years,” Nathan continued to plead in his soft voice, “I know that you loathe me too, but please give me a chance to make amends.”

“Children from single-parent families are more prone to suffer from personality disorders, which may affect their overall well-being.”

“Please give me a chance, Penny.”

Penny's eyes reflected a whirlwind of emotions as she ruminated on his words. Queenie was growing up fast and getting more sensible by the day.

A family without a father could never be complete, let alone offer a sense of normalcy and oneness to the child.

her papa. Yet, she could only turn away and wipe her tears as she had no answer for

Queenie needs

Nathan's eyes only

took her a long time to decide, but she finally agreed, “Alright,

a papa in her life. But let me give you a stern warning - do

that Queenie calls you papa does not mean

nodded

giving him the opportunity to reunite with

her to forgive him for the pain he had inflicted

her, creating a deadly mess of entangled knots. He

of Golden Apple Kindergarten, the teacher was nowhere to be

was gloating with delight, pulling on a

of a little girl who

and shouted at her, “Don't you know you're my dog, Queenie? Dogs are supposed to

on her limbs like a puppy, her grubby face stained with chalk dust.

a well-defined face with the winsome features of a pretty,

boy kept tugging at the rope around her neck, which

“Queenie, I'm warning you, bark, or I'll get everyone to wallop you. You're a stupid b****** who doesn't even

“No, don't call me

say you're a b****** you'd better act like one. Now, do as I say and bark like a dog!” The fat

rest of the kids laughed at what they saw, as

just reached the entrance of the

of her daughter being leashed like a puppy threw Penny into a state of shock. She

the rope from Queenie’s neck and tossed it away as if it were a repulsive snake. “What happened to you, Queenie?” She

body trembled, “Mama, Max Zahn has said that

What?

with rage, fury coursed through Penny's

of this fat bully named Max Zahn. He always picked on

she saw the inhumane

consoled her, “You have a papa,