The Pink Crown

"Jack is a widower with a clean background. He was helping the lady financially and with her chores like babysitting princess and buying groceries and all from past six months.

They were good friends and many have believed that they would soon tie the knot. The neighbors confirmed that Jack likes the lady and was too kind to her though they all felt that the lady did not deserve such a good man." The nib in the hands of Tyrone was already twisted and changed its shape before getting broken.

It stained the parchment and his hands when he finally looked above making the knight gulp in fear.

"The lady did not have any other debt. But she was doing double shifts in her job and trying to earn so hard. She often stays sick. It did not look like the lady have enough money." he continued,

"I have already checked the background of every person in the shop and her neighborhood. There was nothing suspicious." he reported in a blank voice when Tyrone finally nodded.

"I have also found the jewels that the lady has sold. Do you want me to buy them again?" Tyrone's eyes turned colder. The jewels were their wedding ring he has so many emotions with.

The heirloom of his family coming from generations and his mother's necklace, the last memory of hers, he had entrusted everything to her and she sold them as if they were just another piece of jewels. He could not even fathom how cruel she was!

"Yes, and give them back to me instead of her." the man nodded and left his office when Tyrone took a deep breath. He was about to pinch his forehead when he saw his stained hands and sighed.

He stood up to wash his hands when his eyes fell on the scene in front of his window.

Cassey and Penny were playing in the garden. They were making tiaras with flowers. He paused and stood there when he saw how Penny plucked flowers and placed it on the lap of Cassey who laughed making the girl giggle too.

Cassey was sewing the flowers in the shape of a crown and then she placed it on the head of Penny who giggled and hugged her mother and kissed her cheeks. Envy filled his eyes. His daughter never kissed him!

She only looked at him like he was a stranger.

The girl picked up the tiara from her head and then placed it on the forehead of Cassey who smiled and their foreheads touched each other while he was left seething. How much he wanted to join them but at the same time he knew that he was uninvited.

He was still looking at Penny with longing in his eyes when Cassey raised her head and their eyes met. She looked at him with cold and brooding eyes for a few seconds before Penny pulled her sleeves and she tore her gaze away.

"Mommy, shall we make one for daddy too?" asked Penny in a soft voice when Cassey froze. She raised her head towards the window again but Tyrone was not standing there anymore.

But he looked.. Abandoned!

"What do you think? What color did daddy like?" asked Penny, who was already gone to pluck them again. "Shall i mix all colors?" she asked while choosing them seriously.

"No! Choose pink! I am sure your father like pink color." Penny giggled as she nodded her head and started to choose all the pink flowers.

"Mommy! The palace is beautiful." Cassey sighed as she looked at the building. That was the first thought she had held years ago too.

"Yes, it is honey." her smile was pungent as she kept staring at the building as if she could see her past self standing there with Tyrone.

"Then why did we not live here?"

"......" because your father did not want us! Or he did not want me! Would the past change if she had told him that she was pregnant?

"Mommy!" The girl touched the cheeks of Cassey to gain her attention. "Penny likes it here. Penny wants to live here."

"Yes honey, Penny is going to live here." She kissed the forehead of the girl who was finally satisfied with the answer. "Here! Your crown is ready? Do you want to give it to your father?" Penny assessed the small crown carefully to make sure that it was to the liking of his father.

"It is small!" she concluded when Cassey laughed.

"How about we check it? We will also know the size then?" Penny thought again and nodded her head.

She held the arms of her mother who carried her to the office of Tyrone but stopped there.

"Your father might be busy, Penny." she remembered how workaholic he was! He would never like to be disturbed. But Penny did not listen. She wriggled from the arms of her mother and knocked on the door.

"What is it?" The cold voice made the young girl pause, "if it is not urgent, come during break time." continued the man when he did not hear any reply.

"It is urgent, Daddy!" she concluded and then walked in. her father only allowed urgent work, so she must go.

Tyrone paused when he heard the sweet voice of his daughter. He immediately let go of the nib and walked towards the door to hold her.

"Yes, yes! Tell me precious, what do you need?" His voice was so soft and gentle while his big hands kept patting the hair of the girl clumsily when she frowned.

"Do not mess my ponytails. Mommy said she will not make them again if I ruin them." Penny glared at her father but it only looked adorable in his eyes as he chuckled.

"Alright, alright! If she will not make then i would make them for you." he boosted making the girl blink. "Have you come here because you missed me?"

"No! I came to give you a crown because you are like a king."