Chapter 2
Three years before that stormy night, Richard Harrison believed he had finally found someone who could heal the emptiness inside his family.
His first wife, Sarah, had passed away after a long battle with cancer, leaving behind a six-year-old daughter who suddenly lost the center of her world.
Emily had once been the happiest child imaginable.
She loved drawing flowers with her mother in the garden.
She loved baking cookies every Sunday afternoon.
She laughed so loudly that the entire house seemed brighter.
But after Sarah died...
Everything changed.
The little girl barely spoke.
She refused to celebrate her birthday.
She stopped drawing.
Every night, Richard would hear quiet sobs coming from her bedroom.
"Daddy..."
she whispered one evening.
"Will Mommy ever come back if I wait long enough?"
That single question shattered Richard's heart.
As the CEO of a multinational company, he could negotiate billion-dollar contracts without hesitation.
But he had no answer for his daughter's tears.
His business demanded constant travel.
One week in New York.
Another in London.
Then Singapore.
Then Dubai.
Every trip felt like another betrayal.
Each time he left, Emily stood silently at the front door hugging her stuffed rabbit, pretending to be brave.
Richard convinced himself that Emily needed a mother more than anything else.
That was when Victoria entered their lives.
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Elegant.
Soft-spoken.
She volunteered at charity events and knew exactly what to say.
The first time she met Emily, she knelt down and smiled warmly.
"You have your mother's beautiful eyes."
Emily looked away without replying.
Victoria wasn't discouraged.
Instead, she patiently offered the little girl a handmade teddy bear.
"I know I can never replace your mommy."
"But maybe..."
"We can become friends."
For the first time in months...
Emily smiled.
Richard's heart filled with hope.
Over the following year, Victoria seemed perfect.
She accompanied Emily to the zoo.
She bought matching dresses.
She helped decorate Christmas cookies.
She even cried while visiting Sarah's grave.
Richard thought fate had finally given his daughter another chance at happiness.
Six months later...
They were married.
The wedding was featured in several society magazines.
Headlines described Victoria as the woman who brought happiness back to billionaire Richard Harrison's family.
Everyone admired the fairy-tale romance.
No one knew it was all an act.
The morning after the wedding...
Everything changed.
Victoria walked downstairs wearing silk pajamas and looked around the dining room.
"Where's breakfast?"
A servant answered politely.
"The chef is preparing it, ma'am."
Victoria frowned.
"What about Emily?"
"She's waiting for you, ma'am."
Victoria sighed dramatically.
"I didn't marry Richard to become a babysitter."
Those words froze every servant in the kitchen.
They exchanged uneasy glances but remained silent.
It was Emily's first day expecting breakfast with her new mother.
Instead...
She ate alone.
That afternoon, Victoria spent nearly fifty thousand dollars shopping for luxury handbags.
Emily waited by the front window until sunset.
"Daddy said we'd all have dinner together..."
she whispered to the butler.
The old man forced a smile.
"I'm sure Mrs. Harrison was delayed."
Victoria didn't return until almost midnight.
She barely noticed the little girl asleep on the sofa while still holding a plate of untouched food.
That became the beginning of a heartbreaking routine.
Every morning, Victoria slept until nearly noon.
Every afternoon belonged to shopping, beauty salons, fitness clubs, or expensive lunches with wealthy friends.
Every evening was another gala, charity dinner, or exclusive party.
Whenever Richard called from overseas asking,
"How are my girls?"
Victoria always smiled sweetly through video chat.
"We're wonderful."
"Emily and I baked cookies today."
"We watched movies together."
"We even planted flowers."
Standing beside her, Emily remained silent.
She wanted to tell her father the truth.
But Victoria always squeezed her shoulder just hard enough to make her understand.
"Smile."
Emily forced herself to smile.
Richard never suspected a thing.
He trusted his wife completely.
After all...
Every photograph she sent showed a perfect family.
What Richard didn't know was that the photos lasted only seconds.
The smiles disappeared the moment the camera stopped recording.
One rainy afternoon, Emily accidentally spilled a glass of juice on Victoria's imported designer dress.
Victoria's face twisted with fury.
"Do you know how much this costs?"
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm... I'm sorry..."
Before the frightened child could finish apologizing—
SLAP!
The sound echoed across the dining room.
Every servant froze.
Emily stumbled backward, holding her burning cheek.
Victoria stared down at her coldly.
"You've become just as clumsy as your useless mother."
The little girl didn't cry.
She simply lowered her head.
At that exact moment...
A young woman carrying a cleaning basket stepped into the room.
She had only started working at the mansion two days earlier.
Her name was Elena.
The moment she saw the frightened child, she rushed forward without thinking.
She knelt beside Emily.
"Sweetheart... are you alright?"
Emily looked into Elena's eyes.
For the first time since losing her mother...
Someone looked at her with genuine concern.
Tears finally poured down her face.
Elena gently pulled the little girl into her arms.
"It's okay..."
"I'm here."
Victoria glared at her.
"Mind your own business."
Elena stood up respectfully.
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
"But she's just a child."
Victoria stepped closer.
"Remember your place."
"You're only a maid."
Elena lowered her head.
"Yes, ma'am."
But that night...
When everyone else had gone to bed...
She quietly knocked on Emily's bedroom door.
"I brought you some warm milk."
Emily opened the door slowly.
Her cheek was still slightly red.
Elena smiled softly.
"I also brought chocolate cookies."
"They always make bad days a little better."
Emily looked at the cookies...
Then suddenly threw her arms around Elena and cried harder than she ever had.
From that night onward...
May you like
Without either of them realizing it...
A bond stronger than blood quietly began to grow.
