Chapter 1: The Moment I Came Home Early
The penthouse was supposed to be silent.
After three exhausting weeks in the United States, all I wanted was to walk through the door, hug my daughter Lily, and tell her I was finally home.
I imagined her running toward me.
I imagined her complaining about school.
I imagined a normal father-daughter evening.
But instead...
I heard her scream.
Not a normal scream.
A scream filled with fear.
My suitcase dropped from my hand before I even realized it.
“Lily?”
No answer.
Only a broken sob.
I ran toward the living room.
And then my entire world stopped.
My seventeen-year-old daughter was on her knees.
Not on the soft carpet.
Not on the marble floor.
On a pile of sharp durian shells scattered across the ground.
Her school uniform was torn.
Her face was wet with tears.
Her hands were trembling as she tried to hold herself up.
And standing above her...
Was Victoria.
My wife.
The woman I married six months ago.
The woman I trusted.
She held a leather belt in her hand.
My blood turned cold.
“Victoria.”
The single word left my mouth.
She froze.
Slowly, she turned around.
The confidence disappeared from her face.
The belt slipped from her fingers.
“Darling…”
Her voice shook.
“You’re home early.”
I looked at Lily.
Then I looked back at my wife.
“What did you do?”
Victoria immediately changed her expression.
A fake sadness appeared on her face.
“Daniel, you misunderstood. She was being disrespectful. I was only trying to teach her discipline.”
Lily lowered her head.
But before I could speak...
She whispered something that broke my heart.
“Dad…”
“I tried to tell you.”
I walked toward her.
“Tell me what?”
Her lips trembled.
“Every time you left…”
“She became different.”
My fists tightened.
Because I realized...
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This was not the first time.
It was just the first time I saw it.
