"Milford—how dare you?!"
My voice trembled uncontrollably as I called out, “Enid?”
My daughter froze, then slowly lifted her head to look at me. She stared for a long moment, dazed—until her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Mama? You’re back?”
The next second, her small figure broke down into tears. She cried out like she’d finally found someone to cling to after holding on for far too long.
“Mama, Aunt Malissa locked me in the dog cage. She didn’t give me any food. Daddy didn’t do anything about it! I was so scared. The big dog bites real hard, it hurts so bad. Mama, please get me out…”
The word “Mama,” spoken with such raw pain and trust, shattered me from the inside. But I didn’t have time to cry—not with that hunting dog now awake, glaring at Enid like she was prey.
I grabbed an axe from the corner, ignoring the old butler’s frantic protests and brought it down hard on the lock of the cage.
Once the chain snapped, I rushed in, scooped Enid into my arms and held her tight.
Then I turned back. I wasn’t done. Raising the axe once more, I aimed it at the snarling dog.
“Ma’am, please! Don’t be reckless!” the butler begged. “That’s the madam’s favorite dog—Mr. Milford gave it to her himself! If you hurt it, she’ll be furious—and the master too!”
Oh? So Milford gave Malissa a dog... to mangle his own daughter?
I didn’t even spare it a glance. As the beast lunged, I met it head-on—and with one clean, furious swing, I severed its head.
Still not satisfied, I turned to the cage that had imprisoned my child… and hacked it to splinters.
Milford came rushing in at the sound of the chaos—only to start scolding me the second he opened his mouth.
“Lori, you just got back and you’re already making a scene? Do you want the guests outside to start asking questions?
"You scared Eddy half to death! He’s crying his eyes out and Lisa’s been running around all day. Now she has to calm him down too? Can’t you just stop causing trouble?”
“I know this past year hasn’t been easy for you and I will explain everything when I get a moment. But I won’t let you ruin Lisa’s reputation.”
I let out a bitter laugh. Eddy, huh? Of course! His precious little prince.
And what were Enid and I to him then? Disposable trophies?
“So your heart breaks when her son cries, but not when your OWN daughter is locked in a dog cage? When she's bitten by some wild animal? Forced to eat slop like a stray? Tell me, Milford—how twisted is your love?”
Milford finally looked at Enid. When he saw the raw, bleeding wounds on her tiny arms and legs, confusion twisted across his face.
“What are you talking about? Enid’s my daughter—I would never let something like that happen to her.”
I froze for a beat. He… didn’t know?
Milford frowned and turned to the butler. “Bring Lisa here.”
Malissa walked in moments later, already crying—tears perfectly timed, voice trembling just right.
“Milo, you’ve got it all wrong… Lori misunderstood me. Enid’s such a sweet little thing—how could I ever hurt her?”
“You know how much she loves playing hide and seek. Just now, she begged me to play with her. I was busy handling the guests and couldn’t find her in time. Who could’ve guessed she’d go and lock herself in a dog cage? That child has such an imagination…”
Milford staggered back a step, more stunned by my rage than the shove itself. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t even look at Enid. Instead, he turned to Malissa—like she was the one who needed comforting.
Malissa dabbed fake tears with a silk handkerchief, her voice trembling just enough to sound fragile. “Milo… she’s just making a scene. I know Enid’s upset, but blaming me for something like this? You really think I’d hurt a little girl?”
Milford looked torn for half a second—just half. Then his jaw tightened.
“This isn’t the time or place for this,” he snapped. “Lori, if you want to talk, we’ll talk later. But right now, Lisa and I are celebrating the birth of our son. Don’t ruin that for us.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. He just watched as Enid stood there, shaking, her cheek already red and swelling. His daughter. And he chose her. Again.
Malissa slipped her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder like the doting saint she pretended to be.
“I’m not asking for much,” she whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I just want a peaceful home for our baby…”
Peaceful? She had locked my daughter in a cage.
I wrapped my arms around Enid and whispered into her hair, “It’s okay, baby. Mama’s here now. I won’t let them hurt you again.”
Inside, though, I was on fire. If they wanted peace, they should’ve thought of that before crossing a mother with nothing left to lose.
