Lily took a deep breath.
And then he spoke.
“He locks us up… says we’re a problem… hits me… doesn’t feed Noah… says he wishes we would disappear…”
“Liar!” Vanessa shouted, jumping up.
His mask shattered to pieces.
“I hate them!” she screamed. “They’re the reason he never loved me!”
Silence.
Heavy.
End.
The judge didn’t need anything else. Daniel was granted full custody immediately.
Vanessa was kicked out of the house and faced criminal charges.
But the real victory came later.
Daniel changed everything.
He brought his work closer to home.
He stopped pursuing business deals.
He became a father.
Little by little, the house came back to life.
Laughter.
Warmth.
Love.
One summer afternoon, Daniel was in the garden planting tomatoes with Lily.
Noah crawled nearby, laughing.
“Dad,” Lily said softly.
“Yes darling?”
