“Forget it. I know I’m just a burden in this house,” she cried. “It’s all my fault, right? Fine. I’ll take Eddy and go—I’ll go down to the grave and keep your brother company!”
Then, she spun around dramatically and ran off.
Milford’s eyes followed her retreating figure, full of worry. But before chasing after her, he shot me a venomous glare.
“This is the daughter you raised?” he snapped. “A little girl already capable of lying and becoming a manipulator... She always picked on her aunt, too. What next? Was she going to bully her baby brother too?”
He stepped closer, his voice full of righteous anger.
“My brother died young. Lisa has no one to rely on but me. Is it really so hard for you two to just accept her? You’re unbelievable, Lorraine. You’ve completely lost your sense of decency.” With that, he turned on his heel and left us standing there, bloodied and bruised, to go after her.
Enid watched his back disappear, her tiny hands clutching the hem of my shirt, her big eyes filled with confusion and hurt.
“Mama,” she whispered, “is it because I’m a girl? Is that why Daddy likes Auntie Malissa and Eddy more than us?” She continued, “I’m sorry… It’s my fault. I made things hard for you…”
Even after Milford hit her—after all the pain—my daughter didn’t hate him. Not even a little. She blamed herself for being born the way she was.
I knelt down and pulled her into my arms, my heart shattering all over again.
“No, baby. None of this is your fault,” I murmured, my voice thick with tears. “You’re the best thing in my life. The kindest, bravest little girl I’ve ever known.”
“Sweetheart,” I kissed the top of her head and whispered, “You don't need that kind of father. Not anymore.”
I carried Enid back to the guest room and asked the old butler to call a private doctor. He came quickly and administered a rabies shot.
From Enid, I finally learned the truth about the past year.
Milford had poured all his attention into Malissa and her unborn child, completely ignoring his own daughter. Malissa, on the other hand, had tormented Enid in secret—and sometimes even right under his nose. And every time Enid tried to tell her father the truth, Malissa would twist it, accuse her of lying and Milford would believe her without question.
It was also them—Milford and Malissa—who told Enid I had been killed by “bad people.”