Chapter 2

I quickly waved it off. "No way, this is your place! You can drop by whenever you feel like it."

He grabbed me, pulling off my clothes as he dragged me toward the bathroom.

"Don't forget your place. You have no right to complain. Whether I come or not, that's none of your concern," Justin snapped.

Justin never cared much for me as a person, but he was obsessed with my body. That was something I'd learned after all these years.

That night, he was just as relentless as ever. I was so worn out, I didn't even have the strength to try to please him anymore.

The next morning, Lyric came running to me like she always did, but Justin snapped at her to get out.

I was woken up by his voice, biting back my anger. "What do you want for breakfast?" I asked.

He straightened his cuffs, gave me a cold look, and let out a chilly laugh.

"You really think you're the lady of the house now?" he sneered.

"I suggest you drop those little schemes. I'll let you be my mistress, but don't get any ideas about anything else," he added.

I put on a flattering smile and said sweetly, "Of course not. I wouldn't dare ask for anything. Just being with you is all I want."

Knowing what Justin liked, I made him a bowl of soup.

While he was eating, I carefully asked, "I heard you're going on a business trip in a couple of days. Where are you off to?"

Justin slammed his spoon down, his face darkening. "Why do you care? Do I need to spell it out for you? You're just my mistress. You have no right to meddle in my affairs."

I froze for a moment, gently reaching for his hand. "Alright, I won't ask anymore."

He suddenly pinched my chin, and I had to hold back the urge to push his hand away, looking up at him innocently.

He stared down at me, his tone cold.

"Don't bother with those little tricks. Playing hard to get doesn't work on me," he said.

He shoved my chin away and got up to leave. "While I'm away from Ogrinburg, you'd better behave yourself. Don't cause me any trouble."

Letting out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding, I knew for sure now. He really was heading out on a business trip.

As soon as the door shut, Lyric peeked out from her room.

I cupped her little face, seeing how downcast she looked, and my dislike for Justin only grew stronger.

Why did I ever fall for a man who could be so heartless to his own daughter?

"Lyric, if we left, would you miss your dad at all?" I asked gently, my voice soft as I watched her.

Lyric shook her head firmly. "No way!" she replied.

Her eyes sparkled with hope as she looked up at me. "Mom, can we go soon? Whenever Dad's around, I'm stuck inside and can't play."

Honestly, I was just as eager, but if we were going to leave, we couldn't just pack up and go. We'd need a solid plan.

I told my best friend, Breanna Roman, about my plan, and she stared at me in disbelief. "Seriously? You're just giving up on Justin like that?"

I nodded. "He's always believed I set him up that night, even though he could've easily found out the truth if he cared to. All these years, he chose to keep believing the worst about me. And it's not just me. He's been just as cold to Lyric. There's no point in holding on anymore."

Breanna looked at me, her eyes full of sympathy. "I've seen how that bastard treats you. I've wanted to tell you to leave for ages, but you were so hung up on him, you wouldn't hear a thing I said.

"But now, you've finally come around. I'm really happy for you."

I squeezed her hand, feeling genuinely touched. I couldn't have made it through these years without Breanna's help.

The day I had Lyric, I kept calling Justin, but he never answered, not even once.

If Breanna hadn't shown up with baby stuff, I don't think I could've held on until the ambulance got there.

Back when Lyric was just a year old, she spiked a high fever.

The driver was nowhere to be found that day, and Justin was completely unreachable.

Clutching Lyric in my arms, I spent over half an hour trying to get a cab. She started twitching, and I was losing my mind with worry.

Finally, Breanna showed up, scooped us up, and got us to the hospital.

All these years, Justin's absence has been etched in my memory.

The day after he went abroad, I took Lyric out to a country farm resort in the suburbs.

On our way back, the car broke down, veered off the mountain road, and crashed straight into the fast-flowing river.

Justin was sitting in the car when, all of a sudden, he grabbed his chest.

His assistant asked, sounding worried, "Mr. Bird, are you okay?"

For some reason, a sharp pain shot through his heart, like something important was being ripped out of him.

The ache slowly faded, and he shook it off, stepping out of the car.

Half a month later, Justin finally made it back to his place in Ogrinburg.

Justin had just stepped out of the bathroom when the housekeeper, Karsen Sharp, handed him a set of keys.

"What's this?" Justin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The keys to Ms. Byrne's apartment," Karsen replied.

Justin frowned, a little annoyed. "Why are you handing me these? What's she trying to pull now?"

From the moment Alicia moved in, he'd set the rules. No job, just had to be on standby in the apartment, ready for him whenever he showed up.

Since she'd volunteered herself for his bed, he saw no reason to hold back.