Chapter 1

My daughter, Hailee Pierce, deliberately knocked over the food I'd cooked.

She said my cooking was awful, nothing compared to her dad's mistress, Amy Powell.

When Harry came home, he totally lashed out at me, saying I was picking on Hailee.

Hailee darted straight into Amy's arms and made a face at me.

She sneered. "You're so annoying. No wonder Dad doesn't like you.

"You're not gentle at all. I don't want you as my mom. I want Miss Powell to be my mom."

Right then, it hit me hard. I truly had no place in this family.

So I walked away without a second thought, signed up for a classified government program, and vanished for ten years.

Harry and Hailee, those heartless two, weren't worth another ounce of my effort.

*****

When I came out after tending to my hand, which had been scalded by hot soup, the first thing I saw was Hailee's defiant face.

She stared at me, blinking her big, round eyes. "Your cooking is absolutely disgusting."

"Where are Dad and Miss Powell? I want to eat with them. I don't want to be with you, you old witch," Hailee added, her voice full of contempt.

When I heard my own daughter, the one I carried for nine months, say something like that, how could I not feel hurt?

I forced myself to stay calm and gently ran my hand over her hair. "Hailee, your dad's busy at work and will be home late. Isn't it good to have Mom with you?"

"No. Miss Powell will buy me cupcakes, and they taste way better than your cooking," Hailee shot back, her voice full of defiance.

Watching Hailee throw tantrums again and again, I finally lost my patience.

I said, "I'm not saying you can't have any treats, but just look at your teeth. The doctor said you shouldn't eat too many sweets."

"Let her eat whatever she wants. You're always so strict with her. No wonder she doesn't like you," Harry snapped.

He walked in, followed by a gentle, elegant woman in a suit. It was the family tutor, Amy Powell.

Seeing Hailee in tears, Harry immediately started yelling at me, calling me a shrew for scaring her.

Hailee darted straight into Amy's arms and made a face at me.

She sneered. "You're so annoying. No wonder Dad doesn't like you.

"You're not gentle at all. I don't want you as my mom. I want Miss Powell to be my mom."

Hailee snuggled up to Amy, giving me that defiant look.

She seemed more like Amy's daughter than mine.

As I stood there frozen, Harry picked Hailee up, his face icy, and left with Amy.

I only heard one thing before they left.

"If you scare Hailee again, we're getting divorced," Harry said coldly.

Divorce. I had to admit, Harry and Hailee really were two peas in a pod. Even their threats sounded exactly the same.

Last month, I was in the middle of an experiment at the lab when I suddenly got a call from the school.

They told me Hailee had hit another student.

I rushed over, and there was Hailee, arms crossed, looking down at the girl across from her like she owned the place.

When I looked closer, I saw the little girl's face was covered in scratch marks and blood.

After checking the security footage, I realized the girl had just accidentally bumped into Hailee. And Hailee went after her without a second thought.

I apologized and settled it with some cash.

Holding back my anger, I brought Hailee home. To avoid misunderstandings, I decided to ask her directly.

But Hailee just shrugged it off. "I just wanted to hit her, so what? She bumped into me."

Ever since she was little, Harry and I had spoiled Hailee rotten, treating her like the apple of our eye.

Never in a million years did I think she'd turn out like this.

That day, for the first time, I actually slapped her. Then I forced her to go over and apologize to her classmate.

I still remembered the look in Hailee's eyes that day, pure hatred.

Looking back, I guessed that was when she started resenting me.

I let out a bitter laugh as I thought about it.

When I got home, I found Harry, Hailee, and Amy having dinner together.

I was about to just leave, but seeing all that greasy food on the table, I couldn't help but speak up. "Hailee, your stomach isn't strong. You really shouldn't eat so much greasy food."

But as soon as Hailee saw me trying to stop her from enjoying her meal, she snapped back at me, "Get lost! Why do you always have to butt in?"

Hailee screamed at me, her voice shrill and her eyes brimming with tears. "So what if I eat something tasty?

"It's not like it's gonna hurt me. Why do you always have to make such a big deal out of everything?"

Hailee looked like she'd finally found a way to vent, her eyes red and watery as she glared at me. She continued, "You don't love me at all.

"All you ever do is pick on me, make me apologize to people, and control everything. You never let me eat what I want, play games, or even have my own space."

Hailee's words hit me so hard I was frozen in place. So all the care I gave her. She just saw it as control?

It felt like needles pricking at my heart.

I bit my lip and walked out before things got even messier.