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“Daddy, I’m scared…”
“Don’t worry. Daddy’s here.”
Maya sat in the defendant’s seat in a white dress.
That pitiful act made me sick.
“Your Honor, I never knew those men would hurt Lily so badly…” She cried dramatically. “I just wanted to scare her — to stop her bullying me.”
Lily trembled at this.
I stroked her hair. “Lily, tell the judge what happened.”
“She…” Lily’s voice was faint. “She told them to hammer hard. That I should remember pain!”
Maya jumped up. “You’re lying! I never said that!”
“You recorded it… said you’d show Mom…” Lily’s voice weakened. Tears streamed down her face. My heart broke.
When the judge read the verdict, Maya broke down.
“No! This can’t be! I’m innocent!”
She screamed wildly, “Peyton! Save me!”
But Peyton never appeared in court.
She was under investigation for her company’s business.
Leaving the courtroom, I breathed deeply.
Lily held my hand. “Daddy, we won.”
But I cried.
What would be the victory? My daughter had suffered terribly. She couldn’t dance again. Was that winning?
Back home, Lily hid in her room drawing.
She drew a girl nailed to a wall, and a demon beside her.
My heart ached at the sight of that.
Emma gently patted my shoulder.
“Don’t cry. The worst is over.”
“She’s only eight, Emma. Only eight…”
“I know. I know.”
Just then, my lawyer called: “Oliver, something’s happened with Peyton.”
“What?”
“The board ousted her. And her white-collar crimes were uncovered.”
I hung up, feelings mixed.
The once-proud Peyton had fallen.
But I felt no satisfaction.
I just wanted my daughter healthy. What good was revenge?
Lily emerged shyly. “Daddy, look at this.”
She drew a gentle princess guarding a small girl.
“Is that Aunt Emma?”
Lily nodded and smiled for the first time these days. “She said she’d protect me and Daddy.”
I hugged her, crying happy tears.
We could finally start over.
Peyton wanted to see us. I refused.
She’d lost that right.
With Emma’s help, Lily regained joy in everyday life.
Her art also grew brighter.
As she gradually recovered from the trauma, my heart finally found peace.
