By accident, I once overheard him say he liked obedient children.

So I tried my best to be quiet and cautious in front of him, but that only made me “a block of wood.”

No matter what I did, he and Mom both seemed doomed to be objects of his dislike.

“Richard, my daughter and I waited half the day for you. What does it mean that you’ve brought them back here?”

Mom, who had been silently holding back tears, finally burst out.

“Didn’t you once promise me you’d cut ties with Olivia Grant?”

“This is our home. Our daughter is still here. This isn’t some hotel!”

“Anyone who didn’t know better would think Olivia was just some woman you picked up outside.”

Her sarcasm made Richard’s face darken instantly.

“Say that again if you dare.”

It looked as if they were about to fight.

Olivia stepped forward, feigning gentleness.

“Richard, don’t fight with Linda. Don’t let me come between you two.”

“It’s my fault and Emily’s. We just returned to the States and had nowhere to stay. One night on your couch would have been enough.”

Richard’s face softened with pity.

“How could I let you sleep on the couch? Even if you don’t mind, I won’t let Emily suffer.”

“No matter what, you two will sleep in the master bedroom tonight.”

I pressed my lips tightly together, watching the tender bond between them. So, sleeping on a couch was suffering?

Then what about when Richard thought I was disobedient, and punished me by making me sleep in the dog kennel?

But Mom always worried about me. I never dared say anything.

Olivia didn’t refuse again and went upstairs with him toward the master bedroom.

As she turned back, she flashed a triumphant smile.

“Linda, sorry for the trouble, but you’ll have to take the guest room tonight.”

Then she winked at her daughter. “Go to Daddy. He’ll tell you a bedtime story.”

Emily ran over and hugged Richard’s leg.

“Daddy!”

He immediately smiled indulgently, stroked her head, and scooped her into his arms.

“Of course, my little princess. How about a bedtime story? Want to hear Snow White?”

I stared enviously as they disappeared upstairs.

Ever since I could remember, my dream had been to hear my dad tell me a bedtime story.

Even if he didn’t tell one—even just quietly tucking me in would have been enough.

But even that had become a luxury.

Seeing my tears fall, Mom pulled me close and cried too.

“I’m sorry, Sophie. It’s all my fault…”

I wiped her tears and whispered, “No, Sophie doesn’t blame Mom. It’s Daddy… Daddy is the one who’s wrong…”

That night, Mom packed our suitcases, determined to take me away.

But as we reached the door, Olivia’s sobbing voice drifted down from upstairs.

“Richard, I never meant to ruin your marriage. I don’t know why this happened. I only came to stay one night, but your wife is making a scene, threatening to leave. Isn’t she just embarrassing me?”

Richard’s gaze turned icy as he looked toward us.

“Linda, stop right there!”

He stormed over and kicked our suitcase to the ground.

Then he barked at Mom:

“Olivia wants a late-night snack. Go make it.”

Mom bit her lip so hard it nearly bled, but she didn’t move.

“Richard, I’m your wife, not your maid.”

He let out a cold laugh.

“Linda, what makes you think you’re worthy of being my wife?”

“Have you forgotten how you clawed your way into my bed and became Mrs. Foster?”

I stared at him in fear, praying he wouldn’t say more.

Sure enough, when I looked up, Mom’s face was pale as death.

No—it wasn’t true.

Grandma once told me the truth.

Richard had been drunk that night and mistook Mom for his old flame.

She hadn’t resisted.

That night, I was conceived.

Richard agreed to marry her, to “take responsibility,” but in his heart, he never forgot another woman.

So whenever they fought, he dredged up the past—claiming Mom had seduced him and deliberately kept me.

That was why he hated her, and by extension, hated me too.

In recent years, he traveled abroad frequently.

Because overseas, there was always Olivia waiting in his thoughts.

Last month, Olivia divorced her foreign husband and came back with Emily. Richard smiled like I’d never seen before.

But now, watching Mom resist, his expression turned dark, his tone threatening.

“I’ll ask you one last time—are you making that snack or not?”

“No.”

Mom lifted her chin, clinging to her pride.

“Fine. Very well.”

Richard gave a thin smile and ordered the security guards to lock her in the basement.

“If you’re of no use in this house, then you can rot down there like a sewer rat. When you’ve learned your lesson, I’ll let you out.”

That night, I cried and begged, nearly on my knees.

“Mom knows she was wrong, please don’t lock her away…”

But Richard kicked me aside.

I collapsed on the floor, clutching Mom’s leg, sobbing for her not to go.

As she was dragged away, she knelt down and gently handed me an empty box.

“Don’t cry, Sophie. You know how to fold paper stars, right?”

“When you fill this box, I’ll come back to get you. I’ll take you to Grandma’s.”

I clutched the box tightly and nodded.

“Mom, you promised. I’ll wait for you to come.”

But after that night, I never saw her again.

Olivia and her daughter became the new mistresses of the mansion.

Whenever Richard wasn’t home, Olivia dropped her act and openly tormented me.

The doll I loved—if Emily wanted it, it was hers.

The pretty dresses Mom had carefully picked out for me—because Emily didn’t like them, the housekeeper cut them to shreds.

Emily sneered down at me. “Trash like you should dress like a beggar.”

I endured it all silently.

I held onto the half-filled box of paper stars, counting the days until Mom came back.

But this time, Emily burned them on purpose.

Then she struck me hard.

A liquor bottle smashed across my body. I barely felt the pain anymore—my only instinct was to shield what little remained of those paper stars.

They were the last gift Mom had left me.

She had promised: once the box was full, she would come take me home.

But then I felt warm liquid running down my face—my head had been split open.

As I fell unconscious, I saw Richard’s polished shoes stop in front of me.

I forced a weak smile. “Daddy, I wasn’t bad…”

And Emily burst into loud sobs.

Olivia Grant put on a look of panic, saying my messy, bloodied appearance had frightened her daughter.

“Sophie Foster!”

Richard grew furious.

He said I was pretending to be pitiful, hurting myself on purpose just to win sympathy.

He said I was just like my mom—disgusting and unbearable.

Emily Grant pointed at my bleeding, pathetic state and burst out laughing.

“Daddy, doesn’t Sophie look just like a dog?”

“Daddy, I want to hear her bark like one!”

Those cruel words—I thought Richard would at least frown and refuse.

But instead, he crouched down indulgently and scooped Emily into his arms.

“Now that you mention it, Emily, she does kind of look like one.”

“Then let her bark like a dog.”

The stabbing pain sank deep into my chest. At last, I understood Mom’s humiliation and grief.

I stiffened my neck and refused with all my strength.

Richard exploded with rage and ordered the security guards to throw me into the safari park.

I begged him, “Daddy, I know I was wrong. I’ll bark like a dog. Please don’t send me to that place!”

But Richard’s face stayed cold.

“I gave you a chance earlier. Now it’s too late.”

He spoke with icy detachment:

“You’ve been pampered since childhood. As my daughter, it’s time you toughened up.”

Because of those words, the guards tossed me into the wildlife park.

It was pitch-dark, no one around, only the cries of birds and cicadas, and the low growls of beasts in the distance.

Shivering all over, I clutched my smart watch, begging him to save me.

“Daddy, I know I was wrong. I’ll never disobey again…”

But when I turned around, a snake slithered toward me, tongue flicking in the night.

I was bitten. By the time the ambulance took me to the hospital, they had already called Richard.

“Hello, are you Sophie Foster’s father?”

“Your daughter was bitten by a venomous snake in the wildlife park. She’s in the ER now—you need to come quickly.”

“What?”

Richard shot up, hesitation and a flicker of concern in his eyes.

“I’m on my way.”

But just as he picked up his coat, a piercing scream came from the master bedroom, followed by Emily’s loud sobs.

“Richard, something’s wrong—Emily’s having an episode!”

Olivia cried in a panic.

“She needs to be taken to the hospital right now!”

Richard froze at the doorway, then turned back and rushed to scoop Emily into his arms.

“What’s happening to her?”

With tears streaming, Olivia clung to his arm.

“Richard, I didn’t want to worry you, so I never told you—Emily was diagnosed abroad with a rare condition. Every time it flares up, she needs a blood transfusion, or her life will be in danger…”

Richard’s face drained of color. He bolted for the door.

“Quick—take Emily to the hospital!”

When I opened my eyes again, I was being wheeled out of the ER.

A nurse sighed in relief. “Sweetheart, you’re lucky. A little later and you wouldn’t have made it.”

At the park, I had collapsed after the snake bite.

Thankfully, staff had found me and called the ambulance just in time.

But I stared blankly at the ceiling. “Did my dad come?”

The nurse gave me a sympathetic look. “Maybe he’s busy with something.”

I nodded faintly.

“Mm. I understand.”

I wanted so badly to get up and find Mom. But my throat was dry, and thirst overwhelmed me. The nurse who had been caring for me had gone off to handle something else.