From Doghouse to His House

Just because my daughter made Wyatt Kingsley's precious first love's daughter cry,

Wyatt locked her in a dog kennel for a full two weeks as punishment.

I begged Wyatt through tears to spare our daughter, but he just pointed at me and snarled.

Don't think I don't know where Daisy learned these bad habits! Since you can't teach her right, I'll do it myself!

I watched helplessly as my daughter was torn apart by rabid dogs.

By the time Wyatt's mother, Eleanor, arrived,

My little girl was unrecognizable. Holding Daisy's blood-soaked, lifeless body, my heart turned to ashes.

"I owe the Kingsleys nothing more. From this day forward, their rise or fall has nothing to do with me."

Daisy was in the operating room for ten agonizing hours.

Even thoug Eleanor had begged me for the tenth time.

"Vivian, Daisy has her own fortune. You need to take care of yourself. Let me handle things here, please rest! I'll call you if anything changes."

I tuned her out, my eyes glued to the operating room light, refusing to move an inch.

Finally, as the first light of dawn crept across the sky, the red light flickered and died.

My heart, following the doctor's regretful shake of the head, came to a complete stop.

I collapsed to my knees, clutching the hem of his coat.

"Please! Try again!"

"She's too young!"

The doctor's own eyes were red-rimmed.

"I'm so sorry. The bite wounds there were too many, too severe. We did everything we could."

A nurse who followed him out couldn't hide her contempt, shooting me a scathing look.

"That child was clearly abused to death! I don't know how you could call yourself a mother!"

The nurse's words struck like thunder.

Suddenly, Daisy's heart-wrenching screams from the kennel echoed in my mind, her tearful pleas for me to take her away.

I nearly passed out, but I forced myself to stay conscious. I had to see my daughter one last time.

Eleanor trailed behind me, silent.

She picked up her phone repeatedly to call Wyatt, only to get a busy signal.

Frustrated, she slammed her phone down. "That ungrateful bastard!"

"How did our family produce such a monster!"

Before Eleanor could finish her tirade, a voice interrupted, "Vivian Shaw?"

We both looked up to see a stranger holding a small envelope.

He handed it to me. "A gentleman asked me to give this to you."

Confused, I opened it right there in front of Eleanor.

Inside were photos of Daisy being bullied by Wyatt's precious Seraphina.

Seraphina had even sent a gloating text: "See that, Vivian Shaw? As long as you and your brat breathe under my nose, I'll show you what hell on earth really feels like!"

The stack of photos fell from my trembling hand, scattering images of Daisy's abuse across the floor.

Eleanor, furious, snatched my phone and dialed Seraphina's number. But it wasn't Seraphina who answered.

It was Wyatt, the man Eleanor couldn't reach, who picked up. Before Eleanor could speak, Wyatt immediately attacked.

"Vivian, are you insane?! Daring to bother Seraphina now?! Seems like the lesson wasn't harsh enough! Want me to throw you to the dogs tomorrow too?!"

"After Seraphina was kind enough to send you and Daisy gifts to cheer you up! You just don't know your place! Ungrateful bitch!"

Eleanor shook with rage. The photos lay scattered on the floor like a cruel joke.

This was Wyatt's idea of cheering us up?

I found it bitterly laughable.

Eleanor, however, lost her composure completely.

"Get your sorry ass to the hospital and apologize to Vivian right now! If you don't come, I swear I'll disown you!"

Eleanor gasped for breath, clutching her chest.

She thought Wyatt would obey.

Instead, he exploded.

"Vivian! You conniving little snake! You did this on purpose! Letting Mom hear how bad things are between us!"

"Well, guess what? I won't give you the satisfaction!"

Then, Wyatt hung up.

When Eleanor called back, it was busy signal again.

Eleanor looked at me, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. She grabbed my hands, voice thick with emotion.

"Vivian, this is all my fault! I failed as a mother! I raised a monster who killed his own child! I promise you, I will make him pay."

"You" Eleanor's face twisted with difficulty.

I knew what she wanted to say.

I gently pushed her hands away, meeting her gaze calmly.

"Eleanor, our connection it's over."

As I was holding Daisy's broken body, my soul felt utterly extinguished.

"I owe the Kingsleys nothing more. From this day forward, their rise or fall has nothing to do with me."

Five years ago.

My father was ambushed overseas.

Eleanor happened to be there and saved his life.

For five years, I held onto that debt of gratitude and promised my father I would repay it.

Now, looking at Daisy's mutilated body, the pain was so intense that it wracked my whole body.

"Back then, you saved my father's life. My father poured everything he had into helping you and Wyatt reach your positions today. That debt was paid long ago."

I gently stroked Daisy's cold cheek, telling Eleanor.

"I will never forgive Wyatt. And I won't let my father continue supporting the man who murdered my daughter, letting him walk free."

I pushed Daisy into the cremation chamber.

My little girl was reduced to ashes, contained in a small, square box.

When I came out carrying Daisy's urn, Eleanor couldn't find the words to ask me to stay.

She only pleaded, "Please let me arrange Daisy's funeral."

I agreed. Holding my daughter close, I returned home.

The first thing I saw was Seraphina's daughter, Chloe, sitting in the living room, replaying the video of Daisy being attacked.

Rage surged through me, and I lunged to slap Chloe, but Wyatt caught my wrist first.

"Vivian, pushing your luck, are you?"

I turned to face Wyatt's furious expression, immediately noticing the love bite on his neck.

He instinctively covered it, then flushed with anger.

"Where the hell were you all night?!" Wyatt glared at me.

"Don't think I don't know! You ran crying to Mom again! Listen up, Vivian! Whatever crap you fed her, it won't make me look at you twice!"

Wyatt viciously flung my wrist away, sending me crashing to the floor.

My desperate clutch on the urn didn't escape him. He looked at it with pure disgust.

"Vivian! What morbid junk have you brought home now?!"

He covered his nose and mouth.

"Get rid of it! It's bad luck!"

I caressed the urn in my arms, looking at the cold man before me, and couldn't help remembering Daisy.

Just before they wheeled her into surgery, she weakly tugged my hand, asking, "Mommy will Daddy come?"

"Is it because Daisy was bad that Daddy doesn't love Daisy?"

"Aunt Seraphina said it's because of Daisy that Mommy isn't loved either because Daisy is bad Mommy suffers too"

"But Daisy really loves Daddy and Mommy"

The memory of Daisy's heartbreaking words shattered me, my tears broke through the dam, streaming down uncontrollably.

Seeing me cry, Wyatt faltered slightly, his tone awkward. "What's your problem?! I barely touched you!"

Wyatt instinctively reached to help me up, but Seraphina swooped in, grabbing my wrist.

Her nails dug into my skin, though her voice was sweet as honey.

"Viv, honey, are you still upset about little Daisy?"

"I honestly didn't know they'd changed the dogs in the kennel! If I'd known, I never would have let Daisy go in."

She glanced behind me. "Daisy didn't come back with you? I told Chloe to wait here specially to apologize."

"I guess Daisy still won't forgive Chloe."

Seraphina's eyes welled up instantly.

Wyatt immediately forgot his fleeting concern for me, pulling Seraphina into a comforting embrace.

"Forget that little brat!"

"Vivian!" Wyatt barked at me. "Chloe's staying here for a few days. Make sure dinner's ready."

Seeing my stony expression, he snapped, "Are you deaf? Or just stupid?"

A dull ache spread through my chest, sharp as an axe blow.

Looking at Wyatt and Seraphina, remembering my agreement with Eleanor, I couldn't be bothered to argue, so I turned to leave.

But my lack of compliance thoroughly enraged Wyatt.

He grabbed my wrist, his voice dropping to an icy whisper.

"Vivian! I'm talking to you! Are you ignoring me?!"

Wyatt lunged for Daisy's urn. Startled, I immediately shielded it, which seemed to ignite his fury.

"What the hell is that thing?! Get it out of my house! Throw it away, NOW!"

At that moment,

Chloe charged at me, sinking her teeth into my arm.

"You're a bad lady! A bad lady! I'm gonna kill you! Kill you!"

Seraphina rushed over, pulling Chloe off. "Chloe! Don't say such things!"

Then, she turned to me with fake concern.

"Viv, darling, she's just a child. She doesn't understand. Please don't blame her."

It sounded like an apology, but it was just redirecting the trouble.

"You see, Chloe has always seen Wyatt as her daddy. She just thought you were hurting him."

Seraphina's words instantly swayed Wyatt.

He rounded on me.

"Stop pretending to be some delicate flower! You're just a cheap slut who climbed into my bed!"

A cruel smirk twisted his lips.

"I get it now, Vivian. You're jealous. Jealous that I treat Seraphina better than you."

"Just say it."

Suddenly, Wyatt scooped me up around the waist.

Seraphina and Chloe tried to follow, but Wyatt silenced them with a look.

He carried me roughly to Daisy's room C still filled with her toys, her drawings, her scent. He threw me onto her bed.

"You didn't bring Daisy back because you wanted to seduce me, didn't you?"

"Vivian! Admit it! You're nothing but trash!"

As Wyatt spoke, he started tearing at my clothes, but my eyes landed on Daisy's picture on the nightstand.

Her innocent face flashed before me, and I raised my hand, slapping Wyatt across the face with all my strength.

"You monster!"

I stared at him.

"When will you stop?! When will you see what you've done?!"

Clutching Daisy's urn to my chest, I spat out each word.

"Do you even realize?! Your favoritism, your cruelty it killed Daisy! It killed our only daughter!"

My hysterical scream seemed to shock Wyatt into stillness.

He was stunned for a long moment, then suddenly burst into harsh laughter.

He grabbed my chin, his eyes cold.

"Vivian! You really are evil to the core! Just like your mobster father! The rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

Wyatt shoved off me, pointing at the urn.

"Don't think I'm fooled! This is just another one of your sick games! You're trying to trick me into thinking Daisy's dead so I'll kick Seraphina and Chloe out!"

" You even brought this cursed thing here for drama! You think I'd believe your lies?!"