Chapter 3

"Mom…" Elaine's bleary voice pulled me out of my reverie.

I couldn't help holding her close when I saw how adorable she was as she rubbed her eyes. She stiffened for a split second before relaxing. Then, she hugged me back.

"Have you just finished working, Mom?" She patted my shoulder. "I'll prepare breakfast for you. I've just learned how to cook chicken noodle soup!"

I immediately thought about the pasta Harvey had asked her to make, and my heart clenched. I said, "You're amazing, Elaine! When did you learn this?"

She was still young, so she couldn't help looking pleased when I complimented her. "Cooking isn't all I can do. I can sweep and mop the floor and fold the clothes. I even wiped the windows while standing on a chair!

"When it's just Dad and me at home, he'll time me. He told me everyone likes little girls who are quick on their feet and good at housework. I was in such a rush to finish on time when wiping the windows once that I almost lost my balance…"

Elaine seemed to realize something; her tone became more subdued as she spoke. The proud look on her face was replaced by helplessness and confusion.

I suppressed my rage and rubbed her head, asking gently, "What happens if you can't finish within the time he sets for you, then?"

She lowered her head, looking hesitant. "Dad said I couldn't tell you. He said you're so good at your job that you'll get mad if I can't do these small things. He said you won't like me anymore."

She started choking up, which made my heart twist painfully.

"That will never happen, Elaine. No matter what, I'll always be on your side, and I'll always support you. I'll never stop loving you!" I started crying halfway through my sentence. "That's why you have to tell me if anything happens, okay?"

She nodded while crying. Then, she slowly rolled up her pants to reveal bruises on her legs. "Dad said I had to be punished if I couldn't do something correctly. He told me it was his way of loving me—he wanted me to do better next time… But it really hurts, Mom…"

Her words stabbed me deeply. I felt like I was listening to her crying out for help before dying in my past life. She wasn't even seven years old!

I'd always thought Harvey treated her like a princess. After all, he always acted like a perfect husband, father, and son when around us. I'd never expected his true colors to be like this!

I held Elaine close and soothed her, my heart aching as I spoke. I kept promising her that no one would hurt her like that anymore. I couldn't stop my tears from flowing as I comforted her.

When she saw me cry, she tried to comfort me instead. She told me she didn't hurt anymore. Her sensibility made me cry harder.

It took a while for us both to calm down. Elaine was much perkier now that she'd opened up to me and told me many things. However, she tensed when the topic turned to school. She asked tentatively, "You said I could tell you anything, right, Mom? You'll always be on my side, right?"

I sensed something was wrong and looked at her seriously. "Yes, that's right. I'm your mother, Elaine. I'll always support you."

"We… There's a girl named Tina Chance in my class at school. She bullies the girls but is nice to the boys. Last year, I saw her forcing another girl to drink water that she'd poured chalk into. I couldn't stand it and stopped her; I also told the teacher.

"But nothing happened after the teacher told her parents about it. Later, she started bullying me, too. No one other than the girl Tina initially bullied wanted to talk to me. That girl slowly became more of a loner and stopped coming to school one day."

Elaine looked down. "I told Dad about it one day, and he went to school. But when I hid outside the office to listen in on the conversation, I heard him tell the teacher that I love lying and can't be trusted. He also said he would deal with the matter and asked the teacher not to disturb you because you were busy with work…"

Her words made me feel like I was about to have an aneurysm. I was furious, and my heart ached. I couldn't help remembering how pale Elaine had been when lying on the floor, her body cold. My heart twisted from my overwhelming self-blame and regret.

I hated myself for not discovering Harvey's true colors earlier, but I was even more regretful that I'd neglected to participate in Elaine's life because I'd been so engrossed in my work. I'd allowed her to endure such torture at such a young age.

Then, I thought of something. Elaine had mentioned that the bully's name was Tina Chance. In my past life, Harvey had been on the phone with someone when he'd mentioned wanting to talk to "Tina".

Why had he defended the bully when his own daughter was a victim?

The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. A bold guess formed in my mind.