Chapter 2 - Rebecca's Perfect Smile
Rebecca descended the staircase wearing elegant silk clothes and a practiced smile.
For one brief moment she froze.
Her face turned pale.
Then, almost magically, the surprise vanished.
"Daniel!"
She hurried forward with open arms.
"You should have told us you were coming!"
She hugged him tightly.
Daniel barely reacted.
His eyes remained fixed on Lily.
Still kneeling.
Still holding the brush.
Still refusing to move.
Rebecca laughed nervously.
"Oh, don't mind her."
Daniel slowly looked toward his sister.
"What is she doing?"
Rebecca answered so casually it sounded rehearsed.
"Cleaning."
"I can see that."
"It's part of her daily routine."
Daniel frowned.
"Daily?"
Rebecca nodded confidently.
"You know how children are."
"They become spoiled if they don't learn responsibility."
Daniel glanced back at Lily.
Bruises covered her wrists.
Small scars crossed her fingers.
Her sleeves hid most of her arms, but not all.
Years of hard labor had left unmistakable marks.
This wasn't responsibility.
This was something else.
Daniel crouched beside his daughter.
"Lily..."
She flinched.
Not away from him.
From the movement itself.
Like someone expecting to be struck.
Daniel noticed immediately.
His stomach twisted.
"When did you last eat?"
Lily looked toward Rebecca before answering.
"I'm... not hungry."
Rebecca laughed again.
"See?"
"She's always dieting."
Daniel's expression hardened.
His daughter looked dangerously underweight.
Her cheeks were hollow.
Her shoulders painfully thin.
Nothing about this was normal.
He gently reached toward Lily's hand.
The moment his fingers touched her skin, she instinctively apologized.
"I'm sorry."
Daniel blinked.
"Sorry?"
"I wasn't cleaning fast enough."
Silence filled the room.
Rebecca spoke quickly.
"Teenagers exaggerate everything."
Daniel ignored her.
Instead, he carefully lifted Lily's hand.
Fresh cuts.
Chemical burns.
Calluses no college student should have.
Fifteen years overseas had taught Daniel many things.
Workers' hands always told the truth.
People could lie.
Hands never did.
He quietly asked,
"Who did this to you?"
Lily didn't answer.
Her eyes filled with panic.
Rebecca suddenly interrupted.
"Daniel, you've just arrived."
"Let's eat first."
"We can talk later."
Daniel slowly stood.
For the first time since entering the house...
He noticed something missing.
There wasn't a single photograph of Lily anywhere.
Every family picture displayed Rebecca...
Rebecca's husband...
Rebecca's children...
But Lily...
May you like
The legal owner of the house...
Had vanished from every wall.
