Her Well-Hidden Secret

I glanced down at Rylee in my arms.

Maybe she was a part of this whole scheme, too.

I took her home, and the entire drive, she didn't say a word—just cried quietly.

I wanted to talk to her, but as her father, and with how little time I'd spent with her and Nydia over the years, I didn't know where to even begin.

"I'll be busy for the next couple of days. How about you stay with Grandma for a while?" I asked, testing the waters.

My mother adored Rylee, but she had never gotten along with Nydia. Sometimes, when my mother called asking for Nydia to bring Rylee over, Nydia refused.

Through the rearview mirror, I saw Rylee nod slightly. A small weight lifted off my chest.

I called my mother right in front of Rylee.

"Rylee will stay with you for a while. No one else can pick her up, and she won't go to daycare for now. Let her just relax and play at home for a bit."

My mother quickly agreed, and I could hear the happiness in her voice.

I drove straight to my parents' place, where both of them were already waiting by the door. When they saw Rylee, their faces lit up, their smiles so wide their eyes nearly disappeared.

Rylee obediently walked inside.

I gently ruffled her hair.

"Stay here and play. If Grandma Lauren comes to get you, don't go with her, okay?"

Rylee gave a timid nod.

It was getting late, and I still needed to find Nydia and get some answers.

As I turned to leave, Rylee suddenly ran up to me, grabbing my sleeve. Her big eyes were filled with fear.

"Daddy, don't go."

Sighing, I crouched down.

Rylee was seven years old, but she was still timid as ever.

My mother quickly stepped in, lifting Rylee into her arms. She seemed to sense something was off.

My father also came over.

"I'll take care of her. Don't worry," he said reassuringly.

I nodded in response.

"Grandma and Grandpa love you, and they won't treat you like Grandma Lauren did. I will come see you tomorrow."

Rylee seemed to realize I wasn't staying tonight. She let go of my sleeve and wrapped herself around my mother's leg.

My mother happily pulled her into her embrace. Watching the scene, I felt a little more at ease.

I left with a heart full of anger.

As soon as I reached the door, I heard strange noises from inside the house.

Without thinking, I pressed my ear to the door. After a few moments, I could only make out a few muffled grunts.

Any man would know exactly what that meant. I closed my eyes, feeling like a cuck.

I stood frozen at the stairwell, trying to keep my cool.

I did not know how long I stood there before the door finally opened.

A man in a sharp suit walked out confidently.

I watched his back, a sense of eerie familiarity crawling over me.

At that moment, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from my mother.

There were several long voice messages, each about sixty seconds, and a brief video.

I hid in the shadows of the hallway, not daring to turn up the volume, but I listened to the voice messages and nearly lost it.

My mother said she had just bathed Rylee.

While doing so, she noticed several bruises on her body—old and new, and even cigarette burns.

It was hard to fathom that these marks were on a seven-year-old.

To prove it, she even sent me a video.

Rylee's face was round, but her body looked alarmingly thin, covered with marks.

I couldn't bring myself to watch anymore.

Even just seeing that was enough to make my heart drop with anger.

What kind of life had my daughter been living while I was away?

And judging by the marks, this wasn't something that happened just yesterday.

I didn't even want to think about how long this abuse had been going on.

I tried to calm myself down. My nails dug into my palms until they bled.

What was Nydia hiding from me?

At first, my plan was to walk right in. I wanted to confront Nydia, get the truth, and divorce her immediately.

But now… I had a more drastic idea.