Chapter 2
The echo of Sarah’s chilling declaration hung in the air like smoke after a gunshot. Julian immediately dropped Maya’s hand, his demeanor shifting from defensive father to anxious mediator. He stepped between his daughter and the woman in the red pencil skirt, his tall frame blocking Maya’s line of sight.
"That's enough, Maya. Go to your room right now," Julian said, his voice dropping an octave into the tone he usually reserved for difficult courtroom cross-examinations.
Maya refused to move. Her small sneakers seemed glued to the Persian rug. She looked past her father’s tailored brown suit, her eyes fixed on the grand staircase leading to the second-floor master suite. That was where her real mother’s room was. Or at least, where it used to be.
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"No, Daddy," Maya insisted, her voice trembling slightly but holding firm. "That’s Mommy’s red skirt. Mommy has that exact watch. Why is she wearing everything that belongs to Mommy?"
Sarah didn’t yell. She didn’t throw a tantrum. Instead, she smoothed down the fabric of the red pencil skirt with agonizing slowness, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders like a curtain. She walked past Julian as if he were merely a piece of furniture, stepping closer
