Sunlight streamed through the curtains in the small room, casting long shadows on the floor. David, a man just over forty, sat on the couch, staring into space while the news played on the TV. But his thoughts were far away, lost in the events of the past.

It had been a little over a year since he lost his wife Elizabeth, the mother of his daughter Emily, in a tragic car accident. The following months had become a real whirlwind in their lives. And that’s when he met Olivia.

She was an attractive woman with a light smile and a charming personality. They met at work, where she had just been promoted to head of HR. At first, they had only professional relationships.

Over time, casual coffee chats turned into more frequent meetings. And before David realized it, Olivia had already moved in with them. Noise in the hallway pulled David out of his thoughts.

His daughter Emily, just seven years old, appeared in the doorway. David immediately noticed something was wrong. Usually cheerful and talkative, Emily now looked downcast, with slumped shoulders and her gaze fixed on the floor….

«Emily, is everything okay, my dear?» David asked, getting up from the couch. Emily lifted her eyes, and he noticed they were red, as if she had been crying. The girl bit her lower lip, and David immediately understood that something serious had happened.

«Dad, can I talk to you?» Emily whispered, almost inaudibly. «Of course, dear.» David patted the couch next to him, inviting her to sit.

Emily slowly approached and sat next to her father, keeping an unusual distance. David frowned, worried about his daughter’s strange behavior. «What’s wrong, my little one? You know you can tell me anything.»

Emily began nervously playing with the hem of her dress, avoiding her father’s gaze. «I… I don’t know how to say it…» — «Dad, whatever it is, you can trust me. I’m your father and I’ll always be there for you. Tell me what’s going on.» David tried to speak calmly, though anxiety was building inside him. Emily took a deep breath and finally looked at him.

Her eyes, so much like her mother’s, expressed fear and confusion. «It’s about Aunt Olivia, Dad.» David felt his heart tighten.

«What do you mean, dear?» Emily bit her lip again, as if it was hard for her to find the words. «She hurts me.» David’s world stopped for a moment.

«How so, my dear? How exactly?» Tears began rolling down Emily’s cheeks. «When you’re not home, she gets angry at me, yells scary things, pushes me or squeezes my arm hard.» David was stunned.

His mind tried to deny what he had heard. «Emily, are you sure about this? Maybe she was just playing?» — «No, Dad,» Emily replied. Her voice trembled. «It’s not a game. It hurts, and I’m really scared. Please believe me.»

David felt a mixture of anxiety and indignation rising in him. He wanted to believe it was just a misunderstanding, that his daughter was exaggerating or misinterpreting events. But Emily’s gaze, her trembling voice — everything indicated she was telling the truth.

«I believe you, my dear.» David extended his arms, and Emily threw herself at him, crying on his chest. He hugged her tightly, feeling tears fill his own eyes…

«I’m sorry.» They sat like that for several minutes while David stroked Emily’s hair until her sobs began to subside. When she finally calmed down, David pulled back a little to look into her eyes.

«Emily, I need you to tell me everything.» Emily wiped her tears with the back of her hand. «I think it started right after Aunt Olivia moved in with us. At first, she just yelled, but then she started pushing me and squeezing my arms hard if I did something she didn’t like. Sometimes she pinches me when no one is looking,» Emily added, lowering her gaze as if she was ashamed. David felt growing rage.

How could he not have noticed what was happening to his girl? «Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier, Emily?» The girl shrugged, clearly feeling uncomfortable. «I was scared. Aunt Olivia said that if I told, you’d get angry and send me to an orphanage. She said no one would believe me because I’m just a stupid girl and she’s an adult.» David felt his heart breaking. «My dear, I would never send you anywhere. You’re the most important thing in my life, and I’ll always believe you and protect you.» Emily slowly nodded, but David saw that doubts still lingered in her eyes. «Do you promise you won’t get mad at me?» — «I promise, dear. It’s not your fault.» David kissed her forehead and hugged her again. A moment later, he stood up…

«Emily, I need to see if you have any bruises. Can you show me where Olivia hit you?» David asked with a lump in his throat. Emily, embarrassed, nodded and rolled up the sleeves of her dress.

David could barely hide his shock and horror when he saw the finger marks on his daughter’s arms. Some were already yellowish, others still fresh with purple bruises. «Oh my God!» David whispered, feeling his stomach churn at the sight.

«Emily, do you have any other bruises?» The girl nodded and lifted the hem of her dress, revealing her legs. There were marks there too, some clearly outlining hands. David closed his eyes for a moment, trying to cope with the wave of guilt and anger washing over him.

When he opened them, he saw Emily’s frightened gaze. «Dad, are you mad?» she asked in a trembling voice. «Not at you, dear. I’m mad at Olivia for hitting you, and at myself for not noticing it earlier.»

He knelt in front of his daughter, holding her hand. «This isn’t your fault, understand?» — «I know, Dad. Olivia is really good at pretending. She always looks different when you’re around,» Emily replied with wisdom beyond her years. David realized, recalling all the times he had seen Olivia behave with Emily.

She always seemed so kind and patient. How could he have been so blind? «Emily, I need you to tell me everything Olivia does when I’m not here. Can you do that?» Emily hesitated, and David saw fear in her eyes.

«When you go to work, she changes. She becomes cold and says I’m a burden, that I ruined her life when she moved in here.» Emily took a deep breath, almost whispering. «And she says other things too.» — «What else does she say?» David asked, trying to stay calm. «She says I’m dumb, that I’m good for nothing, and that you don’t really love me, that’s why you work so long.»

Emily’s voice began to tremble, and David felt a tightness in his chest. «That’s not true, Emily. I love you more than anything in the world. You’re the most important to me.» Emily nodded, but David could see that Olivia’s words had left deep scars on his little girl’s soul. «When was the last time she hit you?»

Emily thought for a moment. «Yesterday, when you came home late from work. I was watching TV and waiting for you, but she got mad, grabbed my arm, and pushed me into my room. She told me to go to sleep.»

David closed his eyes, recalling the previous evening. He had indeed come home late, tired after a long day. Olivia greeted him with a smile, saying Emily was already asleep. He went into his daughter’s room, kissed her goodnight, and she was fast asleep. Now he understood she might have been pretending. «Emily, is there anything else I need to know? Even if it seems small, it could be important.»

Emily pondered for a few seconds, then said: «Sometimes, when you’re on duty, she invites her friends over. They drink wine and talk loudly. Once I woke up thirsty and went to the kitchen, but she got mad, grabbed me by the hair, and locked me back in my room. She said if I came out again, she’d lock me in the closet all night.»

The anger David felt only intensified. How could Olivia threaten his daughter? How could she be so different from the woman he thought he knew? «Emily, you were very brave to tell me all this. I promise I’ll handle this situation.

Olivia will never hurt you again.» — «Okay.» Emily’s gaze expressed a mix of hope and fear. «Do you promise, Dad?» she asked in a tearful voice. «I promise. From now on, everything will be different.» He hugged his daughter tightly, feeling her body tremble. At that moment, the sound of a key in the door made them freeze…

Emily clung to him even tighter. «It’s Olivia!» she whispered, her voice full of fear. David looked into his daughter’s eyes. «Don’t worry, my dear. I won’t let her hurt you.» Emily nodded, and her big frightened eyes turned to the door…