Then, I turned back to Logan. He was sitting on the couch, relaxed like he belonged there.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I whispered.
“Family. This is normal. You’ve just forgotten what it’s like. I’ll remind you.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“You have no right.”
“I’m her father. And I will win you back.”
I grabbed my phone.
“I’ll call the police.”
“Go ahead. And tell them you left your daughter alone… while popping painkillers.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
He pulled a pill bottle out of his pocket with my name on it.
“Remember how you screamed at the office? We’ve got the footage. I installed the cameras.”
“That’s not mine! You planted it!”
“Can you prove it? They’ll believe me. I’m… a role model.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“What do you want, Logan?”
“You. And Ellie. Or… lose everything again.”
“You won’t dare! I rebuilt my life from ashes!”
“And I’ll destroy it again. I have enough power.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
***
I realized there was no protection. The police wouldn’t help. My coworkers were still hypnotized. I had to act alone.
And suddenly, I wasn’t scared anymore. I was angry. Not just for me — for every woman he ever fooled.
But William, seeing my burning eyes, stepped in.
We hatched a plan.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I created an anonymous page. I posted stories about women who survived emotional abuse. Seemingly fictional. But each one was a piece of the truth. We needed Logan to react.
William used his media skills to target those posts directly at our coworkers. Every one of them saw the stories, including Logan.
A few days passed. William placed a tablet in front of me, showing analytics from the anonymous page we had just launched.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Look at this,” he said. “They’re reading. They’re talking. If we keep the pressure, he’ll crack. That’s when we hit record. Let’s take his mask off.”
Logan didn’t know it was us, but he felt it. That afternoon, I saw him in the glass hallway by the elevators. Alone. He thought no one was watching. His fists were clenched. He slammed a folder onto the windowsill.
“Idiots!” I heard him hiss under his breath.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Logan glanced around, forced a smile back on his face, and walked away like nothing had happened.
He tried to keep the mask, but it no longer fit. People in the office started whispering. And he felt it.
At the significant conference where I was to speak, Logan sat in the front row. Smiling. As always. Pretending.
Finally, I stepped onto the stage. My hands were damp.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I knew one wrong word could cost me everything — my job, my daughter, and my sanity.
But if I stay silent, he wins. Again.
I looked out into the crowd. I saw William in the back.
I have such a support system. We’ll win.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
I began my speech.
“We’re here to talk about strength. About women who survived. Who made it through darkness…”
I paused.
“And about those who pretend to be the light but are the darkness itself. Let’s talk about the men who live among us — perfect on the outside. But if you take off the mask…”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
I looked at Logan. He didn’t even shift.
“I once met such a man. No one but me saw what lay beneath. But today… I have the chance to show you.”
I played the video footage from my home. Every second felt like an hour. I kept my eyes on the screen, not daring to look at the crowd.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Then I heard it. His voice. The voice I had once loved — at that moment, pure venom:
“And I’ll destroy it again. I have enough power.”
This is it. This is how I finally take back my power.
Suddenly, Logan jumped up.
“It’s edited! It’s… a lie!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Is it, sweetheart? When you reappeared in my life, I took precautions. Spent quite a bit on a modern surveillance system. Video, audio. And today, it was worth every penny.”
Logan snapped and lunged at me.
“No one will believe you! You’re nothing without me! You were nothing before me, and you’ll be nothing after I’m done!”
His wild eyes, his voice, his screams — all recorded. Everyone saw it.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“You’ll regret exposing me. Even if they cancel me — I’ll still win. Because deep down, you know I made you.”
William was there, waiting. He stepped in and stopped Logan.
“Great headline for tomorrow’s paper,” William muttered, though his jaw was clenched.
The mask was off. Logan’s image crumbled. An investigation began. On my way out, I passed Mia in the hallway. She didn’t say a word. Just looked at the floor.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
***
That evening, I picked Ellie up from her friend’s house. She ran to me and hugged me so tight I couldn’t breathe.
“You look like a superhero, Mommy,” she whispered.
And at that moment, I believed her.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I quit the next day. Walked out of the office in silence. Head held high.
Today, I run my own project — a small women’s center. It’s just two rooms above a bakery and a second-hand couch I found online.
But every week, women walk in who remind me of who I used to be — scared, silenced, surviving.
And now, I help them remember they deserve more than survival. They deserve to live.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
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Young Woman Gets a Job as a Maid and Notices Mother’s Framed Photo in Boss’s Bedroom – Story of the Day
Caroline got a job as a cleaning lady in New York and went to her first assignment. It was a beautiful house in Manhattan, but something shocked her. There was a picture of her mother in the office. Then a man walked in.
“I’m going to do a great job,” Caroline psyched herself up in front of her first assignment. She and her friend, Melissa, moved to New York a few days ago to make their dreams of being Broadway stars come true.
But they needed to find jobs first to rent an apartment together. Luckily, Melissa got hired at a clothing store, and Caroline got a job at an agency for domestic cleaners.
It was perfect. It wasn’t that time-consuming, and she loved cleaning because it had a calming effect on her. Moreover, if no one else was home, she could practice her singing voice.
Caroline was going to her first assignment as a cleaning lady. | Source: Shutterstock
Unfortunately, her mother’s face popped into her mind before walking into her first home. Her mother, Helen, didn’t want her to chase after such silly dreams, much less live in New York.
Caroline was born and raised in Philadelphia, which wasn’t that far away. She didn’t have a father, and her mother never said a word about him. For some reason, Helen really hated New York. She also sheltered Caroline all her life, which was why she had to escape.
When she and Melissa planned their move, she knew her mother would not allow it. Caroline suspected she may even fake an illness just to get her to stay. But Caroline needed to fight for her dreams. It was her life. So, she left a tiny note on her mother’s dresser when she was asleep and ran away.
It had been several days, and Helen had not called her, which was weird. But Caroline assumed she was probably mad at her. Hopefully, she would get over it once Caroline debuted on Broadway. Now, it was time to focus on cleaning this house.
According to the agency director, an older man lives in the house alone, so it was not particularly messy in the first place. When Caroline finally walked inside using the key under the mat as was instructed, she wasted no time to start cleaning — first, the kitchen, then the living room, and moving towards the bedroom.
She noticed the pictures above the mantelpiece. | Source: Unplash
“I’m almost done, sir. But may I ask a question? Who is this woman?”
She hesitated a bit right at the entrance of a serious-looking office, but there were no instructions against coming in. She resolved not to touch too much around the desk and continued cleaning.
There was a beautiful fireplace with a mantelpiece on top and huge bookshelves along the opposite wall. It was the kind of office Caroline had only seen in movies.
She tidied as quickly and thoroughly as she could but stopped short at the mantelpiece. There were several pictures on top, but one caught her attention. A picture with her mother’s face. She was at least 18 years younger, but it was her. “Why is my mother in this man’s pictures?” she wondered out loud.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps and an older man entered the office. “Oh hello there! You must be the new cleaning lady. I’m Richard Smith. I own this house,” the man introduced himself with a warm smile. “Are you done in here already?”
“I’m almost done, sir. But may I ask a question?” Caroline hesitated, hoping that the man wouldn’t be mad if she asked about the image. “Who is this woman?”
The man moved closer to see what picture she was talking about. | Source: Pexels
“Who?” he wondered, moving closer to her and putting on his glasses. “Ah yes. That’s Helen. She was the love of my life.”
Caroline’s senses started pinging. “What happened to her?” She couldn’t help but ask.
“She died during a bus crash. She was pregnant at the time too. I couldn’t even go to the funeral because her mother hated me. It was crazy… I tried to move on and never did. To this day, I still love and miss her,” Richard responded, removing his glasses and moving towards his chair.
“Sir, I’m sorry to intrude like this, and thank you for telling me. But this woman… she looks so much like my mother. It’s insane,” Caroline revealed.
The older man frowned at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, my mother, Helen, looks exactly like this woman. Obviously, she’s older now, but the resemblance is uncanny. I’m 98% sure this is her,” she continued, facing Richard but gesturing toward the photograph.
Richard dialed right there from his desk. | Source: Pexels
“Helen? Your mother’s name is Helen? Where did you grow up?”
“Philadelphia,” she answered, shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes widened now that she realized that if that was Helen, then this man might be her father.
Richard covered his mouth with his hands. “This is not possible…” he whispered. “Can I have your mother’s phone number?”
“Sure,” she said and gave it to him.
“Can you stay here while I call her?” he requested, and Caroline agreed.
He dialed right there from his office phone, and her mother’s voice answered after a few rings. “Hello? Is it you, Caroline?”
Richard looked up at Caroline for a second but decided to speak up first. “Is this Helen Geller?”
“Yes. Who am I speaking to?” Helen asked from the other end of the line.
He told her about the alleged bus crash. | Source: Pexels
“Helen, it’s Richard,” he continued, his voice starting to get emotional.
“Richard, who? Wait a minute. Richard Morris? What do you want after all these years?” Helen asked, her voice hardening for some reason.
Caroline and Richard started at each other in confusion, but he continued. “What do you mean after all these years? I thought you were dead!”
“What?”
Richard explained what he knew of the alleged accident when he had lost his future wife and unborn baby. He also explained how Helen’s mother didn’t allow him at the funeral and refused to tell him anything afterward. But Helen had no idea what he was talking about and told him what she knew.
“My mother told me that you called and decided you wanted nothing to do with me. So I raised my daughter on my own,” Helen revealed, and Caroline was shocked by this turn of events.
Caroline wanted to make it on Broadway first. | Source: Pexels
“That’s not… Helen, I would never abandon you. I never moved on. I still thought of you every day. I mourned you. I’ve been in pain thinking about you and our kid for almost two decades,” Richard continued, but Helen was quiet.
“I can’t believe Mom would do this. But well, that was her way. I don’t know what do now,” Helen finally stated. “Wait. How did you find out I was still alive?”
“Mom, I’m here,” Caroline chimed in at last. She hurriedly explained what happened and reassured her mother that she was fine in New York.
“I can’t believe this is happening at all. I can’t even ask my mother why she would do something so cruel to us. She died years ago. But anyway, when are you coming back home, Caroline?” Helen asked, in a firmer voice toward her daughter.
“I’m not coming back until I make it on Broadway. And now, well… now I have another reason to stay here,” Caroline continued, looking at Richard with a tiny smile.
They broke the ice with one silly statement. | Source: Pexels
“Fine, but I’m coming up to New York soon,” Helen said and hung up. Richard and Caroline started at each other in silence for a few moments before either of them spoke up.
“So, I guess you’re my dad,” she chirped. He laughed, and that’s how they broke the ice.
What can we learn from this story?
Let your children pursue their dreams. Caroline ran away because her mother was overprotective. You should guide your children but let them decide what to do with their lives.
Some parents don’t have your best interests at heart. Helen’s mother did something horrible to her and Richard, and they would never know why.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who didn’t end the call with her husband, and he heard her conversation.
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