Vanessa entered the sunroom with a sharp scowl across her face.
She looked down at the tiny girl sitting happily near the low table.
Lily was wearing her special pink dress that her mother had given her long ago.
It was a delicate dress that held deep emotional memories for the grieving father.
Lily looked up and gave Vanessa a bright and cheerful smile.
Lily: Look at my big cake, Vanessa!
Vanessa did not smile back at the young toddler.
She stood over the child and folded her arms tightly against her chest.
Vanessa: You are always making mess with your silly little food.
Lily blinked her wide eyes and held her spoon a little tighter.
Lily: Daddy made it for me because I was a good girl today.
Vanessa: Your daddy spends too much money and time on you.
Vanessa looked around the hallway to make sure David was still out of sight.
She wanted to destroy the sweet moment and make the child feel tiny.
Vanessa stepped closer to the child's small wooden table with a mean look.
She deliberately reached out her manicured hand toward the ceramic plate.
With a sudden and forceful swipe, she knocked the entire plate straight off the table.
The thick slice of cake landed heavily against the toddler's lap and shiny shoes.
Pink frosting smeared across the vintage pink dress that David cherished so deeply.
The porcelain plate shattered into small pieces across the polished stone floor.
Lily gasped loudly and froze in absolute shock at what had just happened.
Lily: Why did you do that to my cake?
Vanessa looked down at the terrified toddler with a cold and nasty smirk.
Vanessa: Because you need to learn that you do not own this house anymore.
Lily felt big tears rising fast in her bright blue eyes.
She looked down at her ruined dress and the messy frosting all over her shoes.
Vanessa: If you tell your father, I will make sure you lose your toys.
Lily pulled her knees up close to her chest on the rug.
She could not understand why this woman was being so cruel to her.
Lily: You ruined my dress and my special day!
Vanessa leaned down close to the young girl's face with a scary glare.
Vanessa: Keep your mouth shut or things will get much worse for you.
The toddler could not hold her heavy tears back any longer.
She burst into loud, heartbreaking sobs that echoed down the long hallway.
Lily: Daddy! Help me, daddy!