Mark walked through the crowded airport carrying his heavy briefcase while checking his gold wristwatch.
He was a successful real estate investor who built a vast empire through years of tireless dedication.
His chief motivation for working so hard was providing a wonderful life for his little daughter, Lily.
After his late wife passed away two years ago, Mark had struggled deeply with raising the child alone.
Six months ago, he married Victoria, a charming woman who promised to love Lily as her own child.
Victoria always acted like the perfect, caring stepmother whenever Mark was present inside their sprawling suburban mansion.
She smiled sweetly, held the baby tenderly, and spoke with continuous warmth and gentle affection.
Mark felt a deep sense of relief knowing his toddler had a maternal figure watching over her.
He felt comfortable taking short business trips across the country because he trusted Victoria completely with everything.
On this clear Tuesday afternoon, Mark landed two hours earlier than his original scheduled flight home.
He decided not to call Victoria because he wanted to surprise his family with gifts and ice cream.
Meanwhile, inside the quiet mansion, the actual reality was far different from what Mark ever imagined.
Victoria sat comfortably on a velvet armchair while eating fresh green grapes from a delicate crystal bowl.
On the cold marble floor across the living room sat two-year-old Lily in a stained, dirty dress.
The toddler was weeping softly while sitting right next to an ugly, stainless steel animal bowl.
Inside the dish sat cold, plain white rice that Victoria had dumped onto the floor for the child.
Lily reached out her tiny, trembling hands to scoop up the dry food while sobbing tears of confusion.
Victoria simply scrolled through her expensive smartphone, completely ignoring the little girl's soft, pitiful cries.
She chewed on another grape without offering a single comforting word or a soft paper towel.
Nearby behind a wide marble pillar, the house housekeeper named Clara watched the scene with rising horror.
Clara had worked for Mark's family for over eight years and truly loved little Lily like family.
She had noticed Victoria's icy attitude toward the child over the past several difficult weeks.
Every time Mark left the state, Victoria treated the innocent toddler like an unwanted household burden.
Clara had tried to intervene before, but Victoria repeatedly threatened to fire her without any pay.
This afternoon, seeing the sweet baby girl forced to eat off the floor broke Clara's heart completely.
Clara pulled her small phone from her apron pocket while hiding carefully in the shadowy hallway corner.
Her hands trembled violently as she selected Mark's direct phone number and pressed the green call button.
She prayed that her boss would answer his telephone immediately before any further emotional harm occurred.