I gave her a knowing look.

"Looks like Sebastian isn't the only one with a memory problem. You, Mom, have forgotten a whole lot too. Forgotten what you did to Sebastian when he was sixteen!"

Growing up, Sebastian was no stranger to his mother's iron fist. One wrong move, even the slightest slip-up, meant corner time for reflection, or worse, a public dressing-down and even a smack, dignity be damned.

His eye condition? A direct result of one of his mother's furious outbursts.

At sixteen, Sebastian finally snapped. He pushed back against his mom's suffocating control, turning into a full-blown rebel. Trouble, fights, the whole nine yards. His family couldn't handle him, so they packed him off to a new school.

The incident between Sebastian and me? It left him with eyes that would never truly heal. I've carried that guilt ever since, desperate to make it up to him.

Later, when our daughter came along, I refused to hand her over to the Walker family. But Sebastian's mother issued an ultimatum: give them our daughter, or Sebastian wouldn't inherit the family company.

Sebastian swore he'd protect our daughter, that she'd never be mistreated. That's the only reason I let go, with a heavy heart.

But the moment I saw our daughter, I knew I'd made a mistake. His mother hadn't changed one bit.

My words hit a nerve, and Sebastian's mother exploded.

"Shut your trap! Your father was a degenerate gambler, your mother was a murderer! Who the hell are you to judge me?"

I tuned out her venomous attack. From my bag, I pulled out the divorce papers and handed them to Sebastian.

"Sign them."

I turned my attention back to his mother.

"My mother was a timid soul her entire life, yet for my sake, she picked up a knife. You, strong-willed your whole life, drove your own son to the brink of suicide. Compared to my mother, you're the real murderer."

With that, I turned and walked away with my daughter.

Sebastian's mother stood there, fuming, barely able to breathe, screaming for someone to stop me.

"Enough! Let her go!"

Sebastian's unexpected command stunned everyone present and pushed his mother to the edge.

I paid them no mind.

I took my daughter to the small apartment I'd rented.

Back home, I gave Selena a long, soothing bath. That's when I discovered the bruises hidden beneath her clothes.

Under my gentle but persistent questioning, she finally broke. She confessed that whenever she messed up, Valentina would hit her, always in places covered by clothes, hard to see.

Valentina was desperate to prove herself to the Walker family, to show she was the perfect fit for Sebastian.

Selena wasn't her biological daughter; she was just a pawn in Valentina's game. So, no wonder she felt no remorse, no heartache.

Holding Selena, regret washed over me.

If only I'd stood my ground back then, if only I hadn't trusted Sebastian so blindly, maybe things wouldn't have ended up like this.

The next day, I called in sick for Selena and invited Aurora to join us for a day at the amusement park.

I wanted Selena to experience the pure joy a child deserves, to help her escape those dark memories.

The Walker family would have never approved; they'd see it as a waste of time, utterly frivolous. But I believe childhood should be filled with laughter.

Aurora knew about my past, but she was still trying to process everything that had happened.

It felt like I'd gotten a divorce overnight, with no warning.

"You're really going through with it? That's Sebastian Walker! You two used to be so in love. You sacrificed so much for him."

Aurora is my apprentice; we've shared everything. She knew how deeply I loved Sebastian, so she couldn't comprehend it.

"People change. He was my entire world, but his eyes were always on something else."

"If you're on the wrong path, you'll never reach your destination, no matter how far you walk."

"Sometimes, cutting your losses is the smartest move."

"Don't worry, you're incredible. You'll find someone way better who loves you even more." Aurora's comfort was all she could offer.

My phone buzzed relentlessly. Sebastian. I ignored every call. Finally, he called Selena's smartwatch.

Seeing her father's name, Selena froze, her eyes wide with fear as she looked at me.

I reassured my daughter, sent her back to her play, and answered Sebastian's call.

"Selena should be in school today, not at an amusement park. My mother might be strict, but you're spoiling her like this. It's frivolous!"

"You had me followed?"

He already knew I was with Selena and where we were.

"I'm just worried you can't handle taking proper care of our daughter. I know my mother and Valentina can be a bit much, but they always have Selena's best interests at heart. I was raised that way. But this kind of permissiveness from you will ruin her!"

I almost choked on my laughter. He truly had forgotten how he used to cry and beg as a child.

I opened my messaging app and sent Sebastian photos of Selena's bruised body.

"Was this how your mother 'disciplined' you when you were little?"

"And this kind of 'education' is for our daughter's own good?"

After hitting send, I blocked him.

Of course, I knew Selena needed to be in school. But today was about giving her something I owed her.

In the days that followed, Aurora kept inviting Selena and me out, helping to lift my spirits. I started to relax, and Selena became noticeably more cheerful.

Spending more time with my daughter, I discovered a hidden talent: a real passion for music.