The Hidden Letter

"Miss, this is the place from your address. The big white house you're looking for is up there. The taxi can't go any further, so you'll have to walk," the taxi driver explained.

The driver's words brought Emily back from her thoughts. She looked out the window. "Is this place far from the city?"

"Yes, it's a remote area. People who live here are usually wealthy and like the peaceful surroundings and nature. There's a small town not too far away," the driver explained.

Emily nodded, paid the driver, and got out. After taking a deep breath, she walked towards the big white house about 100 meters away. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a nice black car stopping in front of her, blocking her way. A little girl, around 8 to 10 years old, came out with a nervous look and ran towards Emily.

"Mommy!"

Before Emily could react, the little girl hugged her tightly. Trying to get a better look, Emily was surprised, and the little girl started crying.

"Mommy, where have you been? Sophia missed you so much," the little girl said.

Emily was utterly bewildered by the situation, and just as she was about to clarify that she wasn't the little girl's mother, a tall man emerged from the car, grabbing her attention. Despite his striking height and handsome features, his expression exuded a chilling anger.

Lucas walked toward them, his eyes piercing into hers with a cold and stern gaze. The intensity of his look made Emily's heart race, leaving her feeling uneasy.

"Mommy, Sophia has been waiting for you every day. I behaved when Mommy wasn't around, listened to Daddy and Nanny, went to school, and finished my meal every day," the little girl explained between sobs.

Now, Emily was even more confused as she looked at the man again. "I... she... you..." She didn't know what to say. She was too shocked. She couldn't understand why a girl her size would mistake someone else for her mom.

Emily looked at him in disbelief. "Go where? Who are you?

Lucas's eyes darkened. "Who am I? You don't even recognize your husband now? You're unbelievable," he spat through gritted teeth, his gaze still sharp.

"Mommy, let's go home," the little girl pulled away from Emily, tightly grasping her hand and guiding her towards the car.

"No, listen to me. I think we have a misunderstanding here. I'm not..." Emily stopped mid-sentence, inhaling deeply before looking at Lucas again. They seemed unresponsive to her words. "Can we talk?"

"Not now. I don't want to fight with you in front of Sophia," Lucas replied curtly, not giving her another chance to protest. He roughly seized her arm, pulling her towards the car.

"Hey! What are you doing? Let go of me!" Emily screamed. His grip was forceful and causing pain to her arm.

Lucas halted, his eyes filled with hatred. "Don't act like you're the victim here. I hate you as much as you do."

Emily gasped in pain as his grip tightened again. All she wished for was someone to explain what was happening.

Lucas signaled to the driver, immediately getting out of the car. He approached Emily, took her luggage, and bowed politely. "Madam, please let me help you."

"Get down," he said coldly, opening the door and stepping out, leaving her with the little kid inside.

"Mommy, let's go down," the little girl smiled sweetly, pulling Emily's hand as they exited the car.

Emily's eyes widened at the big white three-story house in front of her, the house where she had come to find her sister.

The little girl ran to the man with the death look waiting at the door. "Daddy, please don't scold Mommy. She is back now. Don't let her leave us again. Sophia promises Daddy that I'll listen to you from now onwards. I won't cry and make you angry. Please don't let Mommy leave us again," the little girl begged, crying hard. Emily reached for her phone, wanting to call for help, but she hesitated when she saw tears rolling down her small cheeks. Her sad expression pained Emily's heart. She sighed, putting her phone back in her bag. The whole situation, especially the man in front of her, scared her—his cold expression, hateful gaze, and rough actions. But then, she thought, what is there to fear anymore? She has nothing to lose.

She walked toward them, holding Sophia's tiny hand and gently wiping her tears away. "Don't cry. You just promised your Daddy that you won't cry, right? You have to keep your word and be a good girl."

Sophia was surprised. This was the first time her mother spoke to her with such a gentle voice. She quickly wiped her tears with her tiny hands and smiled at Emily. She nodded vigorously. "Sophia promises not to cry anymore and to be a good girl. As long as Mommy stays with me and Daddy, I'll become a good girl and won't cry anymore." Lucas scoffed as he walked into the house.

"Let's go inside, Mommy," Sophia said, pulling Emily into the house. Emily sighed quietly as she followed. Inside, a woman in her forties greeted them with a happy smile, bowing politely. "Mrs Anderson, you're finally back. Sophia missed you so much. She couldn't even sleep and eat properly."

Emily awkwardly smiled at the woman, feeling more confused. Even the driver and housekeeper had mistaken her for Sophia's mother. Sophia assured the woman.

"Nanny Lucille, I told you Mommy will surely come back. She won't leave Sophia alone." Sophia assured the woman.

The woman chuckled, turning to Lucas. "Mr Anderson, dinner is ready. Do you want to have it now?" she asked.

Lucas glanced at Emily briefly. "Let Sophia and her rest for a while. We'll eat after they have their shower," He instructed the driver to take Emily and her luggage to his room as he walked away. Emily sighed deeply as Sophia grabbed her hand, leading her upstairs with the woman and the driver following.

The dining room had a tense and dull atmosphere. No one spoke or moved much. Emily glanced at the man eating with a stern face, intimidating everyone in the house.

Looking at the tempting food on the table, Emily sighed silently. Despite the mouth-watering dishes, she lacked the appetite, not due to a recent throat issue but because of the intense gaze of the man beside her. She sighed helplessly.

Lucas smirked, seeing her pale face and fear in her eyes. He enjoyed her fear, thinking she should regret what she did to him. On purpose, he put spicy Shrimp in her bowl, knowing she couldn't handle spicy food. He expected her to suffer if she ate it, wanting to make her pay for coming back to him.

Watching closely, he saw Emily take the Shrimp and put it on an empty plate. "Thanks, but I don't like spicy food," she calmly said.

Lucas frowned. "You sure you don't want to eat?" he asked, staring at her.

Emily met his gaze firmly. "Yes, I'm very sure," she said.

Lucas clenched his jaw, putting his fork down. "You can choose not to eat, but think about the consequences before defying me."

Emily, surprised, wondered silently what was wrong with him. Annoyed by his ego, she kept eye contact. "No, I'm not eating."

"Very good," Lucas said through gritted teeth, not letting it go. As Emily put her cutlery down and excused herself, Sophia's voice stopped her.

"Mommy, please wait for me. I'm almost done," Sophia hurriedly said, stuffing rice into her tiny mouth to keep her mother in sight.

Lucas glared at his daughter. "Eat slowly," he sternly instructed.

Nervously, Sophia looked at her father and nodded. "O- Okay," she stammered, continuing to spoon rice into her mouth urgently.

Lucas sighed sharply. "I said eat slower. Can you hear me?!" he raised his voice.

Sophia kept nodding. "Yes," she said, looking at Emily with a pleading gaze. "Mommy, wait for me." She chewed and forcefully swallowed, causing her face to redden.

Lucas forcefully struck the dining table, his eyes fixated on Sophia with intense anger. "I won't repeat myself. Eat slowly!" he shouted.

Emily, startled by his loud tone, quickly retreated to the dining table and seated herself next to Sophia. Taking the spoon and bowl from her, she offered a reassuring smile. "Have you forgotten the promise you made to Daddy just now? You must listen to him and not make him angry. Eating too quickly isn't good for your stomach, did you know that?"

Sophia attempted to swallow her food and nodded. "Yes, I won't do it again. I'll listen to Mommy's advice."

Emily smiled, feeding Sophia a small spoonful of rice with a piece of meat. "Let me help you."

Sophia, surprised, widened her eyes and nodded eagerly. "I want that mommy!"

Emily proceeded to feed her slowly and gently, imparting nutritional advice. "Fish contains plenty of vitamin D, beneficial for bone development and immune functioning. Eating vegetables is crucial for your healthy growth, too." She pushed the Shrimp away. "Spicy foods aren't good for your skin. Avoid them, okay?"

Sophia nodded"Okay mommy."

Lucas, observing Emily's unexpected behavior, felt a sense of disbelief as his expression turned ashen. This was the first time he saw her treating Sophia with such patience and gentleness. He took a deep breath, suspecting that she must have a compelling reason for this change. The woman before him now was very different from the one he had known for the past 10 years. He smirked, determined not to be deceived again. The betrayal had left his heart cold, and he wouldn't allow himself to be fooled once more by her deceit.