He Found His Estranged Daughter Scrubbing His New Wife's Floors and Made a Choice

The Maid in the Mansion

The white marble floors of the Sterling mansion were cold, but not as cold as the despair pooling in Natalie’s chest. On her knees, wearing a cheap grey maid's apron, she scrubbed the soapy water with trembling hands. Every stroke of her brush felt like a reminder of how far her life had fallen. Only a year ago, she had been a promising college student. Now, she was scrubbing the floors of the ultra-wealthy just to pay for her mother's life-saving medical treatments.

Suddenly, the heavy mahogany double doors of the reception hall swung open. Natalie didn't look up immediately, accustomed to being treated like a ghost by the estate's residents. But the heavy, decisive footsteps suddenly stopped dead. A suffocating silence filled the grand room, broken only by the drip of soapy water from her sponge.

Natalie slowly lifted her gaze. Her breath caught in her throat. Standing there, clad in a pristine three-piece designer suit, was a man she hadn't seen in ten long years. It was Philip, her father, the man who had walked out on her and her mother to chase a life of luxury.

"Dad?"

The word escaped her lips as a fragile, desperate gasp. Philip froze, his face turning entirely pale. The briefcase in his hand slipped, nearly tumbling to the polished marble. He stared at her in absolute disbelief, his eyes darting from her tear-stained face to the soapy bucket beside her.

Panicking, Natalie quickly lowered her head, hot tears blurring her vision as she began frantically scrubbing the floor again, trying to hide her shame. But the moment was shattered by the clicking of high heels on the sweeping staircase.

"You're home so early, darling,"

Elizabeth, Philip’s elegant new wife, glided down the stairs holding a half-empty wine glass, her velvet dress trailing behind her. She cast a cold, mocking glance at Natalie before smiling warmly at her stunned husband.