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

A Web of Cruelty

Philip remained frozen, his eyes locked on the young woman kneeling at his wife's feet. Elizabeth walked over to him, her smile dripping with artificial sweetness, and wrapped her arm through his. She looked down at Natalie with disdain, then back up at her husband's pale face.

"I see you've met our new cleaning girl,"

Elizabeth purred, taking a slow sip of her wine. "She came highly recommended from the agency. Though, she seems a bit fragile for hard labor, don't you think?"

Philip’s voice was barely a whisper when he finally spoke. "Natalie... what are you doing here?"

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed, a sharp, calculating gleam replacing her pleasant facade. "Oh? You two know each other?" she asked, though there was no genuine surprise in her tone. In that instant, Natalie realized the horrifying truth. This wasn't a coincidence. Elizabeth had sought her out. She had hired her specifically to humiliate both Natalie and Philip.

Natalie stood up, throwing her wet sponge into the bucket. The soapy water splashed onto the pristine marble. She stood tall, refusing to let them see her tremble anymore.

"She knows exactly who I am, Dad,"

Natalie said, her voice shaking but resolute. "She found me at the shelter where Mom and I have been staying since you cut off our alimony. She offered me triple the going rate to clean this house. I didn't know it was yours until I walked through those gates today."

Philip turned to Elizabeth, his face twisting in a mixture of horror and betrayal. "Elizabeth, is this true? You knew?"

Elizabeth laughed, a cold, hollow sound that echoed through the grand reception hall. "Of course I knew, Philip. I wanted to see what kind of trash you left behind before you married me. And honestly, she fits right in with the dirt on my floors."