He Walked Into His Mansion and Found His Estranged Daughter Scrubbing His Floors

A Web of Deceit

Thomas stood paralyzed in the center of his grand foyer.

"Chloe? Is... is it really you?"

he whispered, his voice trembling. He took a step toward her, but Victoria quickly descended the stairs, placing a firm, manicured hand on his chest.

"Thomas, sweetie, don't mind her. She's just the new maid from the agency. Quite clumsy, actually,"

Victoria said smoothly, her eyes darting between them with a cold, calculating intensity.

Thomas brushed his wife's hand away, his shock turning into raw fury. He knelt directly into the soapy water, ignoring the ruin of his expensive suit, and gently grabbed Chloe's hands, forcing her to stop scrubbing.

"Look at me, please,"

he begged. As Chloe raised her tear-streaked face, the resemblance was undeniable. She had his mother's green eyes.

"Why are you here? Why are you working like this? Your mother... she told me you both wanted nothing to do with me. She returned every letter, every check!"

Chloe shook her head, confusion cutting through her grief.

"What are you talking about? We never received any letters! We lived in a tiny apartment, and Mom worked three jobs until she got sick. We thought you abandoned us when you married her!"

she cried, pointing a trembling finger at Victoria.

Thomas’s head snapped up to look at his wife. Victoria’s flawless composure finally cracked, a flicker of panic crossing her face.

"Thomas, she's lying! She's just trying to extort money from us!"

Victoria shrieked. But Thomas knew his wife too well. He stood up, his voice dangerously quiet.

"How did she get hired here, Victoria? Out of all the agencies in the city, how did my daughter end up scrubbing our floors?"

The truth was suffocating. Victoria had discovered Chloe's existence months ago. Wanting to ensure Thomas's biological daughter would never claim a dime of his fortune, she had tracked Chloe down, manipulated the agency to assign her to the mansion, and planned to humiliate her so deeply she would flee the city forever.