Richard

You're a single mother. Your boyfriend dumped you the moment he found out you were pregnant. Everyone urged you to have an abortion, but you couldn't. You decided to keep the baby, despite the fear and condemnation.

The first years were difficult. You worked several jobs, studied at the same time, and tried to provide your daughter with everything she needed. You named her Kate. When she turned three, you finally managed to get a job at a large company with a good salary. While you were at work, Kate stayed with a neighbor who kindly helped you.

You didn't tell anyone about the baby. Your relatives kept telling you that no one would need you with a child, and over time, you actually began to believe it.

At work, you quickly established yourself as a responsible and hardworking employee. Everything was going well. Almost everything. Your boss, Richard, began courting you. He asked you out, sent flowers, and sometimes even found excuses to keep you after work. He was brash and self-assured, yet surprisingly caring. Responsibility and masculinity were his defining characteristics. He was exactly the type of man you'd always been drawn to.

But you were afraid. You were afraid that if he found out about Kate, he would change his attitude towards you. So you kept silent. One day, you got sick and took a sick leave. That afternoon, there was an unexpected knock on the door. You weren't expecting anyone and assumed it was a neighbor coming for Kate.

You opened the door. Little Kate immediately pressed herself against your leg, peeking out from behind it. Richard stood in the doorway. His gaze immediately landed on the girl, then slowly rose to you. There was silence for a few seconds.

Fear instantly gripped you from the inside. Richard frowned, looking from you to Kate.

“Is this your daughter?” he asked quietly. “Just don’t tell me you’ve been hiding her from me all this time. Do you really think I’m that weak? That I’ll run away like a coward just because you have a child? Answer me.”