The Fall of Daddy

At the company’s annual gala, the host read out the winner of the third‑place prize.

"Xena."

Xena Lynch jumped to her feet with a cheer and pulled her already low‑cut dress down another two inches.

Every eye in the room locked onto her. More accurately, onto the distracting expanse of bare skin above her neckline.

"Ouch!"

She let out a perfectly timed cry. Then she stumbled to the side and caught herself with one hand on the floor. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Daddy, I twisted my ankle in my heels. It hurts!"

The entire ballroom went silent.

Seth Hawkins rose from the head table and hurried onto the stage. He crouched in front of Xena and lifted her foot with care.

"How did you manage to be so careless?"

Xena bit her lower lip, which made her eyes look even redder.

"Daddy, it really hurts."

Seth slipped off her high heel. Then he wrapped one hand around her foot and gently massaged her ankle.

His movements looked far too natural. Clearly, this was not the first time.

I remembered what had happened last month when I had a migraine and asked him to massage my temples.

He had frowned and said, "My wrist hurts. You should go see a physical therapist."

The contrast was painful to watch.

Seth looked up at Xena with nothing but concern in his eyes.

"Just bear with it for a little while. I will rub it for you. It will feel better."

He lowered his head and gently blew on the reddened skin.

The ballroom fell completely silent.

I felt the employees at the tables behind me staring. Some looked curious, some looked sympathetic, and others clearly enjoyed the spectacle.

Noelle, our finance director, sat beside me. She cleared her throat as if she wanted to speak. I raised a hand and stopped her.

Onstage, Xena looked over Seth’s head and locked eyes with me. The corners of her lips curled into a smile, and her voice became even softer.

"Ms. Yates, please do not take it the wrong way. Daddy is just used to taking care of me."

She reached out and ruffled Seth’s hair. The gesture looked intimate, possessive, and openly provocative.

The champagne glass in my hand trembled slightly.

I had taken a year away from the company because I wanted to have a second child. I never imagined that so much could happen in one year.

Xena had joined the company only six months ago.

I had heard the rumors. She liked calling Seth "Daddy." She had worn his jacket and drunk from his cup.

"Daddy, I am having the worst luck today. Could you please go buy me some feminine products?

"Daddy, I cannot get the zipper on my dress unstuck. Can you help me?

"Daddy, why do you not have my hair tie around your wrist? I think you deserve a punishment. Wear two. Pink ones, okay?"

My most trusted employee had told me all of that.

I had confronted Seth. He had waved his hand, completely unconcerned.

"She is just fooling around. Once the novelty wears off, she will stop.

"If there were really something going on between us, do you think I would let the whole company know about it?"

I had thought about it.

He had a point.

Anyone with sense would not make an affair that obvious.

However, I never expected the two of them to behave like that in front of the entire company at the annual gala.

Apparently, after becoming CEO, Seth had left his common sense behind.

He thought that because I had been tied up raising our second child, he could lift his chin and act as if he were the one in charge of Starlight Technologies.

Slowly, I stood up and clapped three times.

The crisp sound of my applause cut through the silence and made every head in the room turn toward me. Seth’s hands froze, and he whipped around to look at me. A flash of panic crossed his face as he seemed to remember that this was not a private moment inside the office.

I was there.

I had never been the kind of woman who tolerated betrayal.

Xena’s smile grew sweeter, as if she had waited for this exact moment.

"Mr. Hawkins is just showing concern for an employee. We should not let it interfere with the annual gala."

I looked at the host.

"Please continue."

The host nodded.

"Now, let us begin the drawing for the second‑place prize."

Xena kept whining sweetly.

"Daddy, my foot still hurts. Can you carry me downstairs?"

Seth lowered his voice. Embarrassment flickered across his face.

"Xena, stop it."

I did not watch the rest of the raffle. I stood and went to the restroom.

I needed to think.

Should I tear everything apart in front of everyone, or wait until the annual gala ended?

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was the nanny calling from home.

"Mrs. Hawkins, Sunny wants to video chat with you."

My daughter held the nanny’s phone. She gave me a sweet smile.

"Mommy, when are you and Daddy coming home? My little brother is already asleep."

She was only five. Her innocent question softened the bitterness in my chest.

"Not for a little while longer. Be a good girl and go to sleep first, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy. Love you."

The call had barely ended when the restroom door swung open.