Vanessa looked up, surprised for only a second.

“Don’t exaggerate,” she replied. “It’s about discipline. Lily is a difficult child. She lies all the time, she cries constantly over nothing.”

Daniel slammed his fist on the table.

“She’s malnourished, terrified, and she thinks I’m dead!” he shouted. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”

Vanessa shrugged.

“You’re never here. Someone has to raise him.”

That answer was enough. That very morning, Daniel called his lawyer and social services. Lily was taken to the hospital for a full evaluation. The doctors confirmed clear signs of psychological abuse and physical neglect. Every word of the report was like a knife to the heart for Daniel.

When questioned, Vanessa tried to justify herself, but Lily’s testimony was firm and poignantly clear. She spoke of nights spent in darkness, of hunger, of threats. She recounted how her mother had told her that no one would believe her.

Daniel filed for divorce and sought sole custody. The proceedings were swift, given the evidence. Vanessa was forced to leave the home and faced legal action.

For weeks, Daniel reorganized his life. He turned down trips, worked from home, and took Lily to therapy. Little by little, the little girl began to smile again. To sleep in the dark. To trust again.

One day, Lily asked him:

“Dad, why did Mom hate me?”

Daniel hugged her tightly.

“She didn’t hate you, darling. She was broken. But it was never your fault.”

However, Daniel knew that the damage wouldn’t disappear so easily. Invisible wounds remained, questions unanswered, and there was a long road ahead.

Could they really rebuild their lives after everything that had happened? The answer would come in the third part.

The trial ended on a gray Friday in November. Daniel Harrington held Lily’s hand as the judge pronounced the sentence. Vanessa was found guilty of psychological abuse and continued neglect of a child. No cries, no tears were heard in the courtroom. Only a heavy, final silence reigned. For Daniel, it wasn’t about revenge, but about turning the page on a story that should never have ended.

After the trial, the father and daughter left the courthouse and breathed in the fresh air. Lily looked up and asked softly:

“Is it over now, Dad?”

Daniel knelt down at her level.

“The worst is over. Now, the good life begins.”