My Daughter Is Not Your Damsel
The System laid out the grim starting point: A cheating father, dead too soon. A mother who vanished overseas. A frail, sick grandmother, and a lonely girl left to fend for herself. How do you plan to save her from this?
I slid my McLaren to a halt in a perfect drift in front of her rundown apartment building and killed the engine. Im going to hit her with money, I said.
The System went silent.
I adjusted my sunglasses, offering a confident smirk to the rearview mirror. Dont worry. On my watch, theres no way in hell shes growing up to be anyones tragic heroine.
This time, she gets to be the spoiled, ridiculously loved daughter of a second-generation millionaire.
1
My name was Audrey Croft. I went to sleep in my own bed, and I woke up here. The System explained it was a "temporal disturbance." It promised I could go home once I lived out this new life and died of old age. A full-sentence commutation, I guess.
Since youre here, the System chimed in my head, its voice sterile and unfeeling, you might as well save the original owners daughter. In this worlds narrative, shes the tragic heroine. She clings to a toxic, abusive man simply because shes known so little kindness in her life. Her story is brutal. You have to save her.
I looked out at the girl standing by the high school gates. Her school uniform was faded to a pale, washed-out gray, the cuffs frayed. A thick curtain of dark hair hung over her eyes, casting her face in a permanent, uninviting shadow.
I squinted. Thats the tragic heroine? I asked, unconvinced. I always pictured them as delicate, wilting flowers.
Affirmative.
The System repeated its earlier prompt like a script. A cheating father, dead too soon. A mother who vanished overseas. A frail, sick grandmother, and a lonely girl left to fend for herself. Given these parameters, how do you plan to save her?
I took off my sunglasses, my voice dripping with the bored confidence Id spent a lifetime perfecting. Im going to hit her with money.
Thats an inefficient solution, the System replied, its tone bordering on digital disapproval. She requires an infusion of love and emotional support.
I gave a noncommittal shrug. It couldnt possibly understand the unique kind of therapy that only a limitless bank account can provide. Why would she want to be some pitiful, tragic heroine when she could be an audacious, unapologetic trust-fund baby?
The original Audreys daughter is named Maya Thompson. Shes sixteen, a sophomore in high school. She lives with her grandmother. Her father had an affair when she was two and never gave her a second thought. Devastated by the betrayal, her motherthe woman whose life Ive inheritedswore shed become a massive success to make him regret it, and promptly left for a career overseas.
She was gone for years without a word. What she never learned was that her cheating husband died in a drunk-driving accident not long after she left. The grandmother, who seemed healthy enough, was worn down by life and diagnosed with a serious illness. The entire burden of their world fell onto Mayas small shoulders.
In the original story, when the mother finally returns, rich and successful, she finds a daughter who is a complete stranger, hardened by life and filled with a quiet, simmering hatred for her. The story ends with the mother, disappointed, leaving to start a new family. Maya, trapped in a cycle of abuse with the storys male lead, eventually takes her own life.
I sighed. All of this, because some mediocre man cheated with some mediocre woman. Was that really a wound worth dedicating your entire life to avenging?
2
Mayas grandmother, Eileen, lived in an old brick walk-up, the kind of housing the city had built for municipal workers decades ago. The paint on the railings was peeling, and the hallway walls were stained a permanent, sickly yellow.
I pulled up in the McLaren, the throaty roar of its engine turning heads on the quiet street. I parked it in a spot clearly marked NO PARKING and clicked my way up to the second floor.
I knocked.
Who is it? a frail voice called from inside. It took a few long minutes of shuffling and the clicking of locks before the door creaked open.
I flashed my most dazzling, enthusiastic smile and took her hand in both of mine.
Mom, I said. Im home.
The old woman flinched, startled. She peered at me, her eyes clouded with suspicion, taking in my designer dress and the perfect, blood-red lipstick. Audrey? she asked, the name tasting like a foreign word on her tongue.
I nodded brightly. Yes, Mom! You recognized me.
Of course, the woman I was now was a universe away from the heartbroken housewife who had fled the country. I was all designer labels, sculpted waves, and a killer smile.
Eileen had never been a cruel mother-in-law, but she was fiercely protective of her own son. When his affair came to light, her first instinct had been to tell the original Audrey to just endure it for the childs sake. The argument that followed had shattered their relationship completely.
So now, her face was a mask of cold fury. Her lips trembled as if she were searching for the right curse word, her eyes darting toward a broom leaning against the wall.
You finally know the way back, do you? Get the hell out of my house!
I bounced on the balls of my ten-centimeter heels. Oh, come on, Mom, dont be like that. Im here to see Maya.
She planted her hands on her hips, her breath coming in ragged gasps. You still remember you have a daughter? she spat. After all these years of silence? Do you have any idea what kind of life shes had?
I did, of course. The System had downloaded the complete file into my brain. Maya had been a model childobedient, quiet, always at the top of her class. During the day, she went to school. At night, she helped her grandmother run a small food cart to make ends meet. She was diligent, responsible, a miniature adult.
But then, in middle school, her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. They needed money, fast. Maya was just a kid. No matter how many part-time jobs she took, it was never enough. Her grades plummeted. She ended up at a low-tier high school where she was ostracized by the other students, and thats when the shadows truly began to close in around her.
I switched my expression to one of deep, apologetic remorse. Its all my fault. But Im here to make it up to her now. Please, just tell her tonight that her mother is back. Ill come see her tomorrow, okay?
3
I gave them a night to process. The next day, I timed my arrival for just after school let out.
The slender girl stood in the doorway, blocking it. She stared at me for a long moment, her eyes cold and flat.
Get out.
Well, arent you a ball of sunshine, I chirped. I slipped an arm around her back and gently nudged her inside, turning to give a cheerful wave to the nosy neighbors peering out of their doors.
The two-room apartment was spartan. A simple table and a few wooden stools took up most of the living space. There was no art on the walls, no softness anywhere. I didnt mind. I plopped down onto one of the stools and casually set my half-a-million-dollar handbag on the floor.
I reached for the girls hand and squeezed it, my voice saccharine sweet. My darling daughter, Mommy missed you so, so much.
I felt her fingers clench into a fist inside my palm before she violently ripped her hand away.
I dont have a mother.
Her tone was so absolute it almost made me pause. I glanced around the cramped apartment and then looked at her grandmother.
Mom, this place isnt exactly ideal, is it? I have a gorgeous condo in a much better neighborhood. How about you two move in with me?
Our past relationship may have been a wreck, but the woman had raised mythe original Audreysdaughter for years. That deserved some respect.
Eileen just snorted with contempt, then looked at Maya and said nothing.
Being ignored didnt faze me. I opened my bag and pulled out a thick stack of casha few thousand dollars.
Its okay if you dont want to move. But you should at least eat well, live comfortably. Take this, for expenses. When you run out, just ask for more.
Dont get me wrong, this wasn't the limit of my generosity. It was the limit of what I could physically stuff into my purse.
Perhaps it was my casual, almost bored demeanor that finally made something in the girl snap. Mayas composure shattered.
She slapped the money out of my hand, sending bills scattering across the floor. Then she grabbed the front of my dress and started pushing me toward the door.
Do you think everyone wants your filthy money? Get out! You didnt come back then, so dont bother coming back now!
4
The force of her shoving left me a little disheveled, but I managed to snatch my bag off the floor with cat-like reflexes.
At the door, the girls eyes were red-rimmed and furious.
Go, she seethed. I dont want to see you.
Sigh.
I let out a long, dramatic breath and pulled a few business cards and a sleek black credit card from my wallet.
Maya, I know this is hard for you to accept right now.
I held up the cards one by one.
This is my personal cell. This is my assistants number; hes on call twenty-four-seven. This one is for my head of security. This is HR at my company. And this is the front desk
Finally, I pressed the credit card into her hand.
This is an Amex Black Card, a supplementary card on my account. Theres no limit. Its more than enough to cover any major medical procedure you could ever need. The PIN is your birthday. 121819. I hope I remembered that right.
Maya stood frozen, the cards clutched in her hand, her jaw set so tightly I was afraid shed crack a tooth.
I reached out and smoothed her hair back from her face. Dont throw it away, I said softly, my voice a conspiratorial whisper. If you dont like it, just put it somewhere safe. You dont want to need it and not have it.
The pride of a teenager is a fragile, ferocious thing. They have no idea what kind of price life will eventually demand of them.
Are you trying to buy your way out of our relationship? she asked, her voice trembling.
I shook my head and pulled her into a hug she didnt return. No, I whispered into her hair. I just want you to know something. I will never punish you for being angry with me. And I will never, ever use money to control you. So when youre in trouble, please dont hesitate to ask me for help.
In the original story, there was a scene where she desperately tries to call her mother, over and over, while her grandmother is dying because she cant afford the surgery. I refused to let her live through that again.
5
As soon as I got back in the car, the System dared to speak.
I see now why the original Audrey disliked the protagonist. Shes so aggressive. If she would just act a little sweeter, wouldnt she get anything she wanted?
I glanced in the mirror, fixing my slightly messy hair.
Getting into a fight with a teenager who hasnt even fully developed emotionally? Whats the point in that? If you ask me, that old version of me was the one acting like a child.
Knowing the kind of trouble a "tragic heroine" can attract, Id just finished arranging for a security detail and a full-time caregiver for Eileen when my new head of security called.
Ms. Croft, weve lost visual on your daughter.
He explained that because Maya was so hostile towards him, he had been keeping his distance, waiting outside the school and leaving only after he saw her get home safely. But today, two hours had passed since the final bell. The school was locked up for the night, and she never came out.
Weve checked the security footage and spoken with the janitor and her teachers. It appears a few of her classmates led her out through a back exit. We have people searching the area now.
I grunted in acknowledgment, not overly worried yet. But to be safe, I had them ping Mayas phone location and sent a team that way.
Before they could get there, my phone rang. An unknown number. I hesitated, then answered.
Hello?
Silence on the other end, but I could hear a muffled cacophony of teenage voices in the background.
Maya? I tried.
Finally, someone spoke, their voice trying to sound bold. Um, hello? Are you Mayas mom?
I let out a breath I didnt realize Id been holding. Yes. Can I help you?
The girl on the other end giggled. We were just, like, curious. We heard Maya didnt have a mom.
The tone was a sickening mix of feigned innocence and undisguised malice. I dont know, maybe this is just how all teenagers are. Its been a while.
So I just laughed lightly. Did you skip health class? Where do you think she came from, a rock?
6
The girl stammered for a second before recovering. Well, where have you been all these years? Did you run off with some guy?
No, sweetie, I was working. You know, earning a living? Like your dad does. Oh, wait, I said, my voice turning sharp as a razor. He didnt run off with another woman, did he? Madison.
Hearing me use her name sent a ripple of panicked whispers through the group on the other end of the line. But Madison, to her credit, didnt back down. Her voice was shrill with indignation.
My dad is not like you! Hes a big deal. He makes, like, a million dollars a year! How much do you make? A hundred thousand? You cant compare yourself to my dad.
The moment someone tried to pull financial rank on me, the game was over. I let out a low, dangerous laugh.
Is that so? And with that little money, hes already got a second family on the side? And here you are, wasting your time bullying other kids instead of studying. Does your mother know? You brainless little twit. You absolute pig.
It was probably the first time anyone had ever spoken to these kids with such pure, unadulterated venom. There was a stunned silence. Madison finally managed to squeak out a You, but I cut her off, my patience gone.
Alright, Im done with this. Let my daughter go. Right now. If a single hair on her head is out of place, I will personally destroy your father.
The anger was boiling in my blood now. I grabbed my car keys from the counter.
In fact, Im on my way to see him right now.
The roar of the McLarens engine echoed through the phone, and Madison finally panicked.
Wait! Maam, I was just kidding! Maya and I are friends, we were just hanging out! Please dont tell my dad!
Typical bully. All bark, no bite.
Who gave you permission to kid with me? I snarled. Youre not in my league.
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