Chapter 3

I swept Mia into my arms, my face darkening. "Who are you? Don't you know that's harassment!"

Seeing my expression, the man quickly bent down to apologize. "I'm so sorry. I'm the father of Mia's good friend Emma. I'm used to joking around with Emma, and I wasn't thinking. I apologize!"

"You're here to bring Mia to her swimming lesson, right? You should hurry inside---the instructor has already started class."

I looked down at Mia. "Sweetie, is what he's saying true?"

Mia nodded. "Yes, Mr. Harris is Emma's dad. Mommy, can I skip class today? I want to go get a hamburger."

Seeing that Mia seemed fine, I stroked her head. "Okay, after Mommy asks about something, I'll take you for hamburgers."

I ignored the man beside me and walked straight to the front desk. "My daughter lost her silver bracelet somewhere. Could you please help me check the security footage?"

The receptionist readily pulled up the surveillance video for me. In the footage, when Mia was changing clothes and using the bathroom, Derek stood outside the door waiting. He never went in.

I'd been married to Derek for ten years. After five failed IVF attempts, we finally had Mia.

Derek usually watched over Mia more carefully than his own eyes. You could say he was afraid she'd fly away if he held her in his hands, or melt if he kept her in his mouth.

Even when male relatives in the family sneaked a kiss on Mia's cheek, he'd get angry.

He said there should be boundaries between males and females, and he wanted to establish proper gender awareness for the child.

Therefore, bathing and dressing Mia had always been my responsibility.

Sometimes, when I came home late and asked him to help bathe Mia, he would righteously refuse.

To think he would secretly film Mia---I didn't believe it. But all the signs seemed to point to something wrong with him.

I returned home filled with worry. As soon as I pushed open the door, Derek rushed over.

"It's so late---why did you take Mia outside? It's not safe!"

"Next time you want to go out at night, you must take me with you."

"I can't let my precious baby get hurt in any way."

Seeing his anxious expression, warmth flooded my heart, and the doubts and unease from earlier dissipated significantly.

Mia twirled around happily in the Elsa princess dress he'd bought her, constantly asking me if she looked pretty.

I agreed with Mia, then cautiously broached the subject with Derek.

"Derek, my colleague said she's been finding a lot of videos of young girls being secretly filmed lately. What kind of person do you think could do something like that?"

"Don't these people have daughters of their own?"

Unexpectedly, Derek's face darkened. "People like that should be dragged out and shot!"

"If anyone dared to secretly film my daughter, I'd beat them until their own mother wouldn't recognize them!"

With that, he pulled Mia close and instructed her, "Mia, you must never let anyone touch the areas covered by your underwear and clothes, understand? Not even Daddy!"

"Madison, you need to be careful too. Don't take Mia out at night anymore! Who knows if those people might be lurking on the streets?"

Looking at him, I felt full of guilt. Perhaps I shouldn't have suspected him.