HE LOST HIS DAUGHTER ONCE, NOW HE’S A RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE

WHY DO I HAVE TO LEAVE?

“Mommy,” Maggie said, her voice trembling softly. “This is my home. It’s not Leo’s house. Why do I have to leave? Why do I have to celebrate my birthday somewhere else?”

She stood near the edge of the decorated carpet, clutching her teddy bear tightly against her chest. Her tiny knuckles had turned white from how hard she was holding it. Slowly, her tearful eyes moved from the golden birthday banners to the bright blue balloon Leo had snatched from her earlier… before finally lifting toward her mother.

The question was simple and painfully innocent.

The moment Maggie spoke, Leo’s eyes widened in shock. He immediately let go of Lyra’s hand and stumbled back as tears burst from his eyes. Covering his face with both hands, he broke into loud sobs, his small shoulders shaking violently while he stomped his feet against the floor.

“See, Daddy?! She’s bullying me!” Leo cried through his tears, his small shoulders shaking violently. “She’s only being mean to me because I don’t have a mommy! Kids at school already treat me like I don’t belong anywhere… and now she’s doing it too!”

He buried his face in his hands and sobbed harder.

“I hate it here! I want my mommy…”

Lyra's expression changed fast. Her hesitation vanished, replaced by panic and protective anger. She knelt down, pulling Leo into her arms and rocking him.

“Oh, Leo, sweetheart, don’t cry,” Lyra comforted him softly as she pulled him into her arms. “You belong here, okay? Mommy Lyra is right here with you. You don’t have to listen to hurtful things anyone says about you.”

She smoothed down Leo’s hair then stood up slowly turning her eyes at Maggie.

“Maggie! How can you be so mean and selfish?!” Lyra scolded her sharply. “Look at what you did to him! You know everything Leo has been through, yet you still chose to hurt his feelings on purpose.”

Her face hardened with disappointment as she stared at her daughter.

“I never expected you to grow into such a spoiled and insensitive child, Maggie. Honestly… I’m very disappointed in you.” She pointed toward Leo. “Now apologize to him immediately and say you’re sorry for being mean.”

Maggie lowered her head immediately, her tiny lower lip trembling, for the first time in her life, her mother was looking at her like she was the problem.

Before Maggie could say anything Brandon stepped in front of her blocking Lyra’s gaze.

“She did nothing wrong, Lyra,” Brandon stated firmly. “My daughter has no reason to apologize to anyone, especially not to a child throwing a tantrum over something that was never his to begin with.”

His eyes turned colder as he glanced toward Leo before looking back at Lyra.

“This is Maggie’s home. She shouldn’t have to lower herself and beg for forgiveness just because you pity someone else.”

"Brandon! You spoil her too much!" Lyra argued loudly. "This is why she acts like a princess! You shield her from everything. Now she has no empathy for a motherless child!"

“She’s a six-year-old little girl whose own mother is trying to force her out of her house on her birthday, Lyra,” Brandon shot back angrily. “Just listen to yourself for one second and think about what you’re actually saying.”

“Oh, please!” Lyra sighed impatiently. “It’s only one damn birthday, Brandon! Maggie will have plenty of birthdays with me in the future. We can celebrate next year or the year after that…. It's not like she is going anywhere or I'm going anywhere.”

She pointed toward Leo, who was still crying against Jake’s side.

“But Leo has never had a real family before. He’s emotionally fragile, and for once he deserves to feel loved and wanted.” Her expression hardened as she looked back at Brandon. “Why can’t the two of you stop being selfish and show a little kindness to a child who has nothing?”

Brandon let out a shaky breath. The irony of Lyra's words cut through his chest. He knew the reality. He knew Maggie didn't have time. Looking at his wife’s face he realized that telling her the truth was useless. She was blind.

"Besides," Lyra continued. "There is a reason why Jake and Leo need to stay here tonight Brandon. Jake and I need to discuss an investment project this evening. We are going over the numbers tonight."

Jake nodded from the background putting on his calm look.

“If this investment succeeds,” Lyra said, her eyes gleaming with ambition, “my company will expand to an entirely new level. We’re talking about a fifty-million-dollar deal, Brandon. Timing is critical right now, and Jake and I need to finalize everything tonight before the market opens tomorrow morning.”

She crossed her arms before continuing coldly,

“Having Jake stay here makes things far more efficient for our discussions. We don’t have time to waste driving back and forth across the city.”

She stepped closer to Brandon looking down at him. "So I am telling you Brandon do not get in our way today. This is business. This is about our future, Brandon, but of course, you wouldn’t understand that. You’ve never had to build something the way I have.”

Brandon clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked in the heavy silence of the room. A painful weight settled deep inside his chest.

In Lyra’s eyes, he had never truly been her partner or her equal.

He had only ever been the man standing quietly behind her while she chased success.

“Lyra, listen to me,” Brandon said quietly, his voice turning frighteningly calm. “I’m going to give you one last warning. If you miss our daughter’s birthday to stay with them instead… I swear to you, Lyra, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”

Before he could even finish Lyra let out a groan and cut him off.

“Oh, shut up, Brandon! I’m so tired of your constant threats,” Lyra frowned, her face twisting with irritation and disbelief. “Look at yourself. Every single time things don’t go your way, you hide behind our daughter and use her feelings to guilt-trip me into doing what you want…. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?” 

Her eyes hardened as she crossed her arms.

“What are you even capable of besides using Maggie to gain sympathy for yourself?”

“You don’t understand pressure because you’ve never carried responsibility the way I do,” Lyra snapped. “You stay home, take care of the house, and then judge every decision I make as if you’ve ever contributed to building our future.”

Maggie stood quietly behind her father, watching the argument unfold. She could see the veins straining along her mother’s neck and the exhaustion buried deep inside her father’s eyes.

Even at her young age, Maggie understood one thing clearly.

If the fighting continued, her daddy would be the one who got hurt the most.

Not wanting Brandon to suffer because of her, Maggie forced a small smile onto her face despite the sadness in her chest. Then she slowly stepped out from behind him and gently tugged on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Daddy," Maggie said, her voice calm. "It's okay. Don't be mad. I just remembered that I haven't been to the amusement park downtown in a long time. I want to see the rollercoasters and eat cotton candy."

Brandon looked down at her, his expression softening.

"Why don't you take me there for my birthday tomorrow instead Daddy?" Maggie suggested, her eyes shining. "We can stay at a hotel and Mommy can stay here and celebrate with Leo so he doesn't feel sad. That sounds like fun anyway!"

Brandon stared at his daughter's face. He knew her better than anyone. He knew she was only pretending to be strong. He knew she was sacrificing her dream of a family dinner just to keep the peace and protect him from more insults. He did not say anything in front of Lyra and the others. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

“Alright, princess,” Brandon whispered softly as he knelt down to pick up her teddy bear from the floor. After gently placing it back into her arms, he forced a small smile onto his face.

“If that’s what my little girl wants, then that’s exactly what we’ll do,” he said quietly. “We’ll go to the amusement park, have fun with all the rides, eat all the cotton candy you want, and make tomorrow the happiest birthday ever.”

Maggie smiled softly before slowly looking back toward Lyra. She hesitated for a moment, nervously biting her lower lip before taking a tiny step closer to her mother.

“Mommy?” Maggie called quietly, her voice small and hopeful. “Um… after you finish celebrating Leo’s birthday tomorrow… could you maybe come to the amusement park too?”

She clutched her teddy bear tighter against her chest as she looked up at Lyra with pleading eyes.

“Even if it’s only for a little while…” Maggie continued softly. “Could you watch me ride the carousel? Just once?”

Then she slowly lifted her tiny pinky finger toward her mother.

“I promise I won’t take up too much of your time, Mommy,” she whispered. “I just really want to see you on my birthday.”

Lyra looked down at Maggie's finger. For a moment it was quiet in the living room. Lyra looked at Jake then back at Maggie's pale face. 

She let out a sigh.

“Fine, Maggie,” Lyra finally said with a sigh, though her tone still sounded distant and cold. “After Leo cuts his cake tomorrow afternoon and we finish our meetings, I’ll drive over to the amusement park and spend a little time with you both.”

She paused briefly before adding. “Are you happy now?”