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Sacrifice
The next morning, Alina helped Mrs. Helen prepare breakfast.
Daniel entered the dining room in a navy blue shirt and formal pants–as usual ready for the office. He sat in his usual place but didn’t touch the coffee Mrs. Helen had already poured. Just stared at Alina with an expression that was hard to read.
“Alina, there’s something I need to discuss.”
Alina looked up from Junior’s pancakes she was cutting, looking at him with a neutral expression.
“Yes?”
Daniel was silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “Clarissa will come today. Around ten o’clock. She’ll spend time with Junior. Playing. Maybe lunch together.”
Alina didn’t respond, just looked at him waiting.
“I need you to…” Daniel stopped briefly. “I need you to help. Persuade Junior to play with Clarissa. Yesterday he was resistant. But if you ask him, he’ll listen.”
Of course. Use Alina to make Junior comply, then discard Alina afterwards.
“After that, give them space. Leave. Let them bond without distraction.”
Distraction. That’s what Alina was now. Not a mother. Not a wife. Just a distraction.
“Fine,” Alina said flatly. “I’ll persuade Junior. Then I’ll leave.”
Daniel looked at Alina with an expression that was hard to read–there was something in his eyes, maybe guilt? But it quickly closed off.
“Thank you.”
Awkward silence filled the room. Daniel picked up his coffee cup, drank a little, then set it back down soundlessly.
“I won’t go to the office today,” Daniel suddenly said. “I’ll work from home.”
Alina froze briefly. Yesterday this man said there were big problems at the company–stock down 3%, the board calling since dawn, demanding explanation. But now he decided to work from home?
In five years of marriage, Daniel had never worked from home. Not once. Even when Junior had a high fever and Alina desperately needed help. Even on weekends, this man was more often at the office than at home.
But for Clarissa? Suddenly he had time.
Alina wanted to laugh or cry. She didn’t know which.
But she did neither. Just nodded slightly, staring at the teacup in her hand.
“Okay.”
Daniel waited–as if expecting Alina to protest, to ask why, to show any reaction.
But Alina just stayed silent. No questions. No protests. Just flat and empty acceptance.
And somehow, that made Daniel more uncomfortable than if Alina had been angry or crying.
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“Alina-” Daniel began, not sure what he wanted to say.
“Papa! Mama!”
Junior ran into the dining room in his robot pajamas, hair still messy from sleep. He immediately climbed onto the chair next to Alina, smiling widely.
“Junior dreamed about being an astronaut last night! Flying to the moon with Mama!” Junior was excited, his eyes sparkling.
Alina immediately changed her expression–from empty to a warm smile for Junior. “Wow, how fun. What was on the moon?”
“There were aliens! But good aliens! They gave Junior candy!” Junior told enthusiastically, his hands moving to illustrate his story.
Daniel sat there, watching Alina interact with Junior–the way she cut pancakes into small pieces, the way she listened to Junior’s story with full attention, the way she smiled even though Daniel knew her heart was hurting.
And Daniel felt something twist uncomfortably in his chest.
At exactly ten o’clock, the mansion’s doorbell echoed.
Alina stood in the second–floor corridor, watching from above as Mrs. Helen opened the door.
Margaret entered first with upright posture and an elegant cream dress. Followed by Clarissa in a sweet and innocent pink floral dress–a calculated choice to look approachable and motherly.
In Clarissa’s hand was a large shopping bag from an expensive toy store.
“Junior, darling! I’m here!” Clarissa called in a soft voice full of warmth.
Junior, who was playing with Legos in the family room, stopped. He looked at Clarissa with a wary expression, then immediately ran looking for Alina.
“Mama! Where’s Mama?” Junior climbed the stairs with his small feet, finding Alina standing in the corridor.
Alina knelt, hugging Junior who immediately hugged her neck tightly. ‘Mama’s here, sweetheart.”
“Why is Mama Rissa here again?” Junior whispered in a scared voice. “Junior doesn’t want to play with her.”
Alina closed her eyes briefly, feeling her heart sink. But she remembered her promise to Daniel this morning.
“Junior, listen to Mama,” Alina released the hug, looking into the child’s brown eyes that resembled his father’s. ” Mama Rissa came bringing toys for Junior. She wants to play with Junior. Do you want to see what toys she brought?”
Junior shook his head hard. “Junior doesn’t want to. Junior only wants to play with Mama.”
“But Mama has to go to her room for a bit, there’s work,” Alina lied gently, stroking Junior’s cheek. “So Junior plays with Mama Rissa first, okay? Just for a little while. Later if Junior gets bored, Mama will come down.”
“Promise?” Junior looked at her with hopeful eyes.
“Promise,” Alina whispered though her heart was breaking.
Reluctantly, Junior nodded. Alina held his small hand, bringing him down the stairs.
In the family room, Clarissa was already sitting on the sofa with the shopping bag beside her. Margaret stood with
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Socrifice
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a satisfied smile. While Daniel had just come down from his study.
“Junior!” Clarissa stood with a wide smile. “Look what Mama brought for you!”
She pulled out a limited edition Transformers robot–which Alina knew Junior had wanted for a month but hadn’t
gotten yet.
Junior’s eyes sparkled briefly seeing the toy, but he still held Alina’s hand tightly.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Alina whispered, slowly releasing Junior’s grip. “Play with Mama Rissa for a bit. That robot is cool, right?”
Junior looked at Alina with eyes that somehow looked betrayed–as if Alina was abandoning him. But the boy finally nodded slightly, stepping slowly toward Clarissa.
“Good boy!” Clarissa immediately pulled Junior to sit beside her, giving him the robot. “This is for Junior. Mama knows Junior likes robots.”
Alina stood there briefly, watching Junior sitting stiffly beside Clarissa, hugging the robot but not looking happy.
Alina’s eyes met Daniel’s across the room. There was something in Daniel’s gaze–apology, maybe? But Alina didn’t care anymore.
Without a word, Alina turned and went up the stairs to her room.
What she didn’t realize–Daniel watched her back with an expression that slowly changed from controlled to somber. There was something in his chest that sank seeing Alina leave with shoulders slightly slumped, footsteps that somehow looked defeated.
But Clarissa’s voice called him back to reality.
“Daniel, come join us. Junior will be happy if Papa plays too.” 1
Daniel looked away from the stairs, walking toward the sofa with steps that somehow felt heavy.
P
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