She gave no clear answer. Oleg read the label himself. It was a strong sedative, meant only for adults with severe sleep disorders.
“You were drugging my daughter just to make her easier to handle?” he shouted in rage.
Larisa snapped back:
“Your daughter is unbearable! She cries for you all the time, never listens, throws fits… These pills were the only way to calm her down!”
Oleg’s voice dropped to a cold, steady tone:
“Pack your things. Now. You have one hour to leave this house. If not, I’m calling the police.”
Larisa tried to protest, but she knew she had no way out. She went to the bedroom to pack.
Oleg found Sofia curled up in bed, clutching her wristwatch.
“Is she gone?” the girl asked, tears in her eyes.
“She’s leaving now. And she will never hurt you again,” Oleg said, pulling her into his arms. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t know.”
“She said if I told you, you’d send me to boarding school…”
Oleg’s heart broke. How had he missed it?
“That will never happen. I promise. From now on, it’s just you and me.”
In the weeks that followed, Oleg took action. He hired a lawyer for the divorce, arranged with his company to cut back on travel, and started therapy sessions for Sofia.
Slowly, the little girl began to smile again. Her grades improved, she made new friends, and she rejoined her school activities.
One night, before bed, Sofia asked softly:
“Daddy, do you think I’ll ever have a real mom someday?”
