DANCING IN HIS SHADOW , The billionaire obsession

The first rays of the morning sun slipped through the faded curtains, painting soft golden streaks across Anne's small bedroom. For a brief moment, everything felt peaceful. The birds chirped outside her window, the cool morning breeze drifted through the slightly opened window, and the rhythmic ticking of the old clock on the wall filled the quiet room. Anne slowly opened her eyes and stretched her arms above her head, releasing a sleepy sigh. "Please, God..." she whispered, staring at the cracked ceiling. "Let today be peaceful. Just one peaceful day." It had become her daily prayer. Not for wealth. Not for success. Just peace. A small smile curved on her lips as she climbed out of bed. No matter how difficult life became, she refused to lose hope. After washing up, she tied her long hair into a neat ponytail and walked downstairs. The delicious smell of fried eggs greeted her before she reached the dining room. For a second, she almost smiled. Maybe today would truly be different. The smile disappeared the moment she stepped inside. Vivian, her mother, sat at the dining table with her arms folded across her chest, waiting. Steve, Anne's elder brother, sat lazily scrolling through his phone while his fiancée, Sarah, happily served him breakfast. No one greeted Anne. No one asked if she had slept well. Vivian looked up, her sharp eyes landing on Anne. "So," she said coldly, "it's already the end of the month." Anne froze. She already knew where this conversation was going. "I still haven't seen your salary." Anne lowered her gaze. "I only got paid yesterday, Mom." Vivian scoffed. "And?" Anne forced a small smile. "I wanted to keep a little this month." The room fell silent. Steve finally looked up from his phone. Sarah exchanged a glance with Vivian before smirking. Vivian slowly stood. "What did you just say?" Anne swallowed hard. "I've been taking care of this family for years." "I know." "I pay the rent." "I know." "I buy food." "I know." "I pay the younger ones' school fees." Vivian's face darkened. "And whose responsibility do you think that is?" Anne looked at her mother with tired eyes. "Yours." Vivian's expression hardened. "What did you say?" Anne took a deep breath. "I've never complained, Mom." "I gave you every paycheck." "I worked overtime." "I skipped meals." "I wore the same clothes for months." "But I can't keep doing this forever." Steve clicked his tongue. "Listen to her." Sarah laughed softly. "I think someone suddenly thinks she's too good for this family." Anne ignored them. She looked only at Vivian. "I'll always help the younger ones." "They're innocent." "But Steve is an adult." She turned toward her brother. "You should be helping Mom instead of depending on me." Steve immediately shot to his feet. "What did you just say?" Anne met his eyes without flinching. "You heard me." Sarah slammed her spoon onto the table. "How dare you talk to your brother like that?" Anne laughed bitterly. "Brother?" She looked between them. "He's getting married." "How can he start a family when he can't even support himself?" Steve's face burned with embarrassment. "You—" "I've sacrificed enough." Anne's voice shook, but she refused to back down. "I deserve to save for my own future." "I deserve to live too." Vivian stared at her as though she had just committed the greatest betrayal imaginable. "So after everything I've done for you..." "You've become selfish?" Tears welled in Anne's eyes. "I've never been selfish." "I've spent years putting everyone before myself." She reached into her handbag and slowly pulled out an envelope. Her salary. The money she had worked countless exhausting hours to earn. She stared at it for several seconds. This money represented sleepless nights... Sore feet... Missed meals... Dreams she had kept postponing. With trembling fingers, she held it out. "This..." She paused. "...is the last time." Vivian snatched the envelope from her hand. "What do you mean?" Anne inhaled deeply. "Starting next month..." "I'm keeping my salary." "I'll still take care of the younger children." "But Steve and Sarah need to start taking responsibility for themselves." The words had barely left her mouth— Slap! The sound echoed across the dining room. Anne's head snapped to the side. A sharp sting exploded across her cheek. For a few seconds, the entire room became silent. She slowly lifted a trembling hand and touched the burning mark on her face. Disbelief filled her eyes. Vivian glared at her with pure fury. "Say that again." The room fell into a suffocating silence. Anne remained frozen, her hand pressed against her burning cheek. The sting from the slap spread across her face, but it was nothing compared to the ache growing in her chest. She slowly lifted her eyes to Vivian. Tears shimmered in them, yet none fell. "Mom..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Was that really necessary?" Vivian's expression remained cold. "You've become arrogant. After everything I've sacrificed for you, this is how you repay me?" Anne let out a bitter laugh. "Sacrificed?" she repeated softly. "I've been the one paying the bills for years." "Watch your mouth!" Steve barked as he rose from his chair. Anne turned to him, disbelief flashing across her face. "You've been sitting at home for months while I work day and night. Yet somehow, I'm the ungrateful one?" Steve clenched his fists but had no answer. Sarah folded her arms across her chest, a smug smile playing on her lips. "You're making yourself sound like a saint, Anne. Nobody forced you to help." Anne looked at her in disbelief. "Really? Every month my salary disappears before I even have a chance to touch it." Vivian slammed the envelope of cash onto the table. "This family comes first!" "And when will I come first?" Anne asked quietly. No one answered. She looked from one face to another. Her mother. Her brother. His fiancee. Not one of them looked guilty. Not one of them cared that she was exhausted. Anne lowered her gaze and gave a sad smile. "I understand now." Vivian frowned. "Understand what?" "I was never your daughter." The words struck the room like lightning. "I was just your wallet." Vivian's face darkened with rage. "You ungrateful child!" "I've done everything for this family!" Anne cried, her voice finally breaking. "I skipped meals so the younger ones could eat. I walked to work to save transport money. I wore torn shoes because everyone else's needs came first." She wiped away the tears that finally escaped. "But I'm tired." "So tired." Without waiting for another insult, Anne turned and ran upstairs. She slammed her bedroom door shut and leaned against it, trying to steady her breathing. The tears she had been holding back poured down her cheeks. She slid onto the floor, wrapping her arms around herself. "Why?" she whispered. "What did I ever do to deserve this?" Her room offered no answer. After several minutes, Anne forced herself to stand. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Warm water cascaded over her body, washing away the sweat from the morning—but not the pain. She stared at her reflection in the fogged mirror. The red mark on her cheek was impossible to miss. She gently touched it. "I won't cry anymore," she murmured. "I deserve better than this." Drying herself quickly, Anne changed into her work clothes. She tied her hair neatly, picked up her handbag, and took one last look around her small room. One day... She would leave this house. One day... She would live for herself. Taking a deep breath, she walked downstairs. No one stopped her. No one apologized. She quietly walked out of the house and disappeared down the street toward work. The front door clicked shut. A slow smile spread across Sarah's lips. "Mom..." she said, breaking the silence. Vivian looked up. "What is it?" "I think I've found a way to solve all our problems." Steve frowned. "What are you talking about?" Sarah leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You know Mr. Van Storm?" Vivian's eyes widened slightly. "The richest businessman in town?" Sarah nodded. "I heard he's been asking about Anne." Vivian's expression slowly changed. "He likes her." Sarah's smile grew even wider. "And men like him always get what they want." Steve shifted uneasily. "What exactly are you suggesting?" Sarah's eyes gleamed with calculation. "We invite Anne to dinner..." "We slip something into her drink..." "And when she wakes up..." Sarah paused, her smile turning sinister. "...she'll be in Mr. Van Storm's bed." For a moment, the room fell silent. Then Vivian slowly smiled. "If that's what it takes to secure this family's future..." "I won't stop you." Outside, Anne walked toward the bus stop, completely unaware that the people she called family had just decided to sell her to the devil. Little did she know... That single decision would change her life forever.