The Mother Everyone Hated Chapter 2

I opened a trust fund for Lily.

I dumped every single penny of my life savings into it.

Locked for ten years.

By the time she turned sixteen, she would have total financial control over it.

The house we lived in was already transferred to her name.

When she grew up, she could sell it or live in it. Her choice.

With the legalities out of the way, I pulled Lily out of all her after-school ballet and piano classes.

The second the school bell rang, I took her out.

Parks, amusement rides, indoor trampoline gyms.

The kind of joy she used to have to earn through good grades was now served to her daily on a silver platter.

While she played, I constantly adjusted the angle of my mirrorless camera, capturing every second.

She was breathtakingly cute.

Long lashes framing big, bright eyes, and those chubby, soft cheeks.

Whenever she looked at me, I melted.

Kids naturally gravitated toward her.

But sometimes, the rowdier kids would relentlessly pinch her cheeks or snatch her toys.

Even though I could tell she hated it, she stayed polite. The most she would do was hide behind a slide.

Watching this from the sidelines made my stomach tie into knots.

The very next day, the aimless fun stopped.

I signed her up for a youth mixed martial arts and self-defense class.

Combat sports are grueling. I had never once envisioned my sweet girl throwing punches.

But if I wasn't going to be around to teach her how to say no to boys in high school, she at least needed the physical ability to protect herself.

The result? Lily spent two days just doing basic planking and combat stances. Before the real lessons even began, she broke down. Tears streamed down her face as she wailed that she was too tired and wanted to quit.

I hardened my heart. I coldly refused her, forcing her to push through the burn.

Feeling utterly betrayed, she threw a massive tantrum.

I edited the footage and uploaded it to a brand-new social media account.

I never expected the tsunami of vitriol that followed.

[Throwing a little kid on the internet like this? This mom is sick in the head!]

[The kid clearly hates it. The parents are forcing her just for clout. You don't deserve to be a mother!]

[At an age where she should be reading, she's goofing off and making TikToks? Trash parenting.]

[Selling out your own flesh and blood for likes. Disgusting.]