Chapter 4

Victoria sat at the head of the conference table, her laptop open and reports scattered before her. The room buzzed with the sound of colleagues discussing key strategies for the upcoming project. As the lead, she focused intently on the presentation, her mind sharp and analytical.

Mid-discussion, her phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the screen, seeing Mia's name flash. With a slight frown, Victoria declined the call without hesitation, keeping her gaze fixed on the speaker.

The meeting continued, but the phone buzzed again, this time twice in quick succession. She shot a glance at the screen, noting it was Mia once more. A flicker of annoyance crossed her face, but she remained silent, determined not to let personal matters interfere with work.

After the third call, she decided enough was enough. Victoria reached for her phone and swiftly placed it on silent, setting it facedown on the table. She redirected her attention to the presentation, listening as her colleague elaborated on their marketing strategy.

“...and with these new approaches, we should see an increase in engagement by at least 25%,” her colleague concluded, looking around the table for feedback.

Victoria nodded, her mind already considering the implications. “I think that’s optimistic but achievable. We should also focus on targeting demographics we haven’t tapped into yet.”

As the discussion progressed, the earlier interruptions faded from her mind. Victoria was fully immersed in her work, her focus unwavering, and the meeting continued smoothly without any further distractions.

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Victoria arrived home earlier than usual, the sky painted with the soft hues of the setting sun. She stepped out of her car, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction after a productive day at the office. As she entered the house, she noticed the maids bustling about with a palpable tension in the air, their faces etched with a hint of fear.

Ignoring the uneasy atmosphere, Victoria approached one of the maids, a young woman who seemed particularly anxious. "Have you fed the baby?" she asked, her tone cool and direct.

The maid swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly. "Ma'am, there's been an accident. Little miss Daisy fell from the bed, and her head was bleeding. Miss Mia was here, and she took her to the hospital right away."

Victoria's heart lurched. Realization dawned on her, understanding why Mia had been calling repeatedly during her meeting. Anger surged through her. "Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?" she demanded, her voice rising with fury.

The maids flinched at her tone. "We tried, ma'am, but you didn't pick up your phone," one of them stammered.

Victoria's eyes narrowed, her face a mask of cold rage. "This is unacceptable. Your carelessness could have cost Daisy her life. When I get back, we will discuss your future here." Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and rushed out of the house.

Driving to the hospital, Victoria's mind raced with worry and guilt. How could she have let this happen? She arrived at the hospital, her heart pounding, and hurried inside to find Mia pacing in the waiting area.

Mia looked up, relief and anger mingling in her expression. "Victoria! Finally, you’re here. Where the hell were you? Why didn't you answer your phone? This isn't something you can be careless about!"

Victoria opened her mouth to respond, but Mia cut her off. "Daisy is fine now, but the doctors said she needs to stay here for three more hours for observation. You need to be more responsible. This is a baby's life we're talking about."

Victoria's anger melted into a mix of relief and remorse. "I’m sorry, Mia. I was in a meeting and didn't realize it was so serious. Thank you for being there."

Mia sighed, her expression softening slightly. "I know you didn't plan for this, but you have to understand, Daisy needs you. We all do. Please, be more reachable."

Victoria nodded, the weight of Mia's words sinking in. "I will. Let's go see Daisy."

They made their way to Daisy's room. Victoria felt a weird, profound sense of responsibility and determination to ensure this never happened again.

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