Mom, don’t drink from that glass! The new dad PUT SOMETHING IN IT. Mary was in shock hearing these words from her daughter and decided to SWITCH the glasses. What she saw made her hair STAND ON END…..

Believe me, at her age it’s more important to study well in regular school than chase laurels at music contests. Why stress the child? But if she has talent. All mothers think their kids are talented, something like condescension sounded in his voice.

Be objective, Mary. Sophie is a capable girl, but not reaching for the stars. These words cut painfully to the heart.

Mary turned to the window, feeling tears well up. At home, Victor seemed to forget the quarrel, was friendly and nice, helped set the table, told a funny work story. But Mary felt tension under this showy amiability.

Something had cracked between them. When Sophie went to do homework in her room, Victor moved closer to Mary on the couch and took her hand. «Sorry if I was harsh,» he said softly.

«I’m really worried about Sophie, about you, about our family. I want everything to be good.» I know, Mary forced a smile.

«Just next time let’s discuss such things privately, okay?» Of course, he kissed her cheek. «Peace?» «Peace,» she nodded, though the inner discomfort didn’t go away. Later that evening, putting Sophie to bed, Mary decided to tell her daughter about the teacher’s offer.

«Mrs. Johnson thinks you could participate in the state young pianists contest,» she began cautiously, sitting on the bed edge. Really? Sophie’s eyes lit up. «Mom, that’s great! A real contest! I so want to go!» Dear, Mary gently stroked her daughter’s head, I’m afraid not this time.

«Victor thinks you need to focus on school lessons, and he’s right in a way.» Sophie’s face changed instantly, joy replaced by disappointment, then anger. Of course he’s against.

She whispered angrily. «He’s always against everything I like.» «Sophie, that’s not true.»

«It is!» The girl sat up in bed, clenching her fists. Since he appeared, we stopped going to movies on Saturdays. Stopped going to Aunt Susan’s cabin.

I can’t invite Lisa over anymore because he says she’s too noisy. He even forbade me to play piano after seven because his head hurts. Mary listened to this stream of complaints in surprise.

Had everything changed so much, and she hadn’t noticed? «Sophie, Victor is strict, but he cares about us.» «No, Mom,» Sophie suddenly became very serious, adult. «He doesn’t care.

He controls. Those are different things. Dad cared about us, and Victor…» «Controls.»

Mary had no answer. There was a grain of truth in her daughter’s words that she herself feared to admit. In recent months, their life had indeed changed.

Victor was gradually taking over all spheres of their existence. From finances to social circle. «Give him a chance, okay?» Mary finally said…

«He’s just… not used to family life with a child yet. All men are a bit. But you understand, they need time.»

Sophie looked at her mother skeptically but stayed silent, just pulled the blanket to her chin and turned to the wall. Mary sighed, kissed her daughter on the head and left the room. Victor was waiting in the bedroom, flipping through a magazine.

«What were you talking about so long?» he asked casually. «Just school stuff,» Mary lied, feeling awkward from this little lie. And I read to her a bit at bedtime.

«You spoil her too much,» Victor noted, setting the magazine aside. «At her age, it’s time to read books herself, not listen to bedtime stories.» Mary didn’t argue, though inside she was boiling.

How can he judge her relationship with her daughter? What does he know about raising kids? That night she couldn’t sleep again. She lay staring at the ceiling, listening to her husband’s breathing. Victor seemed to sleep soundly and peacefully, as if no doubts or pangs of conscience troubled him.

«Maybe Sophie is right?» Mary thought. «Maybe he really is trying to control us? Or am I just looking for problems where there are none?» With these thoughts, she finally sank into an anxious sleep, in which she ran down an endless corridor, trying to reach a door but couldn’t. The next few weeks became a real test for Mary.

She began noticing what she previously ignored or attributed to Victor’s fatigue, his adaptation to new family life. Victor checked her phone more often under various pretexts. Either he needed to call urgently and his phone was dead, or he was looking for the plumber’s number Mary supposedly saved.

He questioned her about every call, every message. «Who called you when you were in the bathroom?» he asked one evening. «Susan,» Mary replied.

«She wanted to know if we’ll come to their place Saturday for Nick’s birthday. Why is she calling so late?» Victor frowned. «It’s almost 10.

Goodness, Victor, it’s just a call from a friend.» Mary couldn’t hold back. «What’s wrong with that?» «Nothing,» he shrugged, but his gaze remained cold.

«Just interested in my wife’s life. That’s normal, isn’t it?» Mary felt anxiety growing every day. She started noticing Victor sometimes followed her.

Leaves home supposedly for work, then she sees his car parked near the school. Or he suddenly enters the store where she’s shopping, claiming it’s a coincidence. Sophie became withdrawn and tense too.

She tried to spend less time at home, lingered at school, music lessons, friends’. And when home, mostly stayed locked in her room. One day Mary found her daughter’s diary in the backpack…