She sighed in relief after emailing the document to her boss and turning off the laptop. Finally, the important contract was completed, which had been left unfinished due to her leaving work early that day. Closing her eyes, she leaned back in the chair, taking a moment to relax. As much as she wanted to linger in this state, she knew she couldn't. She needed to go downstairs to Gwen and Jace, whom she had left playing together before coming upstairs. With thoughts of them in mind, she rose from her chair, picking up her phone.

Just as she took the first step down the stairs, she spotted her husband in the hallway, lifting their son. He appeared happy, but as soon as he noticed Gwen, his smile vanished. Concerned, she hurried down the stairs, but Mark's loud voice startled her. Quickly realizing the situation, she rushed to Gwen's side.

"Mark! What's wrong with you?" she asked, her voice tinged with anger and confusion, as she embraced the frightened Gwen. He didn't answer and instead, placed Jace down and walked past her, completely ignoring her. Seething inwardly, she forced a smile towards Jace, who looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Wow! This painting looks so amazing; did you guys draw this?" she asked excitedly, diverting their attention. She was somewhat successful as she saw his face light up, and Gwen also lifted her head.

Yep, we both drew this, Mom! But drawing Barry's (their pet dog) house was my idea," Jace gleefully shared, pointing at the triangle shape with a face of a dog drawn in between.

"This is really impressive; Barry and his house look exactly like them," she said, getting impressed.

"I painted Barry," Gwen chimed in, beaming at the praise.

"That's absolutely fantastic, sweetie. Now, how about drawing Mama's picture?

"Really, Mom? Can I draw you in a princess dress like Elsa's?" Gwen asked, brimming with excitement.

"Of course, darling, however you like it," she replied, giving their hair a playful tousle before guiding them back to the lounge. With that, she made her way upstairs, ready to confront Mark.

"What the hell was that, Mark? Why did you shout at Gwen?" she asked, trying hard to contain her anger after witnessing how he had yelled at Gwen.

"First, I want to know why she's still here," Mark retorted, brushing aside her question once more. Despite the earlier excitement prompted by her reminder about their outing plans, his mood soured entirely upon encountering Gwen, his stepdaughter.

"Why should she not be here? Why do you persist in treating her as an outsider? She is my daughter and has every right to remain with me for as long as she desires. I refuse to entertain objections to that. Are you not ashamed to harbor jealousy toward an 11-year-old child? I honestly fail to comprehend the depth of your hatred toward her."

Why? You want to know why? I detest her because you adore her. It's because she's 'that man's' daughter, and you... you always bring her in whenever we make plans to go out. You prioritize her happiness more than ours. You love her more than us. Doesn't this prove..."

"Stop it, Mark! How could you utter such words? This is utterly absurd. How can you even entertain such thoughts? She's just an innocent child," Mandy retorted, struggling to restrain herself from raising her voice. She was determined not to extend their argument, particularly with Jace and Gwen already upset from the earlier incident. Additionally, she was keen to shield them from witnessing their parents engage in heated exchanges.

"So what if she's just a kid? She's the flesh and blood of that bastard whom you couldn't forget even after so many years. And I know very well that you want to be with her to reminisce about your loving past with him."

"Mark!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, unable to contain her anger after what he had said.

"Now you've taken this too far. I'm warning you, Mark, this should be the last time you bring him up in our conversation or speak ill about Gwen. Otherwise, we'll have our next discussion through my lawyer."

Clutching her fists, she glared at him. At this point, she could barely contain her anger and engage in reasoned discussion with him, given that he always brought up her ex in every little argument.

"And I suggest you stay here with your petty jealousy and disgusting thoughts. I don't want to see your face and ruin my time," she said firmly before slamming the door shut. She didn't immediately go downstairs. Instead, she stayed there, trying to calm herself, but it didn't help as she could hear Mark cursing. Gritting her teeth, she walked away