The next morning, before leaving on another business trip, Michael passed Vanessa in the dining room and told her not to pressure Riley too much over piano. Vanessa smiled sweetly and said she was only teaching obedience. The moment he left, the sweetness vanished. She ordered Mrs. Evelyn to bring Riley down for practice.
The child sat at the piano with trembling hands while Vanessa stood behind her with a wooden ruler, demanding straight posture, perfect rhythm, absolute control. Every wrong note made Vanessa’s temper sharpen. The ruler cracked against the piano, and Riley shook so badly she could barely remember the notes. From the hallway, Mrs. Evelyn stood frozen, knowing that stepping in would only make things worse.
By afternoon Riley sat near the window staring toward the sea, the bruise on her wrist darkening and a fresh one already forming. In the kitchen, Mrs. Evelyn tried to call Michael, but Vanessa appeared before she could say anything. That night, when Riley was alone in bed whispering that she missed her mother, Vanessa entered again with the ruler.