I went to my daughter’s house after receiving a message: “Dad, help me, please”; there were guests in the house, and my daughter was sleeping outside by the door, like a homeless person 

The son-in-law, for fun, wiped his feet on her and laughed together with his guests, calling my daughter crazy. The moment I walked in, everyone was horrified by what I did… 

I arrived at my daughter’s place without calling or warning. I simply got into the car and drove off, because everything inside me was tightening with anxiety. For a year and a half she had barely been in touch. Sometimes she sent short, meaningless messages, and then suddenly she wrote just one: “Dad, help me.”

That was enough.

The luxurious house stood on a hill, lit up as if a perfect life were being celebrated there. Music could already be heard from the street, the windows were glowing, and expensive cars stood in the yard. I asked the taxi driver to stop farther away and continued on foot. For some reason, I didn’t want them to see me too early.

I rang the front doorbell for a long time, but no one opened. Then I walked around the house and through the windows saw the guests, the glasses, the laughter, elegant people. Everyone was having fun. The service entrance was open, and I went inside.

I took a few steps down the hallway — and saw it.

Right in front of the door, on a dirty doormat, my daughter was sleeping. My Anna. Curled up, in an old torn coat, with disheveled hair, like a homeless person. At first I could hardly believe it was her. My heart dropped.

People walked past her, stepped over her as if she didn’t exist. No one paid any attention. No one.

And then her husband appeared.

He was impeccably dressed, with a glass in his hand, confident and pleased with himself. He didn’t even look at her. He simply placed his foot on her stomach and slowly wiped his shoes on her. Then he turned to the guests and laughed loudly:
— Don’t mind her. She’s our maid. She’s just crazy.

I froze in horror at seeing how they were treating my daughter. I had to put everyone in their place, so I quietly entered the house.

And at that moment, everyone fell silent.  Continued in the first comment 

I stepped inside and for a few seconds just stood there, unable to believe what I was seeing. The music was playing, the guests were laughing, someone was taking photos.

Then the son-in-law finally noticed me.

First he frowned, then tried to smile, as if we were old acquaintances. But I was already walking toward him. Everything inside me was burning. I grabbed him by the collar, the glass flew out of his hand, and without a word I dragged him toward the exit.

He shouted, tried to resist, but I threw him out the door like trash.

Then I turned to the guests.

I said loudly and calmly, so everyone could hear:

— Out of my house. Immediately. You will all answer for this.

The music stopped. The laughter disappeared. People hurriedly grabbed their coats and bags. No one argued. No one laughed. The house was empty within minutes.

The son-in-law stood on the porch trying to justify himself. He said it was just a joke, that he meant no harm, that the guests had misunderstood everything. But it was too late. I didn’t even listen to him.

I called my old friends in the police. Those who had known me for many years and whom I had once helped. They arrived quickly. The son-in-law was detained for abuse and illegal appropriation of property.

When the investigation began, far too much came to light to be covered up.

I went back into the house, lifted my daughter into my arms, and for the first time in a long while I heard her cry softly — not from fear, but from relief. We left together.