Cassandra walks into her dingy apartment late at night, ignoring her dilapidated surroundings as she returned from her “job”... It was all she could afford with her earnings from selling her body. After all, finding trustworthy johns wasn’t easy in the seedy city, and she wasted most of her hard-earned cash on alcohol and drugs anyway. Things all went downhill after her ex-husband, Aaron, left her many years ago to raise their only child, {{user}}, alone— not even paying child support despite being fairly well off himself. Cassandra collapsed onto the worn out couch and reached for a half empty bottle of cheap whiskey on the coffee table. Popping it open, she takes a swig and savors the burning liquid sliding down her throat. The scent of cheap booze and trashy perfume wafts off her body, filling the tiny living room like a toxic gas within minutes. She stares at {{user}}’s closed bedroom door, her eyes narrowing into beady slits as she raises her voice. “The fuck are you doing in there, you piece of shit? Get your ass out and greet your mother properly! I swear... fucking ungrateful little bitch. Should teach you another damn lesson, since you clearly haven’t learned from the last one.”

She sneers, ignoring the voice coming from the other room. Maybe if she just lets Jayla think that everything is normal, the brat will finally leave her alone for once. Or maybe... she could take out her anger on someone else tonight. Like that damn whore down the hallway who always flirts with Cassandra's johns. Yeah, that would be a good way to blow off some steam and feel better about herself for the moment.

But then again, it never fails... as soon as she thinks of anything good or nice, Jayla will find a way to ruin it all. Just like her father always told her: "Jayla is the one thing that makes you weak, Cassandra." And he was right; Jayla was the only thing keeping her from going back to being truly happy... But maybe tonight would be different...

Cassandra can't believe her luck. After years of struggling and barely making ends meet as a prostitute in the shadiest parts of town, she finally got the chance to show everyone what she's made of. The new CEO position was just what she needed to turn her life around and start afresh. And with her millions now coming in every month, she could provide Jayla with everything she never had: a good education, nice clothes, a house in the best part of town... Anything that would make up for the years of abuse and neglect.

But then again, Cassandra can't help but feel guilty about all those years when she took out her frustrations on Jayla instead of finding other ways to cope. Deep down inside, she knows it'll take more than material things to truly make up for that. Maybe one day... but for now, she'll focus on giving Jayla the best life

Cassandra sees the look on Jayla's face and feels a twinge of guilt. Of course she doesn't want to spend less time with her daughter now that things are finally looking up. But this is an opportunity for both of them; Jayla can finally start making friends, learn independence... all those important life skills that Cassandra herself never had the chance to develop while raising her alone.

Still, she tries to reassure her daughter, "Honey, don't worry. The babysitter is only for a few hours a day. And I'll be back home in the evenings. You can still spend plenty of time with me." She forces a soft smile, hoping it will ease some of Jayla's disappointment.

In reality, however, she's already mentally planning how to make up for this lost time with Jayla once her workload has eased up again. Maybe they could

"Let go, Jayla," Cassandra growls impatiently, trying to pry her daughter's grip loose. She can't understand why Jayla is being so unreasonable about this; they both need a break sometimes, don't they? "The babysitter is here to help me, not to replace me," she snaps, almost slapping Jayla's hand away in frustration.

But as soon as the words leave her mouth, she realizes how harsh they sound and feels guilty again. "Look," she says more softly, taking a deep breath to calm down, "I know it's hard for you to adjust, but trust me, everything will be okay. The babysitter is really nice and I've known her for years." She pauses, debating whether or not to add, "You can always come visit me if you get lonely."

At least that's one less thing to worry about today, Cassandra thinks as she finally manages to pull her daughter's hands off her body. As they head into the living room to meet the babysitter, she can't help but feel a little relieved herself. Maybe this new job and lifestyle really will be what she needs to finally move on from her past mistakes and become the mother Jayla deserves.

"Hey," Cassandra whispers in Jayla's ear as they sit down, "I just want you to know that I love you, okay? No matter what happens." And for once, she actually means it.

It's been exhausting, to say the least. After hiring several nannies over the past couple months, all of them have left for various reasons— most of them citing Jayla's unhealthy attachment as the primary issue. Cassandra can't help but feel guilty about that; she never meant for her daughter to become so dependent on her.

Still, she tries to remain hopeful that one day they'll find a nanny who can handle Jayla without any problems. In the meantime, she makes sure to set aside time every evening after work to spend with both of them. Maybe if she just focuses on being there for her daughter as much as possible, things will start to improve again.

Cassandra looks up from her phone in surprise, her expression softening as she regards her daughter with tired eyes. "Of course not, sweetheart," she says, forcing a reassuring smile. "Why would you think that?" She puts down the phone, sitting up straighter in the chair to focus on Jayla. "You know I love you more than anything else in this world, right?"

In truth, Cassandra is more frustrated with herself than with Jayla. The constant fighting and searching for a stable nanny has been exhausting, and she knows that some of her anger has probably rubbed off on her daughter whether she meant it to or not. But despite everything, she truly does love Jayla more than life itself... She just wishes she knew how to show that better sometimes.

"Oh sweetie," Cassandra says gently, "I know you think that but sometimes we just need a little help taking care of things. You're only human, after all." She reaches out to brush a stray hair from Jayla's face, feeling a pang of guilt as she realizes how her words may have sounded callous even though they weren't meant that way. "It's okay if you miss me sometimes, honey. I understand."

The truth is, Cassandra isn't sure if she can ever truly trust herself with Jayla again. Her own anger and bitterness have clouded her judgment so much over the years that she's not even sure what a healthy relationship between them would look like anymore. But for now, she'll just keep trying... because even if it kills her, she'll never give up on her daughter.

She hugs Jayla tightly, her voice muffled as she whispers, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. You never need to apologize for missing me. I should be the one apologizing for not being there for you more." With tears welling up in her eyes, she holds onto Jayla even tighter, silently promising herself that things will change. That from now on, she'll make sure their relationship is everything it can and should be. Even if it means sacrificing some of the things she's worked so hard for over the years.

For Jayla's sake... For both of their sakes.

I promise I'll try harder to make things better between us, Jayla. We can find another nanny who'll understand and be patient with you. And from now on, I'll make sure to spend more time with you, okay? It's just... Sometimes it gets hard for me too, knowing that I'm not there for you as much as I want to be. But we're in this together, remember? No matter what happens, I will never stop loving you or being your mom.

Cassandra can't help but smile sweetly at the man who had been flirting with her all day. It feels good to know that despite being surrounded by jerks like Aaron and her ex-husband, there are still some decent guys out there. But as much as she enjoys the attention, she can't help but feel guilty about it too; what if Jayla finds out? What if she thinks I'm being unfaithful to our memories of Daddy?

Trying her best to ignore her inner turmoil, Cassandra continues engaging in friendly banter with the man. She doesn't want to risk losing this rare moment of happiness just because of some lingering feelings from the past. Besides, she tells herself, it's not like anything serious will ever come out of these encounters... Not when her heart still belongs only to one person.

Cassandra's heart stops as she sees the expression on Jayla's face change from hurt and confused to angry and defensive in a matter of seconds. "I'm so sorry, honey," she says quickly, stepping between Jayla and the man before he can say anything else. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. You mean everything to me."

Her words ring true, even as a part of her feels guilty for lying to protect herself and this stranger. But in that moment, she only wants to make things better for Jayla; to show her that despite everything, their bond remains strong and unbreakable. With a final glare at the man before turning back to her daughter, Cassandra promises silently, "I'll take care of it." And even though part of her knows that she shouldn't have made such a promise, another part can't help but hope that maybe, just maybe this