I would go on to have Dugard's four daughters in the years of 2022 to 2030 before I settle on taking birth control.

First, I give birth to Grace Louise Dugard on April 17th, 2022. A healthy 7-pound baby girl with a head of jet-black curls and vivid green eyes. She has inherited my face, but she took after her father more than me.

I still remember how beautiful Grace was. A cherubic beauty that charmed my heart effortlessly. The mere second that Dugard held his daughter for the first time, I could tell Dugard was not like Seth at all. I could see genuine love and affection for his daughter.

Once she was born, I finally started to settle into my Los Angeles home. Dugard accomplished his promise to me. He no longer pays me, but he does shower me with an endless amount of luxury and privileges. I have an entire staff dedicated to me that ranges from fashion stylists to servants to catering staff.

The children are relatively happy. The triplets have already grown fond of Dugard as a paternal figure, usually, the triplets refer to him as Chris, though Selyse will occasionally call him "Daddy," Dugard has emotionally adopted the triplets and I do admire that he treats them as if they were his own.

With Dugard's fortune, I could afford to enroll the children into a pretentious private school near our home. Watson has developed a liking for painting and drawing, he loves to make abstract shapes out of watercolors. He would occasionally bring home adorable, messy pictures to me.

I have enrolled Hope and Selyse into a dancing class as the two girls are bundles of energy. Within days of attending classes, they have already formed friendships the instant they turned their heads.

Grace on her first night proved herself to be an angelic baby. Rarely cries, quiet, and placid. I believed that she would be like Watson. But as time went on, Grace developed an unruly personality due to Dugard's spoiling her rotten. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Grace Dugard is a wild child that needs a firm hand. But Grace is the apple of Dugard's eye, the favorite, so she could do whatever she wants.

She first got out of control in the months when she started to talk back to me once she learned how to speak. Grace was nothing like bubbly Selyse or obedient Watson or sprightly Hope. Grace possesses a fiery temper that is never to be reckoned with. She will kick and scream her head off whenever she hears the word she despises the most. No. Grace seems to have a disdain for the nanny, Julie, often calling her rude names and sticking her tongue at her.

I often find myself at odds with Grace. She is quite similar to Emma, where she likes to push the boundaries and test the limits of others.

As Grace grew older I would always try to discipline her. I had to be that stereotypical "strict" parent that all children hate. Vehemently, I try to keep her from becoming too headstrong and spoiled, but with little success. But Dugard makes my case worse. Dugard always sided with the child, no matter how foolish her desires or how outrageous her behavior. He encouraged her to talk in any form she wanted, listening to her opinions with apparent seriousness and pretending to be guided by them. As a result, whenever Dugard would take Grace on his business trips, (which would be twice a month.) Grace would interrupt the adults whenever she pleases and contradict Dugard and put him in his place. No matter how disrespectful or insolent, Grace could be, Dugard would laugh it off and praise her behavior. Dugard reserves no inclination to make Grace behave, though he would always make sure to firmly discipline my children. Whatever Grace did is right and anything she asked for, she would get. If she wanted the sun, I believe Dugard would try to give it to her. His pride in her angelic beauty, her black curls, her vibrant high spirits, her dimples, her charming gestures are boundless. For all of the bountiful love and affection Dugard shows to Grace, Grace returns his love wholeheartedly by clinging to him like a shadow. HE is the only one that is allowed to put her to sleep. HE is the only one that Grace listens to.

So whenever she comes to me. It is vastly different. I love her deeply, she is a lovable child in her own right. But I have long resolved to treat my children equally. I treat my children the same and discipline the children the same. But Grace is a willful nightmare for me. I'm not sure why but she always has this inclination to resist my requests, to disobey every single order I give her, to never listen to a word I say.

It is frustrating and impossible to rein her at all.

Grace loves her siblings however, possessing a close relationship with the triplets. Watson, who is a reserved and meek little boy is her favorite sibling as he always feels inclined to say yes to any request he is given.

If anyone ever asked Watson for a hug, he would instantly grant it without hesitation. When Grace was tiny, he liked to hold her in his little arms. He's been a loving big brother to her, acting as if she is the most precious person in the world to him.

Selyse loves her as well but is not as loving and patient as Watson is. Selyse likes to play with Grace if she is having a good day. Selyse has long learned that if she makes Grace upset, she would be lectured harshly by Dugard. If Grace has a fit, Selyse will have a bigger fit than her.

Hope is the polar opposite of both of her siblings. Hope is a very headstrong child, if she wants to do something, she will do it. No matter how foolish it is. Grace and she often headbutts with their similar personalities. Hope is not afraid of getting in trouble. She will passionately argue her point with Grace and Dugard until she is blue in the face.

Though I do greatly dislike the favoritism towards Grace, my life with Dugard is somewhat pleasant. I do not feel any sense of genuine romance towards him, but I simply enjoy having the world at my fingertips.

I'm a far cry from Mila Reed. No longer am I the struggling woman I was before. I'm living in opulently luxury, my children are being provided for, and I have no worries in the world.

But as the years pass, I notice that me and Dugard's relationship has soured. It is subtle at first. Dugard would always give me loving compliments almost every single morning, a little peck on the cheek, and a whisper of lovemaking in my ear.

But years after Grace was born, it all progressively stopped. I notice that Dugard became distant, less talkative, and would rarely show me affection. As I said before, I do not romantically love Dugard so this did not phase me at first.

The only time I do begin to notice is when the Dugard's attention begins to cease. He would scarcely speak to me, stopped kissing me, no promises of lovemaking, and he would always be locked in his office room upstairs.


I become pregnant with my daughter, Beverly Rose Dugard in June 14th, 2023. A blonde-haired and blue-eyed baby girl.

I honestly thought that Beverly's existence would improve Dugard's demeanor. But it did not. I quickly come to realize that my marriage is as hollow and devoid.

Beverly proves herself to be a lovely baby, from the first night, I realize that Beverly preferred me over her father. She rarely cried, she rarely screamed and was very easy to satisfy.

Dugard, in his rare moments of interactions, has established that he wants many children with me and for a brief moment, I believe our marriage will resume back to normality.

In 2029, I become pregnant for the last time. I give birth to our twin daughters, Lori Marie Dugard and Sylvia Louise Dugard on January 15th, 2030.

Once I give birth to the twins, I decide to have my tubes tied. I simply only want the ones I have now. I make sure to ensure that I am regularly taking my birth control. As of now, I am no longer thinking of having more children. Dugard is not happy with that, but he doesn't push me.

As the distance between us extends, me and Dugard resort to sleeping in two separate bedrooms, solidifying the rift in this marriage.

It is on January 29, 2030 when I sit in the kitchen with my children. Grace is playing with her food, despite my reprimands to not do so. Hope is singing a little song to herself that she made up. Selyse is chattering Watson's ears off as he slowly eats his bacon.

Dugard enters the kitchen and I notice that he is avoiding eye contact with me.

I have enough. "What is wrong with you?" I declare sharply.

Dugard opens the fridge, not answering my question. He grabs a box of orange juice and gets a cup out of the cabinets.

I raise my voice slightly. "How long are you going to ignore me, Christopher?" I hiss.

Grace glares at me. "Mommy, stop yelling at Daddy!" She retorts.

"I'm not yelling, watch your mouth, young lady." I reproach.

Grace's nostrils flare. "No!" She points an accusing finger at me. "Stop being mean to Daddy!"

I open my mouth to discipline her, but Dugard interrupts me. "Sweetpea," Grace's precious nickname. He pours orange juice into the cup. Grace's little face brightens with delight. "Yes, Daddy?" She says sweetly.

"Your Mommy is just tired. Cranky." Dugard tells her.

"She's always cranky." Grace frowns. She shoots me a fierce look. "Stop being so cranky, Mommy!"

"It's okay, Sweetpea. Don't worry about Mommy. You should be getting ready for your class." Dugard only looks at her. A genuine smile smeared on his face. "Do all of your homework?"

Grace nods swiftly. "Yes, Daddy! I did all of my homework!" She confirms.

Dugard beams at that. "Good, keep it up so you can get on the honor roll, Sweetpea."

With that, Dugard seizes the attention of Sabrina, our housemaid, who is occupied with cleaning one of the counters. "Sabrina, I want an avocado with pepper and salt." He commands.

Sabrina nods obediently and proceeds to open the fridge to get an avocado.

Then Dugard finally speaks to me. 'Where is Julie?" He asks me. But his back is to me.

"She is upstairs, ironing the kids' clothes," I explain, unable to conceal the bitterness in my voice.

Dugard changes the subject quickly and turns his attention to Sabrina. "I'm going to have a bunch of people over for a business meeting today, I want a dinner prepared before 3 pm." Dugard orders in a clipped tone.

I didn't like his rude tone. "You can ask her nicely!" I rebuke.

"And you can mind your own business!" Dugard rebuffs.

My lips stutter as I do not have a comeback to that. I roll my eyes and scoff in disgust.

Sabrina diligently sprinkles salt and pepper onto the avocado.

Grace suddenly bounces out of her seat and runs to Dugard. "Daddy, Daddy, can I have ice cream?" She begs.

Dugard looks down at her with a smile. "Sure, you can." He says without hesitation. He grabs the handle of the freezer and I glare at him.

"Christopher, no! She doesn't need ice cream for breakfast!" I object.

Dugard looks at me this time, his eyes are cold as ice, his lips sealed in a scowl. I could tell he wants to tell me off, but Grace speaks for him. "No one is talking to you, Mommy!" She snaps. She whirls around to Dugard and gives him a tight hug on his leg. "I want ice cream, Daddy! Please!"

Dugard strokes Grace's curls tenderly. "You can have all of the ice cream you want, Sweetpea!" He coo. With that, he swiftly opens the freezer and pulls out a pint of vanilla ice cream.

Dugard reaches for one of the cabinets to grab a bowl, but Grace stops him. "NO! DADDY, I want the full thing!" She declares.

"Can I have ice cream too?" Hope asks innocently.

Dugard doesn't respond as he is only listening to Grace.

"No. You can't. None of you can have ice cream for breakfast!" I declare sharply.

Selyse lets out a displeased groan. Hope points to Grace. "She's having some!" She accuses.

I grit my teeth as my frustration builds inside of me. "Christopher, enough! Grace can't have ice cream for breakfast!" Grace is already shoving a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and I sigh in defeat.

"I can have ice cream if I want, Mommy!" Grace proclaims.

Dugard rolls his eyes at me. "A little ice cream won't kill anyone, Mila!" He rebuffs dismissively.

"You are killing her appetite!" I point out.

"Stop yelling, Mommy!" Grace commands.

"GRACE!" I snarl through my teeth. Grace simply rolls her eyes at me and looks up at her Father. "Daddy, put me on the countertop." Obediently, Dugard plucks her up and puts her on the countertop, facing him. She happily eats her ice cream, ignoring my pleas.

I stand up from my chair. "Christopher, we need to talk now!" I order.

Dugard fixes his red tie. "I'm busy," With that, Dugard attempts to walk out of the kitchen, but I do not let him.

I narrow my eyes at me, ensuring that my voice is commanding and hardened to establish my authority. "Christopher, Grace cannot be having ice cream for breakfast. She'll ruin her appetite and it is not fair to the others. I can't keep saying no to the children while you are always saying yes to Grace."

Dugard's face hardens. "Mila, we are not discussing this." With that, he hastily walks out of the room. But I hurry after him, I will not let him win this battle. Dugard doesn't seem to notice or care that I'm following him as I follow him upstairs. I decide to make a beeline to Beverly's room to put her down in the bed and check up on the twin's room.

"JULIE!" Dugard yells. "COME DOWNSTAIRS AND GET THE KIDS READY!"

"I am coming, Mr. Dugard," Julie shouts back accordingly. I hear her footsteps coming down the stairs.

Dugard gives Grace a little kiss on her forehead. "Now you be a good little angel today and make it on the honor roll!"

Grace leans in to give him a light kiss on the cheek. "I will, Daddy! I love you!" She beams. With that, Dugard departs from the kitchen and upstairs.

Julie comes down after him and gathers the children to take them to school.

Dugard makes a beeline to his office and slips inside in a haste. I gently close the door behind as I enter the hallway. "We are not done with this!" I snarl, marching to the office. He never locks the door, so I barge in with ease.

"You need to start treating the children equally!" I declare passionately. "Not spoil Grace rotten! It is unfair!"

Dugard is standing behind his large desk, narrowing his eyes at me. "Enough! Stop freaking out over small things. A little ice cream is not an issue! We only have one pint of ice cream and Grace was the first to get it."

I roll my eyes. "It doesn't matter, Christopher. Grace is not your only child. You heard how horrible she was talking to me. She has no respect, she is not disciplined at all!" I admonish. "She is a little girl with a rebellious 16-year-old girl mindset! She thinks she is the owner of this house, Christopher!"

Dugard shrugs his shoulders airily. "Well, I do intend to put this mansion into my inheritance for her." He says.

I flush when he says that. "What about the other children?"

Dugard shrugs his shoulders. "I will give them fractions of my money, but for now, there is no point in discussing my will when I'm still alive." He beckons me to leave the room. "I have businesses to run, Mila."

I ignore him. "NO! We need a balance in this house! I can't keep saying no and you keep saying yes! Grace knows that she'll get everything from you from simply asking him. She knows I will say no and she goes straight to you! I am getting sick of this!" I berate.

Dugard glares at me, his lips sealed in a scowl. "Mila, I am more concerned with the bills and my companies. Not small transgressions around the house! Grace is a little angel. She may have a mouth, but she is only a little girl. You can't just hold that against her!"

I take a step closer to him. "Dugard, you are always on her side. You completely favor Grace over all of the kids. It is unfair and horrible!"

Dugard lets out a dry chuckle. "Believe what you want," He mocks, he then bends down to open a cabinet.

I clench my fists in anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I growl. "I am believing what I've been seeing! Grace is five and she thinks she is the Queen of the house!"

Dugard opens the cabinet and pulls out some files of paper. "There is nothing wrong with me. You're the one that is yelling at me."

I take another step towards him. All I want to do is slap him across the face. "I am not yelling at anyone! We need to talk about our marriage!"

"What about it? Are you enjoying the spa you like to go to every day? Like the jewels and glam, I give you?" He rebuffs in a mocking tone.

"I am being serious, Christopher! You have been giving me the cold shoulder for a long time and I am getting sick of it! I just had your daughter and you act like I do not exist!" I feel a pang of hurt surging through me.

"You have not been easy yourself, honey. There isn't much to say between us, honestly. I for one, like the personal space in my own bedroom." Dugard explains bluntly. "There is nothing wrong with our marriage. I have enough on my plate! With all of the chaos going in the office, I do not need chao at home." His face begins to redden. "I have enough issues already! I don't need drama from my wife!" He dismisses. He sits down at his desk. "Now, go. I need to focus on work, not this childish nonsense."

I cross my arms across my chest like a petulant child. I feel like I'm speaking to a brick wall. "Christopher!" I hiss.

But Dugard is done with the conservation. He dismisses my presence and proceeds to dial a number on his cell phone and begins a phone call.

"Yes, Weller. Yes, we need to talk," Dugard starts, his voice is professional and tactful now.

I let out an annoyed scoff. "Goddammit!" I hiss under my breath. I'm seconds away from raving at Dugard for ignoring me, but I could tell that there was nothing I could say to Dugard.

"We are not done with this!" I declare, making my way out of the room.

The next chapter will come soon. Reviews and thoughts.