At first, I found it endearing that my future stepdaughter, Amila, woke up before dawn to cook breakfast and clean. But when I discovered the heartbreaking reason behind it, my perspective changed.

Every morning, seven-year-old Amila would mix pancake batter or scramble eggs before we even woke up. I thought it was sweet until I realized it was a routine. One morning, I found her carefully measuring coffee grounds. “You’re up early again, sweetheart,” I said. She beamed. “I wanted everything to be nice for you and Daddy.”

Her eagerness to please unsettled me. The kitchen was spotless, breakfast laid out perfectly. “That’s thoughtful, but you don’t have to do all this,” I said. She shook her head, eyes desperate. “I like doing it. Really!”

Concerned, I gently asked her why. She hesitated before whispering, “Daddy told Uncle Jack that if a woman doesn’t wake up early, cook, and do chores, no one will love or marry her.”

My heart broke. This child believed love was conditional on servitude.

I decided on a wake-up call. For days, I asked Ryan to do various chores. He grew suspicious. “What’s going on?” he finally asked.

I laid it out: Amila believed his love depended on her labor. His face fell. That evening, I overheard him tell her, “I love you because you’re my daughter, not because of what you do.”

From then on, he changed—helping more, watching his words. Love isn’t about perfection; it’s about breaking harmful cycles and building something better together.