The afternoon sun streamed through the blinds in Jules's room, casting long shadows across the floor. Kiley was spoon-feeding Jules some applesauce, trying to ignore the way his hand trembled as he held the spoon.
The door swung open. Kiley looked up, expecting a nurse. Instead, Aden walked in. And he wasn't alone.
Behind him were two people Kiley hadn't seen in months. Her adoptive parents, Bertie and Roy Nielsen. Bertie was wearing a loud floral dress, her lips pursed like she had sucked on a lemon. Roy was in his usual polyester suit, looking like a used car salesman.
Kiley's spoon stopped mid-air. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to help," Bertie said, rushing forward. She grabbed Kiley's free hand, her grip surprisingly strong. "Aden called us. He said you were having a breakdown."
"A breakdown?" Kiley pulled her hand away, her eyes narrowing at Aden. He leaned against the window, arms crossed, a smirk on his face.
"You left him, Kiley," Roy said, sitting down on the chair with a grunt. "You walked out on a good man. And now you're dragging the boy into your drama."
"I didn't leave him," Kiley said, her voice shaking with anger. "He left me."
"Don't be ridiculous," Bertie chided, wiping a fake tear from her eye. "You've always been too sensitive. A man works hard, he needs a peaceful home. If you were more accommodating, he wouldn't have to look elsewhere."
Kiley felt like she had been slapped. She looked at her mother, the woman who had raised her, and saw nothing but calculation in her eyes.
"Aden is a successful man," Roy added, pointing a finger at Kiley. "He gave you everything. A house, clothes, a life. You should be on your knees thanking him, not throwing wine in his face."
Jules looked up at his mother. He saw the tears in her eyes. He dropped his spoon. "Stop yelling at my mommy!"
Aden pushed off the window and walked over to the bed. He leaned down, his face close to Jules's, his voice a low, cold whisper. "Big boys don't interrupt when adults are talking. Understand?"
Jules flinched back, his eyes filling with tears.
Kiley saw red. She shot to her feet, standing between him and the bed like a shield. "Get away from him. Don't you dare speak to him like that ever again."
"See?" Bertie threw her hands up. "Aggressive. This is exactly what I'm talking about, Kiley. No wonder he wants a divorce."
Kiley had had enough. She was done being the punching bag. She was done protecting their egos.
"You want to know why he wants a divorce?" Kiley asked, her voice low and dangerous. She looked straight at her parents. "It's not because I'm a bad wife. It's because his whore came back to town."
The room went silent. Bertie's mouth fell open. Roy blinked.
"That's enough," Aden growled, taking a step toward her.
"Seraphina Vance," Kiley continued, pulling out her phone. "His college girlfriend. She moved back to New York, and he decided to upgrade."
She opened the photo gallery. She showed them the picture of the divorce papers. The date. The terms.
"Zero alimony," Kiley read. "Zero assets. He planned this for months. He's leaving me with nothing, and he's leaving his sick son with nothing."
She then opened her call log. "My phone has an app that records all my calls. A little something I set up when I suspected he was cheating. I hadn't checked it until this morning." She pressed play, and the recording from the previous night filled the room. Seraphina's laugh. Aden's cold voice dismissing his son's illness.
The color drained from Aden's face. "You recorded me?"
"You lied to us," Roy said, turning on Aden. His face was red with anger. "You told us she was being hysterical!"
"You made me look like a fool!" Bertie added, her voice shrill. "I told the neighbors you were having a rough patch!"
Kiley stared at them. They weren't upset because she was hurt. They weren't upset because Jules was sick. They were upset because they looked bad.
"You don't care about me at all," Kiley whispered, the truth finally hitting her. "You never did."
"Of course we care," Bertie sniffled. "But you have to be practical, Kiley. You're adopted. We gave you a life. You owe us."
"I owe you nothing," Kiley said, the ice in her voice cutting through the room. "And I owe you even less," she said, looking at Aden.
She pointed at the door. "Get out. All of you. This is my son's room, and you are not welcome here."
"You can't just-" Roy started.
"Out!" Kiley screamed, the sound tearing from her throat. "Security is right down the hall. Do you want me to call them?"
Aden glared at her, but he knew he had lost this round. He straightened his tie. "This isn't over."
"Yes, it is," Kiley said. "For you, it is."
Bertie and Roy shuffled out, Bertie pausing to give Kiley one last look of disgust. "You're making a mistake, Kiley. You'll regret this."
The door clicked shut behind them. The silence in the room was deafening.
Kiley sank onto the edge of the bed, the adrenaline leaving her body. She felt hollow. Empty. But also, strangely, light. She had cut the cord. She was alone.
Jules crawled over, wrapping his small arms around her neck. "It's okay, Mommy. I don't like them anyway."
Kiley held him tight, the tears falling silently into his hospital gown. She was alone. But she was free.
