When I arrived home, the first thing I noticed was the mess.
Bags were scattered across the living room floor, clothes spilling from open drawers, shoes lined up as if waiting to march out the door.
Everyone was packing.
Jeremy spotted me first. He came rushing over, and for a moment, my heart lifted, thinking he would throw his arms around me.
Instead, he shoved a half-filled bag into my hands.
“Fold my clothes, Mama. And bring my toys too,” he ordered with childish authority, already turning back toward his pile of things.
I blinked, confused. “Why should I pack your toys and clothes?”
“Because I’m going on vacation!” He shouted over his shoulder, his voice brimming with excitement.
“Vacation?” I repeated, stunned.
Just then Adrian stepped out of our bedroom, his brow furrowed as soon as he saw me.
“Where have you been?”
“I… I was in the hospital,” I answered honestly, still gripping Jeremy’s bag.
His frown deepened. “Hospital? For what?”
Before I could explain, Marcus’s voice rang from the other room, sharp and cutting.
“Was it really worth it to run to the hospital for just a cough? Honestly, Clara, you embarrassed us at the restaurant last night, and now you’re playing pitiful again?”
My lips parted, but I couldn’t get a word out before another voice chimed in.
Lyanna stepped out of my room as if she belonged there, her dress perfectly pressed, her hair cascading like silk.
“Is everyone ready to go?” she asked brightly, then stopped short, her brows lifting in feigned surprise when her eyes landed on me. “Oh, Clara. I didn’t realize you were here.”
It was my house. My room she had just walked out of. Yet she looked at me as though I were the intruder.
Grinding my teeth behind a forced smile, I asked, “Where is everyone going?”
Jeremy darted to her side, clinging to her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“We’re going on vacation with Aunt Lyanna!” He announced with pride.
This time, I asked louder, so they could all hear me. “Where exactly are you going?”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have to shout, Clara? If you want to ask something, say it properly.”
I held his gaze, refusing to lower my voice. “Then tell me what’s happening.”
Marcus emerged from the hall with a bag slung over his shoulder.
“We’re going on a trip with Lyanna,” he said curtly.
“Where?” I pressed.
He shot me a disdainful look. “Why do you need to know?”
Adrian sighed, clearly impatient. “Lyanna invited us on vacation. It’s her treat, a reward for her promotion. That’s where we’re going.”
“I’m coming too,” I said quickly, desperate not to be left behind again.
Lyanna bit her lip delicately, her expression apologetic.
“Oh, Clara… I’m so sorry, but the prize was only for four people.” She paused, as if thinking hard. “Unless… I could try asking my boss for another slot—”
Adrian cut her off at once, his voice firm. “No. Don’t. That would make you look bad. You don’t need to go out of your way for her.”
Then he turned to me, his eyes like steel.
“Clara, you’ll stay here. Since you can’t come, you can at least fulfill your duties while we’re away.”
Something inside me snapped.
“I want to come too,” I said again, louder this time.
Adrian’s expression darkened. “Enough. You will stay. Stop making this about you.”
With that, he tossed his bag at my feet. Marcus followed suit, dropping his own. Lyanna didn’t stop them, only lowered her eyes modestly as if she pitied me. Even Jeremy shoved his little backpack into my arms before running back to her side.
“Pack properly,” Adrian ordered coldly.
That afternoon, they left without a second glance. Their laughter trailed out the door as they walked to the car, chatting merrily about their trip.
No one said goodbye.
No one looked back.
The house fell silent, the emptiness pressing down on me like a weight.
And then I remembered the man who saved me. His words echoed in my mind, steady and sharp.
Do you want revenge?
Do you want Fame, wealth, and respect?
I thought of the years I had given to this family, of the woman I had become.
I am less than a wife, less a mother, more a servant.
I thought of the dinners where my seat was empty even when I sat at the table, of the countless times my voice was drowned out, dismissed, mocked.
I was tired.
Tired of being treated as less than nothing. Tired of being invisible. Tired of being useless.
I pulled out my phone. His number was still there, glowing on the screen, waiting. My thumb hovered for only a moment before I pressed call.
The line rang once, twice, and then his voice came through. “Clara.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My throat ached, my chest shook, but I forced the words out.
“I’m accepting your offer.”
There was a pause. Then, a low chuckle vibrated through the receiver. “Good.”
That night, I also packed my bags and whatever little belongings I have. I didn't look back, not even leaving a message.
I simply walked away leaving everything, leaving my past behind, going to the future where nobody will look down at me.
This time, they will be the one to bow down to me.
