Otherwise, Felix wouldn't have been so desperate to push me away.
Maybe the bond of blood really did triumph over the bond of raising a child.
It felt like there was a hole in my chest, cold wind howling straight through it.
I spoke softly.
"Relax. You don't need to kick me out. I quit."
With that, I turned and left without sparing a glance at the shift in Felix's expression.
When I reached the staircase landing, Audrey called out to me.
She walked up with a smile on her lips, then raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face.
"Who do you think you are, coming here to stake your claim? You actually think you're Mrs. Mason?"
"You heard what Felix said, didn't you? You're nothing but a free nanny Edmund hired because he didn't want me wearing myself out taking care of the kid. That marriage certificate was fake. I'm his legal wife now."
"Edmund and I have known each other for over a decade. Felix is my older sister's child. We share a blood bond that can never be broken, and he's naturally drawn to me."
"What we have is something you could never compete with. All you ever did was embarrass them."
Audrey stepped closer, her voice dropping to a low, satisfied murmur.
"Did you really think the baby you lost in that car accident was just bad luck?"
"Edmund planned the whole thing. Even your uterus, which the doctors could have saved, he told them to remove."
My eyes flew wide open, my voice rising before I could stop it.
"What did you just say?"
"I told him that if you ever had a child of your own, you'd mistreat Felix and fight over the family fortune. I said the threat had to be eliminated for good. And he went right along with it."
She ran her hand over her lower belly, smug satisfaction radiating from every pore.
"But I'm different. My sister left things behind when she died, and I'm one of them. My baby carries my sister's bloodline too."
"That's why Edmund was willing to get the certificate with me. When he found out I was pregnant, he was overjoyed. He said we're family. As for you and that dead little bastard of yours? You were always outsiders."
"I heard you've been working all kinds of side jobs these past few years just to make ends meet." She clicked her tongue. "Calling you 'free' is generous. A pathetic woman who throws herself at a man who doesn't want her. Talking to you makes me feel dirty. If I were you, I'd get lost before I got in the way of our family."
My fists clenched so tight my knuckles ached. My whole body trembled uncontrollably.
That car accident. That baby.
The wound that would never heal.
I could still see it so clearly: Edmund holding me in that hospital bed, his face twisted with grief, swearing it was all his fault. If he hadn't dragged me into his mess, I wouldn't have needed to go out for a night shift, and the accident never would have happened.
Five years together. I thought we were the closest two people could be.
But he'd only ever seen me as a free nanny. He'd built wall after wall around himself, guarding against me like I was a thief.
Rage flooded my chest until I could barely breathe. How dare he?
How dare he toy with my sincerity like that?
How dare the rich trample over other people's lives without a second thought?
I raised my hand high, but before it could land on Audrey's face, someone shoved me hard from behind.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
My knee was already injured. I lost my footing, and my body tumbled down the staircase.
A searing pain shot through my elbow. Something warm trickled down my forehead.
Blood smeared across my face.
Edmund stared down at me, eyes wide with shock.
"Louisa, are you okay? I didn't mean to—"
He started to rush down the stairs toward me, but Audrey clung to his arm, her voice trembling with practiced hurt.
"Edmund, Felix's class had a parent-teacher conference today, but the teacher couldn't reach Louisa no matter how many times she called."
"The other kids were calling him a motherless bastard. That's the only reason I went in her place. But she cursed me out, called me a meddling outsider, told me to get lost, and then tried to hit me."
"My sister is watching from heaven. If she could see me being treated this way, it would break her heart."
The words landed, and Edmund's face darkened instantly.
He stared at me, cold as stone.
"Audrey is Felix's biological aunt. She shares his blood. If she's an outsider, then what does that make you?"
"I don't even know what you're busy with all day. You can't even be bothered to show up to your own kid's parent-teacher conference. What kind of mother does that? Audrey steps in out of the goodness of her heart, and you have the nerve to hit her?"
I staggered to my feet, wiping the blood from my face.
A bitter laugh clawed its way out of my throat. Then another. And another.
"Edmund. Is this some kind of game to you?"
"If I'm not fit to be a mother, then what about you? A liar who manipulated someone's feelings? A monster with his own child's blood on his hands? You're even less fit to be a father!"
Edmund's expression shifted. He opened his mouth to speak.
"Edmund, Felix is still waiting for us." Audrey sidled up to him, her voice dripping honey. "Don't leave the poor boy alone. Let's go, okay?"
She pouted, shifting her weight. "I wore heels today. My feet are killing me."
Edmund nodded. He tossed one last remark over his shoulder at me.
"I have no idea what you're even talking about. Audrey has more sense than you ever will."
"Since you hate going to Felix's school events so much, don't bother anymore. Audrey will handle it from now on."
"I suppose that's how it is when there's no real bond. You just can't compare to actual family."
Then, as if pained by Audrey's sore feet, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her out without a backward glance.
The fire extinguisher case beside the stairwell caught my reflection.
Brittle, straw-colored hair. Hollowed cheeks from months of broken sleep and skipped meals. So thin it looked like a strong gust could knock me over. I'd stopped buying skincare products long ago to save money, and my skin had turned rough and dull.
But I had never complained. Not once.
And in the end, all I got was a lie and the label of outsider.
It was time to end this.
I took the money I'd saved from my part-time jobs and went to the hospital to get my wounds bandaged. Then I went back to the house and packed my things. There wasn't much. A few worn-out clothes.
I booked the next available flight and headed straight to the airport.
Edmund Mason, your little poverty act? I'm done playing along.
