Jonah smiled, but there was something sad in his eyes. "Once Janelle is part of the Stafford Family, you won’t have to worry about her. If anything comes up, just let me know. Oh, and this—" he handed over a small box. "Consider it a wedding gift."
Naomi took it with a playful smirk. "Another one? Jonah, seriously, how many gifts have you given me this year? My closet is overflowing. Greta’s gonna lose it if she finds out."
Still, she didn’t hesitate to take it.
Janelle giggled beside her, clinging to Naomi and calling her "Mom" over and over.
Just then, the orphanage director rushed in and opened the office door, probably to start the paperwork.
Jonah stiffened when he saw me. A flash of panic crossed his face. "Greta? What are you doing here?"
I kept my expression neutral. "Relax. Naomi volunteers here. I just dropped by to see her and finalize the adoption for Janelle."
Naomi shifted Janelle in her arms and gave me a little wave. "Greta, long time no see."
I forced a smile. "Yeah. I’ll just look around for a bit. Since you're busy, I won’t get in the way. I’ll wait in the car."
Without another word, I turned and wheeled myself out.
Jonah must’ve thought I was upset because he ran after me, scrambling for an explanation. "It’s not what you think. Naomi comes here all the time for charity work and the kids just call her 'Mom.' Once the adoption is official, I’ll explain everything to Janelle."
I looked at him so anxious, so desperate to reassure me and suddenly, I wanted to laugh. He had gone to such extremes; staging an accident, leaving me disabled, just to make this adoption seem legitimate.
Now that he had everything he wanted, why did he look so guilty?
"Relax," I said, keeping my voice light. "I’m not mad. Just finish the paperwork. I’ll be in the car." Then I turned away, leaving him standing there.
Jonah let out a relieved sigh as he watched me head back to the car.
The staff passing by didn’t bother hiding their smug looks, but I ignored them. Instead, I pulled out my phone and canceled the adoption documents online.
To celebrate Jonah bringing Janelle home, the Stafford Family threw a dinner. I used the excuse of not feeling well and stayed upstairs.
However, no matter how much I tried to shut it out, their laughter still slipped through the cracks of the door. I wheeled myself to the top of the stairs and looked down.
Jonah, Naomi and Janelle sat together like a perfect little family. Jonah carefully placed food on Janelle’s plate, making sure she got everything she liked. Naomi laughed and teased him. "You’re going to spoil her rotten at this rate."
Jonah just grinned and adjusted the little crown on Janelle’s head. "She’s my daughter. She deserves the best."
That was it. Something in me snapped.
I turned back into the room, grabbed everything Jonah had ever given me in the past five years and tore it to shreds. Gifts, letters, jewelry—ripped apart, destroyed. I shoved it all into the trash can, but when I pushed it aside, it tipped over, spilling everything onto the floor.
Then, Naomi appeared in the doorway.
She took slow, deliberate steps toward me, her lips curling into a smirk. Without warning, she kicked my wheelchair over.
Pain shot through my body, but she only looked down at me with amusement. "Greta, it must be miserable being so useless, huh?"
She crouched next to me, voice dripping with fake sympathy. "After all these years, you’re still so pathetic. Watching your wedding get stolen, watching your husband bring my daughter home and all you do is sit back and take it. Honestly? I almost feel bad for you."
I clenched my jaw and tried to move. Then suddenly, Naomi stumbled backward. Before I could react, she tumbled down the stairs.
I barely had time to process what happened before Jonah ran over, catching her just before she hit the ground.
His eyes snapped up to me, blazing with anger. "Greta, are you insane? Naomi came up to invite you to dinner and you attacked her?"
