With a soft click, Astrella locked the door behind her, the sound echoing in the stillness of the room. In the living room, Raiden sat on the couch, lazily pulling out a cigarette. Norella rushed over to light it for him, a flicker of guilt flashing across her face.
“Raiden…” Norella’s voice quivered as she gazed at him, her face as pale as the moon.
Raiden barely lifted his head, his expression empty, as if the weight of everything had drained him.
Seizing the moment, Norella let a single tear fall, her voice cracking with feigned distress. “Actually, that burger and cola weren’t mine… They were bought by Astrella to frame me. Think about it: how could she know about Reaghan’s illness? How could someone with just a high school education know something even you didn’t?”
Her words dripped with venom, yet she softened them with a tremor of fake vulnerability. “She’s jealous, Raiden. She can’t stand seeing you buy me clothes and gifts. She’s taking it out on the child!”
From the other side of the door, Astrella squeezed her eyes shut, a tide of fury rising within her.
How could she take her anger out on her own child?
Astrella had learned everything she needed to know about handling common childhood illnesses from the parenting books she had devoured, memorizing each remedy and emergency treatment. But Norella? A prestigious university graduate, a PhD from the U.S., how could she lie with such shameless ease?
Yet, Raiden believed her.
He began pounding on the door, his frustration growing. “Astrella, explain yourself! What happened?”
The relentless banging echoed through the house, loud enough to disturb the child who had just fallen asleep. Reaghan stirred in his sleep, his tiny face scrunching in discomfort, before letting out a wail that filled the room with heart-wrenching cries.
Raiden’s voice cracked with desperation. “If you have a problem, take it out on me! Don’t take it out on the child!”
With a swift, forceful kick, the door splintered open and the chaos spilled into the room.
Reaghan’s pitiful cry echoed through the space.
“Don’t cry, Reaghan, Daddy’s here,” Raiden soothed, his voice thick with concern. He scooped the child into his arms, ready to leave, but Astrella’s voice cut through the tension, strained with fury.
“Wait!” she snapped, her finger pointing directly at Norella. “Dare to repeat yourself: who really bought the burger and cola?”
Reaghan, now blinking sleepily, rubbed his eyes and mumbled, “Mom, why are you arguing with Aunt Norella?”
Astrella’s heart twisted painfully. She fought to keep her voice steady. “Reaghan, tell your dad, who bought the burger and cola?”
The child hesitated, shifting his gaze from Norella to Raiden, before whispering something into Raiden’s ear.
Raiden’s expression turned stormy, his voice laced with accusation. “So, it’s come to this and you still want to deny it? Astrella, even your own son says it was you. Are you still trying to frame Norella?”
His words cut through the air like a knife. “Your jealousy has gone too far. You’ve lost all reason to the point of hurting your own child. I don’t think there’s a place for you in this family anymore!”
Astrella’s chest tightened painfully, each breath feeling like it was being ripped from her. She couldn’t believe it; her own son was lying to her.
Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. But she fought to keep her composure. “Reaghan,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “why would you lie?”
Her heart shattered as she waited for the answer, her mind racing.
Reaghan instinctively clung tighter to Raiden and Norella, his small body trembling in fear as his voice wavered. “Mom, you’ve always taught me not to lie. Please don’t push me like this…”
Raiden’s eyes grew cold, his expression hardening. He handed Reaghan to Norella, his breath steadying as he drew a deep one before slapping Astrella across the face.
“Enough! You’ve completely disappointed me. Your jealousy has clouded your every thought. Is this all you care about?”
“We’ve given you everything: food, clothes, a roof over your head and yet, you’ve become more ungrateful by the day!”
“Leave! Leave right now! I never want to see you again in this lifetime!”
Astrella pressed her trembling hand against her cheek. The sting from the slap burned fiercely and had she not steadied herself against the table; she would have crumpled to the floor.
Her vision blurred as tears welled up, unchecked and relentless. The figures in front of her became nothing more than hazy shadows. All that remained was the icy, suffocating emptiness of the house as if she had plunged into a freezing abyss.
“Fine. Don’t worry, I’ll leave.”
The words hung in the air, heavy with finality. She would leave. Soon. It was inevitable. The moment had arrived, whether she was ready or not.
