Chapter 2: The Truth Emily Never Told Me
Chapter 2: The Truth Emily Never Told Me
That night, after Leo finally fell asleep with medicine and a cool cloth on his forehead, Emily and I sat together in the dark kitchen.
Neither of us spoke for a long time.
She stared into her untouched cup of tea.
"I tried," she whispered.
"I know."
"No... you don't."
Her voice cracked.
"The first day your mom was wonderful."
"The second day she said I was spoiling Leo."
"The third day she refused to help because she said mothers today are too dramatic."
I clenched my jaw.
Emily continued.
"Yesterday she invited two of her friends over."
I looked at her.
"While Leo had a fever?"
Emily nodded.
"I spent three hours serving coffee while carrying him."
My stomach turned.
"And today..."
She stopped speaking.
I reached across the table.
"What happened today?"
Fresh tears filled her eyes.
"I asked your sister if she could hold Leo while I took a shower."
"What did she say?"
Emily looked down.
"She said..."
"'He's your child, not mine.'"
The words landed like a punch to the chest.
I had spent years believing my family loved Emily.
The truth was much uglier.
They loved being taken care of.
Emily wasn't family to them.
She was free labor.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm canceling every holiday, every invitation, every family dinner."
Emily looked surprised.
"You don't have to."
"I do."
"No one who treats my wife like a servant gets unlimited access to my home."
The next morning, I changed every lock.
Not because I expected them to break in.
May you like
But because I wanted Emily to know one thing.
This house was finally hers again.
