[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-26031368DDE4-17":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},17,7,"Chapter 7: A House Divided, A Heart Undone","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I recognized her voice, and then I remembered. This was one of the women who’d ambushed me outside the hospital that day.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her eyes met mine, and she tossed an ultrasound printout onto the table.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'm already pregnant with Drake's baby. I'm the lady of this house. Get out!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Cecilia's my woman, the lady of this house!\" Drake Alexander strode in, his voice booming.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I picked up the ultrasound. The baby was three months along. Drake had a wild streak, sure, but he’d never actually slept with anyone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It didn’t matter. My time was running out anyway. He’d gotten his wish: a child of his own.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing my blank stare at the report, Drake tried to reassure me, \"Cecilia, I wouldn't do things like that with someone else. You know me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The other woman kept yapping, claiming Drake had been drunk that night, blacked out, and wouldn’t remember a thing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Drake’s mom chimed in, earnestly trying to talk him down. She warned him that marrying me would make them a laughingstock, especially after the divorce and miscarriage news had gone viral in their social circles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Right there beside me, Drake defied his mother. He declared he’d marry no one but me, and if pushed, he’d just take me and disappear.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That’s when his dad stepped in and slapped him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Drake’s dad had always been the chillest dude. I’d never seen him lose it like that.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The other woman advanced and shoved me. \"Used goods! Say something! Why are you playing innocent?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Get away from her! I never touched you!\" Drake shoved the woman to the floor. The sheer chaos of the manor was making my head spin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Enough!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The room went dead silent. Drake grabbed my arm. \"Cecilia, I told you I wouldn't hurt you again. I'll take you away.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I shrugged off his hand, my voice ice cold. \"Drake, who are you trying to impress with this whole devoted act?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He looked stunned. \"Cecilia, you can't talk to me like that. You know I love you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing the helpless look in his eyes twisted something in me, but I didn't have the luxury of time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I put on a mask of indifference. \"So what? You knew I was terrified of water, yet you still chucked me into the ocean.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He paled, his grip tightening on my hand. \"Julien told me you'd secretly signed up for swimming lessons ages ago.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I shot back, \"So without even knowing if I'd conquered my fear, you were willing to risk throwing me into the ocean?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He froze. His parents rushed to pull him away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I gently pried his hand off my arm. \"Drake, let me go. You're the one who hurt me the most.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He turned and walked straight out the door. The moment it clicked shut, a single tear escaped my eye.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I calmly headed to the hospital, got into bed, and went through the motions with the doctors, all for pointless tests. The needle marks on my hands multiplied.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It did little for my illness, only softening the blow of my final journey.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ten days later, the warm winter sun flooded the hospital room. I held my fingers up, gazing at them in the light, again and again.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Just ten days, and my fingers were even more skeletal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The hospital room door creaked open. I turned to see my mother standing there. I looked at her, a flicker of confusion in my eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She spoke, \"Cecilia, I heard you're leaving.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She approached, reaching out to help me. I pulled away, slowly settling back onto the edge of the bed myself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Who told you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My mother didn't answer. Instead, she produced a delicate silver chain bracelet with a tiny cross pendant and fastened it around my wrist.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You wanted this, didn't you? Mom's giving it to you now... Stop fighting with your father. Don't be mad at your little brother.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I frowned, utterly lost. Little brother? My supposed brother had been married for years.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This bracelet... Mom had bought it for him when he was born. To be exact, she’d bought it for him, not for me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That day, I’d thrown a tantrum, and my stepfather had hit me. My mother, holding my brother, had just stared at me with utter disgust.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My mother continued, \"I'm sorry... Just hang in there for now. When Mom has secretly saved enough money, I'll take you and your brother away.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mom, what are you talking about?\" I asked, my voice strained.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Your mother has dementia.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Drake’s voice cut through the air as he entered. He’d brought her here.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"How did you know I was here?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I looked up at Drake, never expecting to see him again, not when I was on my way out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He came closer, took my hand, and said, \"Ever since we were kids, I always knew what you were thinking the second your eyes shifted. Did you really think you could fool me?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">So, my drastic change in attitude that day had put him on high alert. With his connections, digging up my situation was child’s play.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He told me my mother had always felt guilty about what happened back then, but she couldn't support me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She'd had to swallow her pride and make a living with my stepfather, who ran a small café. She could only treat me poorly in front of him so he wouldn't target me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After I was taken in by Drake's family, she'd felt a sense of relief. At least I didn't have to live in constant fear of getting beaten.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I glanced at my mother, her eyes clouded with confusion, then looked away. \"How she treated me doesn't matter anymore.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Drake walked around in front of me, a roguish grin on his face. \"But before, every time we went shopping, your eyes would always linger on mothers and daughters holding hands.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272931131]