He remembered it vividly now–that look on her face, the silence that followed. And the way, from that day on, she never brought it up again.
It was as if the argument had never happened.
At the time, he’d even thought she was being “understanding.”
With a strange compulsion, Ethan pushed open the door to the kids‘ room.
Lucas and Lily were fast asleep, their heads tilted toward each other.
On the nightstand, Emily’s photo was gone. In its place now sat one of Sophia—smiling, radiant, arms wrapped around the children.
As if Emily had never been part of the picture at all.
He didn’t know when it had been taken down. Something hollow opened up in his chest.
He didn’t go back to the master bedroom. Instead, he walked into the guest room alone.
Outside, the moon cast a pale light across the floor.
Ethan opened the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, uncapped it, and drank straight from the bottle.
The burn scorched his throat, but it did nothing to smother the restless unease tightening in his chest.
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Chapter 13
After that night, Ethan started spending more and more time “on business trips.” At least, that’s what he told everyone. In reality, he was just avoiding
home.
With Ethan gone most of the time, Sophia was more than happy to enjoy her freedom. Most days, she was either at the spa or having her hair styled somewhere upscale.
Without anyone around to take them to school, Lucas and Lily gradually stopped going altogether. Sophia, eager to win their affection in the beginning, had gotten into the habit of calling them out of class for little outings. Eventually, they learned from the best–ditching school just became part of their
routine.
Even when the household staff brought it up, Sophia barely batted an eye.
“Miss Bennett,” one of the maids called, “the school’s been calling. The teachers say the kids have been skipping too many classes lately. They’re asking if you or Mr. Caldwell could speak with them. Maybe convince them to go back.”
Sophia didn’t even look up. She was admiring her freshly done nails while lounging in a recliner at the spa.
“Thanks. I’ll handle it,” she said lazily. Then she added with a sweet smile, “Let’s not trouble Ethan with this, alright? He’s already swamped at work. No need to bother him with every little thing.”
She ended the call without a second thought.
A friend
A friend sitting next to her let out a soft laugh.
“Seriously? You’re gonna deal with those two brats? I mean, marrying a guy like Ethan is great and all, but those leftover kids? What a drag.”
Sophia yawned, stretching like a cat, her eyes glinting with calculation.
“Who said I was dealing with them? Honestly, the more useless they become, the better. Less competition when it comes to inheritance.”
Then she casually called Lucas and Lily’s teacher.
“Hi, Miss White, just a heads–up–Lucas and Lily will be staying home for a while. It’s a family matter. You know our situation, so don’t stress over their attendance. Also, Mr. Caldwell’s extremely busy these days, so if there’s anything that comes up, just contact me directly.”
With that handled, she leaned back and forgot all about it.
Later that evening, she actually came home for once–rare, considering her usual schedule.
The living room was a mess, toys and snacks scattered everywhere. When the kids saw her, they lit up and ran over.
“Aunt Sophia! You’re finally back! We missed you!”
But to their surprise, the warmth they were used to wasn’t there. Sophia’s expression was ice cold, her tone flat.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve got stuff to do. Go play by yourselves.”
Lucas, not catching the shift in her mood, assumed she was just teasing like always. He stomped his foot and shouted:
“No! You promised you’d play with us!”
What he didn’t expect was the way Sophia’s face twisted in irritation. Gone was the soft, gentle smile. Her eyes darkened, sharp and dangerous.
“Watch your tone,
Lucas.”
She stepped closer, voice dropping into something hard and cutting.
“Let me make one thing clear–very soon, I’m going to be your stepmother. The new woman of this house.”
“Your dad doesn’t even like that pathetic mother of yours. And once he’s tired of her, it won’t take much for him to get tired of you two as well.”
The kids froze, clinging to each other, fear washing over their little faces. All their old bravado from bullying Emily–gone in an instant.
Sophia gave them one last glance, her tone low and final.
“You’d better get used to it. From now on, what I say goes. And if either of you talks back to me again… don’t expect me to be so nice next time.”
Without another word, she turned and climbed the stairs, heels tapping sharply against the marble floor.
Chapter 13
