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Third Person’s POV
When Gale brought up the baby, a rare flicker of guilt crossed Rusty’s face.
“The baby was born too early. He’s still in the incubator,” he said quietly.”
But Gale insisted on seeing the child. No matter how much the doctors warned her it might be dangerous, she wouldn’t back down.”
The moment she laid eyes on the frail, tiny baby, a trace of disgust flashed in her eyes. But with Rusty standing nearby, she forced herself to put on a show of motherly love.
While he turned around to grab something, she quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the three of them. Moments later, she found an excuse to hand the child back to the nurse.§
As soon as he was out of sight, Gale opened her chat with Shannon and sent the photo, every single one of them. Along with it, she added a message drenched in false sweetness.
[Sister, isn’t your little nephew adorable? Now that you’ve signed the divorce papers, it’ll be so much easier to get him registered. He’s going to be so grateful to you for making it all possible!]
[Oh, and make sure you’re free. I’ll need you at the wedding. Rusty and I will be getting married soon. And of course, there’s the baby’s one–month celebration too.]}
Shannon’s POV
My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.
I assumed it was just Rusty blowing up my inbox again, so I picked it up with a sigh, only to see that it was a flood of photos from my dear sister Gale.
Strangely enough, I didn’t feel angry like I used to. Instead, I just stared at the screen, calm and composed, almost like I’d gotten used to it.5
I knew what she wanted. She was hoping I’d lose it, lash out at her, so she could cry in front of our father or Rusty, play the poor, pitiful victim, and make me look like the unreasonable one.}
This time, I just typed back one word. [Congratulations.]}
Then I blocked her.
I wasn’t going to waste another ounce of emotion on either of them.}
After that, I looked down at the bowl of food in front of me. Beside me, Clayton urged, “Hurry up and eat so I can give you more.“}
I couldn’t help but laugh. Not wanting to let his effort go to waste, I took a big bite, only to pause as the taste was so familiar.
He must’ve noticed my surprise, because Clayton gave me a knowing smile. His tone softened with nostalgia as he remarked, “As expected, you still remember this taste. Yes, it’s the same dish we used to eat back in middle school, from that food stall near the school gates.”
I nodded slowly. It was my favorite because it tasted just like Mom’s cooking.
Suddenly, I looked out the window, only to find wind still howling outside and rain pouring in sheets.
Our old school was nearly a thirty–minute drive from here, and that food stall was deep in a narrow alley where cars couldn’t even go. That was when I noticed the water droplets clinging to Clayton’s hair and the dark patches on his clothes from getting soaked in the rain.” Realizing that, a wave of emotion rushed through me.”
That kind of care, the feeling of being truly cherished, was rare and overwhelming.
Over the next few days, I made some changes. I cut off my long hair and swapped out the dresses Rusty used to love for pants and clothes! actually liked. Little by little, I stopped looking like the woman he wanted and started becoming the woman I remembered being.
And through it all, Clayton never asked about my past. He just quietly supported every change I made.
We also didn’t worry about appearances or propriety. Even though it was just the two of us, alone in the same house, we fell into an easy rhythm, like the old days.
Honestly, it was the happiest I’d felt in years.
With Clayton’s presence, I slowly let go of the bitterness and frustration that had piled up from everything with Rusty and Gale. I started to find the courage to return to the confident, unfiltered version of myself when I was fourteen.&
But the world had changed so fast. Even my hometown barely looked the same.”
After being disconnected from everything for so long, I often felt a little lost, unsure of how to keep up.
And since I’d already troubled Clayton so many times, I didn’t want to let my mood bring him down again.!!
“Shannon, how about we go for a walk?” he asked one night.!!
I was halfway into the fridge when I heard him. Glancing at the clock on the wall, it was already 10:30 PM, so I was about to say no. But when I looked into his eyes, sparkling with excitement, I gave in and nodded.
The streets were nearly empty, and Clayton was acting all mysterious. Though I was tempted to ask, I held back.
Only after we got out of the car did I realize he had taken me to a shrine.!!
I blinked in confusion as I wondered what we were doing at a temple this late.
10:32 AM
