Chapter 7
It was Blanche.
Amelia’s heart slammed against her ribs, her knuckles whitened around the phone. “I’m coming home. Now.”
She drove like a madwoman. The nanny was pacing anxiously by the foyer. When she saw Amelia, she ran up, nearly in
tears.
“Ma’am, I couldn’t stop them… Mr. Robinson called personally and said to let them in.”
The moment Amelia walked into the living room, she saw Finn Robinson sprawled on the floor, flicking glass marbles across the hardwood. They rolled in every direction, glinting under the light.
He looked up, shrieking, “Mommy, look! The bad woman who tried to rob my blood is back!”
Blanche was standing beside April’s crib, her finger hovering just above the baby’s cheek as she cooed in a sickly sweet
voice.
“Stay away from my daughter!”
Amelia lunged forward and shoved her back. Blanche stumbled half a step but didn’t retaliate. Instead, she smiled-smug,
smugger than ever.
“Miss Austin, allow me to remind you,” she said with venomous poise. “I’m the one legally married to Edmond Robinson.
You’re the mistress now. This house? Marital property. I have every right to kick you out whenever I feel like it.”
Her words, needles dipped in ice, stabbed into Amelia’s chest. Amelia could hardly breathe-yet she couldn’t deny their
truth.
“I don’t want anything to do with that garbage Edmond anymore,” she said through clenched teeth. Her hands shook.
“And yes, I’ll leave. But not yet. Until then-get the hell out of my house. Or I’ll call every media outlet in this city and
expose you for the trash you are. As far as the public knows, I’m still Mrs. Robinson.”
“You want to see how fast I can ruin your shiny little image?”
Blanche’s expression cracked. Rage twisted her face.
“Why are you still acting high and mighty?! I’m the legal wife! You’re the one who needs to crawl out of here!”
Amelia raised her chin, her voice ice-cold and laced with scorn.
“I leave him, and I still have the entire Austin family behind me.”
“What do you have? You were just a maid, Blanche. Even if Edmond married you, he’d never parade you in front of high society. You’ll always be the shadow wife, crawling around behind the curtains.”
“Shut the hell up!”
Blanche’s eyes blazed with fury. She raised her hand and slapped Amelia hard across the face.
Smack.
The sound echoed through the living room like a gunshot.
Amelia’s cheek burned, but she didn’t even flinch. She immediately struck back, her slap landing twice as hard. Let the security cameras capture it all. Let the world see who started it.
But then-a strange, wet choking sound came from the crib.
Amelia whipped around. Her pupils dilated in horror.
Finn had just yanked his hand away from April’s mouth. She had seen it-he’d shoved something inside.
No…
“A-April!” Her heart seized.
She launched herself to the crib, scooping up her daughter, whose face was turning pale again. Her fingers trembled as
she patted April’s back, frantically trying to help her cough.
“Spit it out, baby… come on, sweetheart, spit it out!”
“What are you doing to her?!”
Edmond’s furious voice roared from the doorway as he stormed in, his eyes wild. His expression darkened at the sight of
Amelia “manhandling” the baby. Blanche threw herself into his arms, eyes shimmering with fake tears.
“Ed, thank God you’re here! Finn was just trying to play with his baby sister. He didn’t mean any harm, but Miss Austin
freaked out…”
Amelia ignored them. Her hands trembled as she pried April’s mouth open, panic surging.
“Come on, baby… Mommy’s here… please, spit it out…”
Edmond couldn’t take it anymore. He stormed forward and ripped April from her arms.
“You’ve lost your mind! You could hurt her doing that!”
Smack!
Amelia slapped him across the face with everything she had.
“You hit me?” he asked, stunned, clutching his cheek.
But the sound had startled April, and the baby let out a violent gag. A small, round object rolled from her mouth and landed on the carpet with a soft thud.
A glass marble. Followed by a blood-curdling scream. April’s face turned crimson as her cries filled the room.
“Do you see it now?!”
Amelia’s voice broke, her eyes red with fury. She pointed at the marble on the floor.
“That monster stuffed a marble in our newborn’s mouth! Are you blind?!”
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She tore April from Edmond’s arms, cradling her protectively, clutching her so tightly it was as if she could fuse their hearts together. Her eyes locked on Blanche and Finn with a hatred so sharp it could cut.
Finally, Edmond’s face shifted. He turned and grabbed Finn by the shoulders.
“Finn, apologize to your aunt and your little sister. Now.”
But the boy dropped to the floor, kicking and screaming.
“Bad Daddy! You yelled at me! I don’t want you anymore! Waaaa!”
His wailing collided with April’s cries, creating a shrill, chaotic cacophony that pierced through the walls.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Edmond murmured, pulling Finn into his arms and rubbing his back. “He’s just a kid. He didn’t mean it. He’s too young to know better.”
Then he looked at Amelia again, eyes dark with irritation.
“They’re children, Amelia. It’s normal for them to play rough. Must you make everything a scene? You’re the adult here- act like one. Think about how you’re going to raise your daughter!”
“Get out.”
Amelia’s voice was hoarse. Her heart felt like it had been peeled raw.
She pointed at the door, every syllable like a blade. Then she slapped him again, right across the face.
“Take your whore and your demon child-and get the hell out of my house!”
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