Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Neither the father nor the daughter showed their faces the next morning.

I finally received a text from Desmond around noon.

"Amara, Lila's stomach is still bothering her. The doctor wants to keep her for observation. We'll be home tomorrow."

He attached a photo of Lila sitting in a hospital chair.

I noticed a tiny smear of chocolate frosting at the corner of her mouth. I remembered clearly that her face was clean when they left.

They couldn't even get their lies straight.

I didn't bother replying. I grabbed my bag and headed to the embassy.

As I walked out the door, my eyes fell on the bracelet on my wrist.

It was a limited-edition piece from a high-end designer. It was only available in person at a boutique in Berlin.

Desmond had supposedly flown there and waited in line for eight hours just to get it for me.

At the time, I thought I was the luckiest woman on earth.

Now, it felt like a shackle.

I unclasped the bracelet and dropped it into a trash can on the street corner without a second thought.

By a cruel twist of fate, I ran into them right outside the embassy.

All three of us froze. Desmond and Lila looked like they had seen a ghost.

"Amara? What are you doing here?"

I tucked my paperwork into my bag, my face an emotionless mask.

"Just handling some things. I have a business trip to Germany coming up."

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he tried to play it cool.

"But your German isn't that great, is it?"

I tilted my head and gave him a sugary, fake smile.

"That's why I'll need you to teach me some phrases before I go."

He visibly relaxed and jogged over to take my hand.

"That's my girl. Come on, let's go home together."

Lila, holding a shopping bag, grabbed my other hand with a bright, sunny grin.

"Yay! I know a little bit too. I'll help teach Mommy!"

They were laughing, flanking me like a perfect, happy family.

I couldn't even manage a fake smile. A cold dread was spreading through my chest.

The embassy was nowhere near our house, and even further from the hospital.

The only explanation was that Linnette lived nearby.

The air around them reeked of a heavy, floral perfume. It was so cloying I started coughing.

Desmond immediately looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

I pulled a face mask out of my bag and snapped it on.

"The perfume on you two is making my nose burn."

I have chronic allergies. Usually, they were careful never to use strong scents around me.

Their faces paled instantly.

Desmond scrambled for an excuse.

"It must be the scent from the patient in the bed next to Lila. It got on our clothes."

Lila let go of my hand and scurried over to Desmond's side.

"If I'm making Mommy sick, I'll just stay away from her."

She was young, and she couldn't quite hide the spark of joy in her eyes at the excuse to distance herself.

I didn't try to win her back. I just gave a curt nod.

Lila blinked, clearly stunned that I hadn't chased after her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the father and daughter exchange a confused, uneasy glance.

When we got home, Lila pulled a designer handbag out of a bag and held it out to me.

"Look, Mommy! Daddy and I spent forever picking this out for you!"

This was their routine. Whenever Desmond sensed I was unhappy, he'd buy his way back into my good graces.

This was a bag I had mentioned wanting months ago.

Both of them watched me with bated breath, waiting for my reaction.

I sighed and took the bag, offering a faint smile.

"I love it. Thank you."

Maybe they thought they had successfully bribed my suspicion away.

Desmond's eyes lit up. He hovered around me like a devoted puppy.

"I'm so glad! What do you want for lunch? I'll make anything."

Lila piped up immediately.

"I want honey-glazed ribs!"

Desmond scooped her up and brought her close to me.

"We have to ask Mommy first. What do you think, honey?"

I clutched the expensive bag and nodded.

"Whatever Lila wants is fine with me."

"Awesome! Thanks, Mommy!"

Lila dragged Desmond toward the kitchen by his hand.

"Hurry up, Daddy! Cook!"

I watched them, feeling the knot in my heart tighten.

I sat on the sofa and opened my laptop to pretend to work.

Suddenly, a friend request popped up on my phone.

The profile picture was a cute, professional-looking woman. I accepted it without thinking.

A message flashed across the screen instantly.

"So, do you like the bag I picked out for you?"