Chapter 2

2

The party ended in a complete disaster.

When we got home, the house felt cold and cluttered.

My in-laws had screamed at me the whole way back until Silas finally sent them off.

He slammed the front door, leaving just the two of us.

In the nursery, I could hear the faint, rhythmic breathing of my son.

Silas tried to wrap his arms around me from behind, smelling of whiskey and desperation.

"Avery, babe, stop being mad. I was wrong."

"I'll play less. I'll spend more time with you and the baby, okay? Let's not talk about divorce."

His hands started to wander where they weren't wanted.

Nausea surged in my stomach. I felt disgusted by his touch.

I shoved him away with all my might.

"Don't touch me."

Silas stumbled back, and his thin veil of patience finally snapped.

"Avery, what the hell do you want from me!"

He kicked the coffee table, sending glass coasters and a fruit bowl shattering across the floor.

"My reputation is ruined! My parents are humiliated! How am I supposed to face my friends after this?"

He was screaming now, his eyes bloodshot.

"What did I do that was so wrong? I played a game! Did I cheat? did I go to a strip club?"

"I work my ass off for this family! And you? You just stay home with the kids! What more do you want? Every woman in the world lives like this!"

"Why do you have to be such a bitch about it?"

I watched his meltdown and didn't say a single word.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Silas stormed over to answer it, looking annoyed.

It was Elara, holding a thermos and looking worried.

"Silas, I was worried Avery wouldn't be able to sleep, so I made some herbal tea."

She brushed past Silas and walked straight to me, setting the thermos on the table.

"Avery, I know you're feeling neglected."

She took my hand in hers, acting like a wise mentor.

"But Silas has a lot on his plate. Ever since my husband passed, Silas has been the rock for all of us. He takes care of me and my daughter too. He needs an outlet for that stress."

I watched her performance with a cold gaze.

"You're so well-spoken, Elara. Did you look the other way when your own husband was alive too?"

Elara's face paled for a moment before she regained her composure.

"Avery, I know you're upset. But as a wife, sometimes you have to keep one eye closed for the sake of peace."

I pulled my hand away from hers.

"This is a private matter between my husband and me. It's none of your business."

Elara's body stiffened.

The next second, her eyes welled up with tears.

She turned to Silas, her voice trembling.

"Silas... did I say something wrong? I just wanted to help her. I didn't mean any harm."

Silas exploded.

He rushed over and pointed a finger in my face.

"Avery! Do you have a soul? She came here out of the goodness of her heart, and this is how you treat her?"

"She is family, not an outsider!"

He was so worked up protecting his "sweet" sister-in-law that he gave me a hard shove.

"Apologize to her right now!"

I wasn't prepared for the force. I fell backward, my lower back slamming hard against the edge of the crib.

Pain shot through my spine, and I let out a sharp gasp.

The crib rocked violently, and my sleeping son woke up, letting out a piercing wail.

Ignoring the pain, I tried to reach for him.

But Elara was faster.

She scooped him up before I could, expertly rocking him and whispering to him.

"Shh, baby, it's okay. Mommy's here. Don't cry."

She held my son with such practiced tenderness, looking like the picture of motherhood.

Meanwhile, I was hunched over, clutching my back like a common criminal.

Silas looked at the peaceful image of Elara holding the baby, and his anger softened.

He looked at me with pure disgust and resentment.

His eyes said it all: You can't even handle being a mother.

I looked at them and felt a chill in my heart.

Quietly, I pulled out my phone while leaning against the wall.

I hit the record button.