Chapter 2

2

That was one of the few times I had actually gotten angry and slapped her.

Today, I expected her to spit again. Instead, I heard a soft, sweet apology from the next room.

"I'm sorry, Miss Elena. Please don't be mad, okay? I won't call her a hag anymore. But if she bullies you again, I'll hit her."

"Aria," Elena sighed helplessly. Aria understood the hint and started calling her "sweet auntie" and "good mommy."

In that moment, I wanted to go deaf. I didn't want to hear my child calling someone else mother.

The night felt endless and suffocating. Every word felt like a slow execution.

I didn't sleep at all. I stared at the ceiling until the sun came up.

Aria was an early bird. As soon as she woke up, she started pestering Elena.

I wanted to try one last time to show her some affection. I walked into her room.

"Aria, honey, let Mommy help you get washed up, okay?"

I wasn't a soft parent, so my voice sounded a bit awkward. Aria reacted as if I were a monster.

"What are you doing here? Miss Elena is still sleeping. Don't you dare try to bully her while she's tired."

She was terrified of me for some reason. Yet, for her precious Elena, she shook with fear but still stood her ground in front of the bed.

"Aria... I just want to help you get ready for the day."

I stopped walking and tried to smile. Aria looked at me with pure disgust.

"Help me? Mom, did you forget? You're the one who said kids my age should do things themselves. You told me not to rely on others. Now you're pretending to be nice? Give me a break."

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of her words. I tried to take one more step toward her.

"Stay back!" Aria grabbed a pillow and threw it at me.

She hated me. Everything I had ever bought for her was shoved into a dark corner of the room.

"What's wrong, Aria?" Elena asked, rubbing her eyes.

She had been well-protected by Silas. From her angle, she couldn't see me clearly. She just thought Aria was throwing a tantrum.

"That woman is here again," Aria whispered, hiding in Elena's arms.

The morning sun felt blindingly bright. I looked down at my watch, my heart aching.

"Miss Elena, I wanted to help Aria get ready, but she seems to prefer you. I'm sorry for waking you."

It wasn't even work hours yet. Elena rubbed her temples and naturally took the water glass from Aria.

"Aria, how many times have I told you? You have to respect your mother. Go wash up with her now."

She spoke softly, but she held an authority I lacked. Aria gave me a resentful look but muttered an okay.

In the bathroom, I realized I hadn't been this close to Aria in a long time. I hadn't even noticed how much she had grown.

"Can you hurry up? Stop acting like a big-shot mom. If you keep this up, I'm calling Daddy."

I was moving too slowly because I was lost in thought. Aria splashed water out of the basin in frustration, soaking my shirt.

"Aria, stop it."

I tried to tell her to stay still. She frowned. "What? You gonna yell at me? I already told you, I don't want to be your kid. I want Miss Elena to be my mom. She doesn't yell, and she doesn't get mad over nothing. I hate you. Get out!"

Aria's voice rose to a scream. Everyone in the house came running toward the bathroom.