Chapter 3

3.

Early the next morning, Maddy, who hadn't come home all night, returned with a suitcase.

Behind her were Silas and my mother.

I frowned at them.

The moment my mother saw me, she started barking orders.

"Don't just stand there! Come and help us!"

I asked them confusedly what was going on.

Maddy said as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "Silas is moving in. Go clear out the master bedroom."

I had spent every cent of my savings to buy this house after I turned eighteen.

The whole point was to escape my toxic family.

To escape Silas.

As I stood up, my mother shoved a bag into my hands, urging me to move it.

I glanced at Silas standing to the side.

His eyes were filled with the same old provocation and triumph.

I stood directly in their path and said bluntly:

"This is my house."

Hearing this, my mother pointed at my nose and started screaming.

"How did I raise such a heartless son? Your brother is sick, and instead of taking care of him, you're being petty about space!"

I looked at this woman whose face was contorted with rage.

If I told a stranger she was my mother, they probably wouldn't believe me.

Since we were kids, she always favored Silas.

She believed my father ran off with someone else because I was born.

To her, everything was my fault.

Ever since Silas claimed he had depression, she became even more hostile toward me.

I could never understand what any of that had to do with me.

I looked my mother in the eye and asked the question I'd wanted to ask for years.

"Mom, am I actually your biological son? Why do you treat me like this?"

A flash of guilt crossed her face, but she quickly stiffened her neck and yelled:

"Of course you're mine! But your brother is ill. Is it so wrong for me to look after him a bit more?"

I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Silas's "depression" was a joke―he never agreed to see a doctor.

He claimed seeing a doctor made him feel worse.

And yet, my mother and Maddy swallowed that pathetic lie.

I had always tolerated them unconditionally.

One was my mother, the other my fiancée.

The most important women in my life.

And yet, they had hurt me over and over again for Silas's sake.

Now, I was exhausted, and I was done with them.

When Maddy tried to push the suitcase into the bedroom, I blocked her.

"This is my house. I don't want any irrelevant people living here."

As soon as I said that, Silas's eyes turned red.

"If Zeke doesn't want me here, I guess I'll just go back."

Maddy saw Silas like that and immediately lost her temper.

She screamed at me:

"Zeke, how can you be so cruel! What's the big deal with letting Silas stay? I'm carrying his baby. It makes sense for us to be together!"

I stared at her, stunned. She was the one who cheated, she was the one who messed up, yet she had the nerve to act so self-righteous.

Maddy thought her silence meant she had won.

She said smugly: "If you let Silas move in and you move out, I'll let the baby call you Daddy when it's born."

"We can even go through with our wedding then."

Listening to her arrogant tone, I smiled.

"No thanks. I already have a new bride lined up."

Maddy froze, then laughed contemptuously.

"Zeke, is it really necessary to lie just to save face?"

I didn't argue. I grabbed their bags and dumped them outside the door.

Silas choked out, "Zeke, do you really hate me that much?" before running off.

My mother flew into a rage and slapped me hard across the face.

"If anything happens to your brother, I'll kill you!" she hissed.

Maddy shoved me to the ground and chased after Silas.

Watching them leave one by one, I burst into laughter.

But as I laughed, tears started falling.

For the next few days, my mother and Maddy sent me non-stop hateful texts.

Apparently, Silas had staged another suicide attempt that day.

I ignored them and packed up all of Maddy's things, shipping them out.

I checked the time. It was the day Sera and I agreed on.

I put on a crisp white shirt and headed to the courthouse.

When the seal was stamped on our marriage certificate, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I actually felt excited for the future.

Holding the certificate, I looked at Sera and smiled. "Let's post it."

A minute later, a photo of our interlaced hands and two marriage certificates appeared on my feed.

"Mrs. Hale, I look forward to the rest of our lives."

As I looked up from my phone, I saw Maddy standing not far away, staring at me.