3
I dropped the phone. The video continued playing, its sounds filling the room.
My heart ached, but even more, I felt disbelief, desperately searching for a reason to justify it all.
This was Scarlett–my Scarlett, who knew the heartbreak her father had caused me and had seen firsthand how Vivienne, under her mask of innocence, wormed her way into our lives and shattered our family.
How could she call that woman…Mom?
I stayed on the sofa for a long time, refusing to believe it until I caught the sharp scent from the kitchen.
The soup had boiled dry.
In my distress, I reached for the pot without gloves, burning my hand red.
As I headed for the sink to cool the burn, the doorbell rang. At the door stood a delivery driver holding a small cake.
I had ordered it earlier, a little one, just for myself.
I placed the cake on the coffee table, lit a few candles, and folded my hands, closing my eyes to make a wish.
I’d had the wish planned.
N
I wished for Scarlett to be happy, for Jazz to always love her, and for little Delilah to grow up healthy and smart.
That was the wish I had meant to make.
But now-
When I closed my eyes, all I could see was Scarlett lying to me so she could take Jazz and Delilah to celebrate Vivienne’s birthday.
The way they surrounded her, like a happy family.
Meanwhile, I was alone, sitting in silence.
I felt like a fool. I felt like I was the punchline in someone else’s joke.
My Scarlett–the daughter I had raised–had become a knife cutting deep into my
It hurt so much.
Tears fell as I made a new wish.
“I just want to spend the rest of my days happy and content.”
heart.
Yes.
All these years, my wishes had always been for Scarlett. Never for myself.
9.33 PM
<
Now, it felt so pointless.
I tried a couple of bites of cake, but it was too sweet, sickeningly so.
When I checked the clock, it was already eleven.
Usually, by now, I’d have cleaned up the house, put Delilah to bed, and headed to my own room for the night.
But tonight, I couldn’t sleep.
Then-
The front door opened, and Scarlett tiptoed in. She froze when she saw me sitting in the living room.
Jazz and Delilah followed, both still chattering about the evening, but they stopped abruptly when they saw me.
Delilah, as if nothing was wrong, ran up to me, reaching her little arms out and saying, “Grandma, I missed you. Hug!”
I looked down at Delilah, my precious grandchild who I had doted on from the day she was born.
Jazz and Scarlett both worked long hours in this big, expensive city, and I’d taken care of Delilah to make things easier for them, ensuring they could focus on their work without worry.
But it seemed she, like her mother, had betrayed me.
Scarlett came over, pretending nothing had happened, rubbing her shoulder as if she were tired from work, saying, “Mom, it was a rough day,
but tomorrow, we’ll make up for tonight.”
Her eyes fell on the small cake on the table, and she paused.
“You…you bought a cake for yourself?”
Maybe it was the tiny size of it, or maybe it was that they’d celebrated Vivienne with something much grander.
Her guilt showed in her eyes.
I saw no point in holding back, so I asked her directly, “Where did you go today, Scarlett?”
She froze, searching my face as though she wanted an answer, but finally, she feigned ignorance.
“Mom, what are you talking about? I was at work all day.”
Jazz quickly nodded. “Yeah, Mom. I’ve had the busiest day; I’ve been on my feet all day.”
Even Delilah copied her father, shaking her head in agreement. “Grandma, we didn’t go to any party. Nope…”
But little ones aren’t the best at lying. The more she talked, the more she slipped.
Scarlett hadn’t been fast enough to cover Delilah’s mouth.
Instead, she forced an awkward laugh, eyes darting, and said, “Mom, don’t get the wrong idea. Delilah got bored at my office, so I bought her a small cake to keep her entertained.”
The lie was so clumsy, so careless.
Disappointment washed over me.
I pulled out my phone, found the video, and tossed it onto her lap.
She stiffened, opened her mouth to explain, but sighed instead and slumped onto the couch next to me, as though ready to face the music.
“Oh, Mom!”
9:33 PM
