5
I hadn’t expected that on my first relaxing trip to the mall in years, I’d run into Harrison.
He was with Vivienne. They were entering a clothing store just as I was browsing, and we made eye contact.
Harrison’s gaze darted away, but Vivienne’s lips curled into a smirk as she approached me, oozing the same smugness she’d always had.
“Evie, here to shop?” she asked, her voice annoyingly loud, eyes scanning me from head to toe.
Then she shook her head in mock sympathy. “With all the babysitting and cleaning you do at home, when would you even get the chance to wear something nice?”
She lowered her voice, as if sharing a juicy secret. “Or maybe you’re dressing up for a little ‘romantic development‘ with some old gentleman?”
Her words were loud enough to draw attention, and nearby shoppers started glancing our way, their eyes flickering with interest.
I wasn’t about to be humiliated by this woman, so I raised my voice too, letting everyone hear. “Oh, not nearly as well as you, Vivienne! You did lose no time after your husband died, moving right in with mine. That kind of skill takes years to master; I don’t think I’ll ever learn it.”
Some of the shoppers were sharp enough to catch my meaning, and one even muttered, “Oh, so she’s the old mistress?”
Vivienne flushed beet red.
Harrison stepped forward, ready to scold me. “Evie, don’t take it too far!”
I grinned and turned to the customer who had spoken, pointing to Harrison. “See him? That’s the man who dropped his own family to play daddy to someone else’s kids. My daughter doesn’t even carry his name, and he couldn’t care less. Isn’t that just…heroic?”
Harrison’s face turned ashen, trapped between shame and fury as people around us started snickering.
Vivienne, clearly humiliated, grabbed his arm to leave.
Just then–because timing is always perfect–Scarlett appeared, catching sight of us in the middle of the scene.
“Mom Vivi, what happened?” Scarlett asked, worriedly glancing at Vivienne.
Vivienne had been fuming, but the second Scarlett spoke, she straightened up, casting me a wounded look. “Your mom still resents me. I really shouldn’t have asked you to celebrate my birthday…”
Scarlett looked at me, frustration clear in her eyes. Without a second thought, she grabbed Vivienne’s hand, pulling her over to me.
“Mom, do you have to keep throwing tantrums? Look at Mom Vivi–she’s kind and gentle. Anyone could see who deserves respect!”
My own daughter, driving a knife straight into my heart.
I slapped her, hard.
The child I had raised, the one I’d sacrificed for, had become a weapon against me. The irony was unbearable.
“Mom, did you just hit me?” She looked stunned, holding her cheek.
I looked back, coldly. My heart, once pained, was now filled with a calm, bitter fury, casting a stark light on how little I recognized in this daughter of mine.
Scarlett was a stranger. And I didn’t want her anymore.
So I pushed her towards Harrison and Vivienne.
“If you like them so much, go call them Mom and Dad. I’m done.”
She laughed mockingly, taking Vivienne’s arm in a bold display. “Fine. Who needs a mother like you, who acts like a hurricane? At least Mom Vivi knows how to live peacefully. I’m heading to her house. At least there we can enjoy a real family meal without you whining about ancient history.”
Her movement caused her ID card to slip from her pocket and fall to the ground, the name “Scarlett Drake” clearly printed on it.
I bent down to pick it up, staring at it.
She had secretly changed her last name back to Drake,
Scarlett noticed me looking, and her expression faltered. She offered a half–hearted explanation. “It’s just a name. Traditionally, children take their father’s last name, right? Dad doesn’t have any kids with his name. Come on, Mom, it’s just a name. Why make a fuss?”
The more she talked, the more annoyed she seemed. I looked at that name, feeling my chest tighten.
Once, Scarlett had insisted on being called “Scarlett Warren,” swearing that we’d be a family, just her and me.
Now, she was Scarlett Drake.
9:34 PM
And that meant we had no bond left.
“It’s fine,” I said quietly, waving her off. “It doesn’t matter what your name is. It has nothing to do with me anymore.”
For the first time, I truly felt that I’d let her go.
