Page 66 of The Weight of Her Silence
Camille stood in the hallway, face illuminated by the fading light, eyes locked on Nate as if daring anyone to challenge her presence. Lila’s breath caught in her throat. The woman she had suspected but never confronted—now here, in her home, in her life.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Lila’s gaze flicked to her children—Ava and Caleb—standing tense and wide-eyed nearby. The shock was written plainly across their faces, mirrored by the storm of emotions raging inside her.
“Camille,” Lila’s voice was quiet but carried an edge of steel. “What are you doing here?”
Camille’s eyes flicked to Lila, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. “I’m here because Nate won’t let me go. Because this family—your family—is already broken.”
Lila’s lips pressed into a thin line. The exhaustion gave way to something colder, a steely resolve that had been buried beneath the pain. “This is my home. You are not welcome.”
Nate stepped forward, caught between the two women, the tension thick enough to choke on.
“Lila,” he said softly, “I didn’t want this to happen like this.”
She looked at him, her eyes tired but unyielding. “Maybe it’s time we all faced the truth.”
The silence that followed Lila’s words was suffocating, each breath heavy with unspoken pain.
Ava’s eyes filled with tears, her hands trembling at her sides. “Mom… we didn’t want you to find out like this.”
Caleb stood stiffly beside her, fists clenched, jaw tight. “We’re sorry, mom. We tried to protect you.”
Lila’s gaze softened momentarily, a flicker of sadness crossing her face. “You don’t have to apologize. None of this is your fault.”
Camille took a step closer, her voice low and venomous. “You’ve been sick and tired for months, Lila. Nate’s had to deal with this alone.”
Nate flinched at the accusation but remained silent.
Lila’s eyes narrowed, cold and sharp. “Don’t you dare blame me for his choices.”
Camille’s smirk faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “I’m not the one who promised forever and broke that promise.”
Nate’s voice finally broke through the tension, desperate and raw. “Enough! This isn’t helping anyone.”
Lila looked at him, pain and disappointment etched deep in her features. “I’m done pretending, Nate. Pretending that everything is okay when it’s not.”
Ava stepped forward, voice trembling but determined. “We want the truth, all of it.”
Caleb nodded, eyes fierce. “No more secrets.”
Lila took a shaky breath, feeling the weight of the moment settle over her. “Then let’s stop hiding.”
The room seemed to hold its breath, the fragile threads of their shattered family beginning to unravel in the harsh light of truth.
Nate’s shoulders slumped as the weight of their gazes bore down on him. His voice was low, strained. “I never meant to hurt you, Lila. I was lost... I thought I was protecting you all.”
Lila’s eyes flashed with bitter anger. “Protecting? By lying? By betraying everything we built?”
Camille stepped forward, voice sharp and unapologetic. “He made his choice a long time ago. I’m just the one he didn’t have the courage to walk away from.”
Ava’s tears spilled over. “How could you do this to Mom? To us?”
Caleb’s fists shook at his sides, barely able to contain his rage. “You ruined everything.”
Nate looked at his children, voice breaking. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Lila’s gaze hardened, pain transforming into resolve. “Sorry won’t fix this. Nothing will—except honesty.”
Camille scoffed, crossing her arms. “Honesty? You think he’d come clean if I didn’t push him?”
