Page 51 of A Lie so Dangerous and Fragile

“You were so hard on us, Mom. We needed a mother, not someone who suffocated us. It’s not just about kicking me out. There were times I wanted to come to you for help, for advice, but I was scared of how you’d react.”

“I’m so sorry. I have been working on myself.”

Maybe it was time to forget about what had happened three years ago. I wouldn’t hold the grudge forever. Yes, they had all been wrong for what they did to me, but sometimes, you needed to forgive and leave the past behind. If I wanted to heal from everything that had happened and be at peace with myself, I needed to move on and be a better version of myself for Kayden and for me.

I still loved her, and, yes, there was a little resentment, but she was my mother. She had tried to bring us up the same way she had been brought up, but it hadn’t worked for me.

“Where is Dad?” I asked, sitting up on the bed.

She avoided my eyes and stayed quiet.

“Mom?”

“He asked for a divorce. We’ve been living separately for the last five months,” she said and broke down.

“Divorce?” I mumbled.

“It’s my fault,” she sobbed.

The door opened, making her wipe her tears away quickly and regain her composure.

“Mommy!” Kayden screamed. Pulling his hand away from Nora’s grip, he ran to the bed and tried to climb but failed. He whimpered when his whole attempt flunked.

Everyone in the room laughed. My mom helped him up. He crawled fast to my torso and wrapped his tiny hands around my neck.

“Hey, sweetie.” I put one arm around him and kissed his cheek. “Miss me?” I asked him as he snuggled closer to make himself comfortable.

He nodded frantically.

“I missed you too,” I whispered with a pout.

“Chloe.”

I turned to look at the Sanchesters. Nana avoided my eyes while Nora smiled at me.

“How are you feeling?” Mrs. Sanchester asked, stepping closer.

“Fine,” I replied plainly, not looking at her.

“We are really sorry for—”

“It’s fine,” I cut in, tired of the apologies.

The more they apologized, the more I thought about what had happened three years ago. I wanted to move on from those memories and focus on the present.

“How is Tristan?” I asked and prepared myself for the reply.

“He is doing okay. He just woke up,” Nora replied.

“What about Morris?”

No one said anything. They all appeared sad.

“What happened?” I pressed.

“He is in a critical state. He is under life support,” Mrs. Sanchester replied, her voice calm and soft.

“Did the police catch the person behind the attack?”

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