"Amara, I already scolded her," he said softly. "I'm sorry for how she handled this. Please don't hold it against her. She's been through so much. I work far away, and I barely get to come home. Can't we just cut her a little slack?"
Inside, I was boiling.
I let out a short, cold laugh in my mind. 'Your mother's tough life isn't my responsibility. Her loneliness and bitterness aren't mine to fix. Those are the consequences of her own choices. What about me? You get to live wherever you want, with peace, while I'm stuck under the same roof as her. I've had to take every jab, every insult. Is that easy for me?'
Right then, I pushed his hand away and looked him right in the eye.
"But if the baby is registered under your name," I said flatly, "then my family's farmland and all 13 acres will go to waste."
Paul's eyes flickered. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something. I didn't let him.
"Well, since you and your mom already made that decision without me," I continued, "I'll respect it. I'll transfer ownership of the land to a friend."
Paul's expression shifted in an instant.