“Aunt Ava, you’re way too kind. It’s just a bracelet. If you like it, my dad can buy you another one.”
Ava’s tears shimmered under the soft glow of their affection. With such gentle reassurance, she finally let a smile break through the sorrow on her face.
She sniffled, her voice trembling. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay it back. I may not be able to afford it now, but if you don’t mind, I can pay in installments.”
Hugo dismissed her words with a chuckle, his tone indulgent. “Don’t say such distant things. Jasper just learned how to make your favorite braised pork. Come try it.”
Father and son encircled Ava like devoted knights escorting their princess, leading her toward the dining room without so much as a glance in my direction.
I stood frozen, watching my husband and son shower another woman with the warmth I had long since been deprived of.
My heart, already numbed by their indifference, felt as if it had been sealed in ice for a thousand years. Any lingering attachment I had to this place shattered into dust.
I glanced at the clock on the wall. Four in the afternoon.
At this hour on any other day, I would have been out buying groceries.