Inside, I felt a grim satisfaction. If Hailey wanted to play the charming, submissive guest, she would have to face my resistance. I wasn’t about to let her undermine me or my position in my own home.
Feeling the mounting tension and their nauseating display of affection, I decided to retreat upstairs. As I made my way up, their laughter and conversation grew louder, a backdrop of insincerity that I was eager to escape.
From above, I overheard Hailey speaking to Chris with a tone of feigned sweetness. "Chris, since you and Sister are back, let’s give you the bedroom," she said, her voice dripping with false affection as she tenderly pulled on Chris’s hand.
Chris looked visibly distressed, torn between his desire to placate Hailey and his awareness of the awkwardness of the situation. "No, no," he said, his voice wavering. "You’ve been living here for several days already. Are you getting used to it?"
He reached out to stroke Hailey’s hair gently, his voice softening as he spoke. "You’ve always been so shy and now that you’re finally accustomed to it, how could I possibly ask you to move?"