“Let her stay useful,” my mother said. “You and Sierra deserve happiness. She never gave you a child anyway.”
I pressed my palm against the wall to steady myself.
Then my sister spoke, her voice soft and smug.
“Once the baby is here, she will have no choice but to accept it. We will be a family. A real one.”
I felt my stomach turn. My legs felt weak, yet I leaned closer.
Kevin spoke again. “The baby looks like me already. There is no need for any test. Everyone will see we belong together.”
My mother hummed with satisfaction. “Everything will fall into place soon.”
Sierra laughed quietly. “I cannot wait to hold him and finally live openly.”
The gift bag slipped slightly in my grip. My fingers tightened until the handles cut into my skin. My world blurred at the edges. The years of injections, hospital visits, tearful nights, and empty promises rushed through my mind. The missing money from our savings. The nights Kevin claimed to be working late. Sierra’s sudden expensive purchases. My mother’s constant criticism. It all aligned into a single horrifying picture.