Chapter 4

Before the sun was even up, Eleanor's phone call rang again, making sure I hadn't "forgotten" about her.

I hadn't slept a wink. My entire life felt like a bad joke.

"I’m on my way, Eleanor. Try to get some rest," I said quietly.

"Rest? While you sleep in? Some of us actually have joints that ache! The sun is already up!"

I didn't argue. I quietly got dressed and left. Arthur had a terrible temper in the morning, and if I woke him, he would just scream at me.

I drove my beat-up sedan to the suburbs and brought Eleanor back.

The moment she stepped into our living room, she groaned loudly and threw herself onto the couch. "Valerie, come massage my legs."

"Valerie, get me a warm glass of water! I need my blood pressure pills, my diabetes meds, and my heart supplements!"

"Make me some oatmeal for breakfast. Fresh berries, organic milk. And make sure the eggs are free-range. I can't stand those cheap store-bought ones."

"Why are you just standing there? My son works so hard while you sit at home enjoying your life, and you still have the nerve to give me attitude?"

I took a deep breath. For the first time in twenty-five years, I didn't move.

I pulled up a chair, sat down, and stared at the woman I had called "Mom" for over two decades.

"Eleanor, did Arthur tell you? Leo’s forty-year-old girlfriend is pregnant with twins. They’re planning to get married after she gives birth."

Eleanor's eyes flashed with recognition, but she quickly glared at me. "So what? Why do you care? She’s willing to be with Leo, and that’s a blessing for our family. I’ve seen her picture. She looks like a woman who brings good fortune."

"Leo is nineteen," I said flatly. "He’s still in college."

"Ugh, you are so uptight! Even an old woman like me is more progressive than you. Honestly, Leo has better taste in women than my own son did."

She sneered, looking down her nose at me.

But my eyes were fixed on her bare wrists. I clenched my jaw.

In a soft, pleasant voice, I asked, "Eleanor, where is your emerald bracelet?"

A flash of guilt crossed her face, but she quickly raised her voice to cover it. "None of your business! Do what I told you to do! You’ve got some nerve, trying to question me about my own belongings!"

I already knew the truth, but seeing her not even bother to make up a lie still stung.

I didn't press further. I stood up with a polite smile. "You seem to have plenty of energy today, Eleanor. You can make your own breakfast. I'm going out to buy groceries. Arthur told me to make soup for his new daughter-in-law."

I walked out and shut the door behind me. Inside, Eleanor began throwing a tantrum, slamming things onto the table.

The moment I stepped into the supermarket, Arthur’s call came through. I didn't need a psychic to know Eleanor had complained.

"Valerie, have you lost your mind?! How dare you abuse my mother! Just wait till I get home!"

"You need to go back and take care of her. She has so many health issues. What if she gets sick from stress?"

I let out a shaky, trembling sob over the phone. "But... I have to make soup for Vanessa. I made sure Eleanor was comfortable before I left. Why is she saying these things about me? Arthur, does your mother hate me?"

Arthur went quiet for a second, caught off guard. "Just... make the soup for Vanessa first. I’ll talk to my mother."

Fascinating. To Arthur, Vanessa’s comfort was now more important than his own mother's.

I patted my chest to calm my racing heart and bought a cheap chicken.

When I got home, Chloe was already there. She was running around, doting on Eleanor, making the old woman grin from ear to ear.

Eleanor shot me a dirty look. "Thank God for my granddaughter. She actually took time off work to come see me. Not like some people who are completely useless!"

"Grandma, you're family," Chloe said, feeding her a spoonful of soup. But then she turned to me, pouting. "Mom, don't do this again. My pay is getting docked for taking this time off!"

See? Chloe didn't want to be here either, but one phone call from her father had her running.

What a perfectly harmonious family.