ter Lily' s first birthday, a day that was supposed to be perfect, filled with a baby' s laughter and the warmth of family. Liam, my husband, had his arm

en with a force that made th

face a mask of bitter resentment. I recogniz

ny we had fired

king aggressively on the polished marble floor. The cheerful chat

air, dripping with a strange, triumphant venom.

e, his protective grip tightening on my shoulder. I stared at her, my m

?" I asked, my voice shaking sli

a harsh, gr

son' s house, after all. And I' m here to take my

, manicured finger

son. My lon

aces etched with shock and confusion. I knew Brenda. She was the woman who used to leave half-empty mugs all over the hous

, to inject some sanity into this madness. "We let you go. You have n

ith pure hatred. She took a step closer, invading my p

ho trapped my son. You think you' re better than me? I am Liam'

hich she spoke sent a chill down my spine. This wasn't just a random outburst, this was a