Free Web NovelChapter 47: Chapter 47
Aria’s POV
"Ms. Darvin, your grandmother left you a substantial inheritance. You must return home soon to handle it." That was the message I got while in the marketplace. The person who sent it identified himself as my grandmother’s lawyer.
I had immediately asked Peter to take me home, my mind buzzing with confusion. Inheritance? Why now, of all times?
Upon getting home, we were still outside when I got a call. It was my mother, Margaret, her number flashing on the screen. I hadn’t spoken to her in months, no surprise there.
I answered the phone, my grip tightening around the device. "Since you’re out of prison, come home," my mother said, cutting straight to the point, no pleasantries. Her voice was sharp and clipped, as always. She never did believe in soft words.
I hesitated, my breath catching in my chest as I stared blankly at the small, dingy apartment around me. I had no desire to go back, but I couldn’t avoid her forever.
The silence on my end sparked a flicker of unease in her. I could practically imagine her eyes narrowing. "Aria, are you even listening to me?" Her tone rose with irritation, sharp and biting.
A faint scoff escaped me before I could stop it. I pressed my lips together, squeezing my eyes shut to keep the flood of emotions at bay. This is just like her. This is how it always is.
"I am here," I whispered, barely a breath, my voice flat.
Her irritation spiked. "What’s with that attitude? Your grandmother’s death was your fault! Her memorial is in a few days, you’d better show up."
I could feel the sting of her words, but I wasn’t surprised. Nothing ever changes with her. The bitterness swirled in my chest, sharp as ever. She always blamed me. She always had a way of turning everything around to be my fault.
My grip on the phone tightened, and for a moment, I considered throwing it across the room. But I didn’t.
This is the Margaret I know. The one who never let me forget my mistakes. Who never held back in telling me where I stood in her world. If she’d been any kinder, I might have wondered if someone had replaced her while I was away. But I knew the truth.
"Fine," I said, my voice flat. "I’ll be there."
"Make it soon," she pressed, oblivious to the chill creeping into my voice. "And why are you hiding out there? I heard Nathan’s looking for you. Don’t you think it’s time to settle things with him and end that marriage?"
Her words were like daggers, each one cutting deeper into the parts of me I thought I’d sealed away. I stayed silent, my teeth clenched as I listened to her complaints, saying nothing, not even bothering to defend myself.
For years, my mother had been the one pushing for the divorce. I used to wonder why, but just before I went to jail, I understood. She was never on my side.
Her words, "You won’t be happy with Nathan," "You deserve someone who loves you," it was all a façade. It was about Sophia, her adopted child. It was always about clearing the way for her. The thought made my chest tighten, the cold laugh in my heart bitter and dark.
"I’ll come for Grandma," I said coldly, cutting through the air between us. "Then I’ll deal with it."
I hung up before she could say anything more. The moment the phone clicked off, a sense of finality washed over me. It was like slamming a door shut, and for the first time in a long while, it felt good. frёeωebɳovel.com
But I didn’t have time to think about that. I had to figure out what to do with Lana.
When Peter found out I was heading back to my hometown, he offered to hire a nanny for her, but the idea didn’t sit right with me. I couldn’t bring myself to do that. She needed to be taken care of, and I wasn’t going to trust anyone else with her, not even someone he’d hired.
I took a cab with Lana to the staff dormitory where I used to work as a cleaner. I hadn’t been back since I’d left, and the building felt like another world altogether.
"Hi, I’m looking for kara," I said, stepping inside.
A woman crouched in the corner, munching on snacks. She didn’t even look up at first, just flicked her hand impatiently when I tapped her shoulder.
Then Lana’s soft babbling filled the space between us. The woman’s gaze lifted, and when she saw me, her face broke into a wide grin. "Hey! Aria! You’re here?" she exclaimed, as though seeing me after all this time was a pleasant surprise. "Looking for kara? I’ll drag her out!"
She grinning, her eyes lighting up as she pinched Lana’s chubby cheeks before running to find kara. I watched, surprised by the sudden warmth in my chest. There was something about the way the women in the building greeted me. It was with so much warmth and so much familiarity. It felt nice.
Soon, not just kara, but a small crowd of women who had seen me off before swarmed around me, each one offering greetings and friendly smiles.
I handed Lana over to be cuddled and cooed at by the familiar faces, a rare warmth blooming in my chest. Maybe I wasn’t entirely alone, after all.
As the women chatted around me, I pulled kara aside, my mind already racing with the next steps. "kara," I began quietly, "I need to head back to my hometown for a few days. I can’t take Lana with me. Could you look after her?"
