Chapter 2
Tracie felt too embarrassed to tell me about all their old stories herself, so she told me to ask the housekeeper instead.
Amy, who'd worked for the Sloan family the longest, liked to ramble to me on and off about bits and pieces from the past.
It turned out Zelda was actually born as a Schneider.
Her dad, Darren, used to be the Sloan family's gardener.
Back in those days, nobody cared much about safety. Easton stopped by to check out the renovations of the new house, not bothering to wear a hard hat.
Darren, on the other hand, always wore his, even while watering the plants. Lloyd, Easton's father, would joke that he was too cautious, but Darren absolutely refused to let Easton go inside without protection. Easton finally went along with it, but right after Darren took off his own helmet, a brick fell from above and killed him instantly.
Lloyd felt guilty for a whole year. So when he learned Darren had a daughter living in a small town, he brought her home and raised her as his own.
Eventually, Lloyd officially adopted Zelda, giving her the Sloan name.
I let out a sigh. So that was the truth.
With that kind of lifesaving favor in play, it looked like Tracie had her work cut out for her.
Amy kept going, "Back then, Easton's mom, Mallory, got sick and passed away early. Easton fell into a deep depression. He'd stay locked up in his room all day. Zelda was always the one knocking on his door, trying to comfort him. Maybe it was because they had similar tough childhoods. They just kind of bonded over it.
"Eventually, Easton opened up. He and Zelda started talking and laughing like old friends, and they both got accepted to college together. But near graduation, Zelda was sent overseas. Easton went with her, but he ended up coming back on his own not long after."
I blinked in surprise and asked, "Has Zelda really never come back in all those years?"
Amy shrugged. "How would I know? I'm just the housekeeper."
*****
When I got home, Avery happened to walk in the door right after work.
He was seriously tall, like 6.2 feet, and his business coat looked like it was made for him. Honestly, he could make anything look like designer clothes.
He grabbed the slippers I handed him with one hand, keeping the other in his pocket. As soon as his coat was off, he pulled me in tight and slobbered all over my face with kisses.
I laughed and told him he was too hasty, and he urged me to get ready.
After a shower, my cheeks and lips were plump and pink. Looking at my own reflection in the mirror, I couldn't help but admire myself a little.
My skin looked flawless—creamy, smooth, and silky to the touch.
The bathroom door swung open, and Avery reached out to stroke my face gently, teasing me about giving him a baby.
*****
Midnight rolled around, and my stomach started growling like crazy. Dragging myself out of bed, I trudged to the fridge, only to find someone sitting in the living room.
"Oh, my God. You scared me!" I yelped, ready to bolt.
"Honey, it's me," Tracie responded.
Right then, she flicked on the lights. I turned around slowly to see Tracie standing there, looking all gloomy and haggard—honestly, she resembled a wilted eggplant. Yep, it was definitely Tracie.
Showing up at my place this late, she must be losing sleep over Zelda again.
But seriously, when did she even get here? Did she hear anything she shouldn't? Just thinking about it gave me a headache.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed from upstairs. It turned out that my scream had startled Avery awake. He barreled down the stairs, swinging a golf club like he was ready to take on an intruder. But when he realized it was just his mom, he awkwardly hid the club behind his back and gave her a sheepish nod.
Still, he moved closer, making sure I was tucked safely behind him.
After all, before we tied the knot, everyone wrote me off because of my not-so-great family situation. Good thing Avery never backed down. He stood by me no matter what, so Tracie stopped making things hard for us.
That was why I had always felt thankful to Tracie. She got a soft spot, and once I married Avery, she treated me pretty well.
Spotting her son, Tracie just huffed and shooed him back upstairs, leaving the two of us to have a private chat.
Avery, who was worried Tracie might gang up on me, kept shooting her anxious glances, but she just rolled her eyes at him. Reluctantly, Avery slunk upstairs.
"You really are lucky," Tracie said with a wry smile. "Just look at my silly son. At least he knows how to have your back. Me? I married a man, and to this day, I'm still not sure if that's a blessing or a curse."
I was famished, but the mention of some potential drama instantly intrigued me. I couldn't help but swallow nervously. "Mom, have a seat. Is there anything I can help with?"