Chapter 2
"It's been seven years, Declan. After everything, do you really see me that way?" Mary's voice shook as she glared at him.
"All this time, have you seriously never noticed how I've treated Tommy? Don't you know who sat up all night by his side when he had a fever? Who got up at the crack of dawn, working myself to the bone just to make sure he had a hot breakfast before school? Who—"
"Enough!" Declan slammed his palm against the table, eyes blazing. "If you really cared, why does Tommy have those nightmares about you?"
I snorted, "Oh, right, I'm terrible—gave up my own promotion to stick around for him, lived on nothing but bread for a month so he could eat better."
"Just shut up!" Tommy crashed out from behind the door, eyes rimmed red, screaming at me. "If it wasn't to bring Mom back, do you really think Dad would've married you? You're just the maid we hired."
I turned and stared right at Tommy—the kid I'd poured my soul into raising all these years.
The first time I ever held him, he was just a chubby little bundle, giggling away in my arms like a kitten.
He noticed me watching, and even with guilt written all over his face, he squared his shoulders and met my gaze without flinching.
Declan tried to pull me into his arms. I never used to flinch or pull away.
His warm breath hit the back of my neck, and for the first time ever, I shoved him away, firm and unyielding.
"Declan, I'm done paying back what I owe you. Tomorrow, I'm quitting the job for good," I said, my voice calm but determined.
Declan froze, his face turning grim.
"After the way you've treated Tommy, you just think you can leave? Mary, do you really think this family is some place you can just come and go as you please?" he snapped.
I braced myself against the chair, straightened up, and looked him right in the eye. "Declan, I made a promise to your parents seven years ago, right on their deathbeds. I've paid back every last bit of kindness I owed them.
"We didn't even get marriage certificates, and we've been living together all these years. I bet the neighbors have been gossiping about us non-stop."
Declan's frown deepened at my words.
"So what if we didn't get marriage certificates? Everyone around here knows you're part of the Rivers family," Declan snapped.
"Until Susan wakes up, you don't get to leave. You'll keep watching over this family whether you want to or not," he added.
I turned toward the cupboard and fished out the old, yellow house deed and that bundle of tax bills wrapped up in oilcloth.
I said, "I've sorted this month's tax bills already. Just keep handling them the same way I showed you from now on.
"Tommy's getting older. It's probably time for him to move up to a better school. His teacher said just the other day that the county primary's expanding, so you might wanna look into that."
Suddenly, Declan seized my wrist, his voice like ice. "Mary White, I'll let this little outburst slide this time and pretend I didn't see your nonsense. But if you mention leaving again, you'll seriously regret it."
Declan didn't even spare me a glance—he just grabbed Tommy and stormed out.
His leather shoes hammered out a cold, hard rhythm against the floor, echoing through the wreck of the living room.
Tommy glanced back over his shoulder, shooting me a triumphant, mocking grin.
Just like I expected, Declan didn't come home for days.
When I finally heard from him again, it was Richard from reception who told me Declan wanted me over at the factory office.
Declan was the director of the farm machinery factory—he should have been busy in the workshop today, overseeing the spring plowing equipment. So what could he possibly want with me?
I pushed open the office door and found Declan in the middle of a call with Susan's doctor.
"Any sign that Susan's finally getting better? As for Mary, sure, she's putting in the effort, but that's just what she should do," Declan said.
He finally noticed me there and hung up slow as ever, showing zero urgency.
"You're here. Come check this out," Declan said, pulling a few report sheets from his desk drawer.