Chapter 4
Adrian's eyes went wide.
"That's my mom and my sister!" he yelled, his voice trembling with anger.
"You're the bad guys. Emily already called the cops.
"Just wait, because the police are coming to get you."
His eyes darkened, disbelief and anger swirling inside him.
"No way! Anna, we're still married. You can't just shack up with someone else."
He stopped mid-sentence, something suddenly hitting him.
Seven years ago, just to calm Fiona down when she was throwing a tantrum, he'd secretly signed those divorce papers.
He'd secretly signed a divorce agreement to placate her during her tantrum.
He stashed the agreement away in his study, never breathing a word of it to Mom.
Panic and fear started to flicker in Richard's eyes.
"Anna, you, you..." he stammered, his voice shaking.
Mom grabbed my hand and Adrian's, giving him a frosty look.
"See for yourself, then get out," Mom said, her voice icy.
Richard staggered, nearly losing his footing.
His face turned ghostly pale, shaking his head in denial, like he just couldn't accept the truth.
He stammered, "No... no way. That's impossible.
"Only the big shots in Capital City live around here.
"Anna, you don't even have a job, you've cut ties with your family, and now you're raising a kid this old?
"And you're with a kid this old?"
He suddenly turned to Mom, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Annie, are you working here as a nanny?" he blurted out, his voice full of shock.
Mom laughed in disbelief, anger simmering just beneath the surface.
She was done talking. She grabbed my hand and Adrian's, turned around, and walked back inside.
Richard rushed after us.
He said, "I know you hate me for those seven years.
"But Fiona wouldn't apologize. She's been acting all suicidal for seven years, making a scene every chance she got.
"She's tried to jump off a building more than ten times.
"Come on, you're a psychologist, so you know how serious this is."
"Get out!" Mom snapped, her voice sharp with fury.
She'd had enough.
She snatched up a glass ornament from the entryway and hurled it at him with all her strength.
The ornament smashed right into Richard's forehead.
Blood instantly streamed down his forehead.
Fiona screamed, "See? I told you she's trouble.
"Richard, now you see what she's really like.
"You left for seven years, and now she's got a kid this big with some other guy.
"I've been raising hell and threatening to kill myself for seven years, all because we used to be friends.
"I just wanted you to see what a manipulative woman she really is."
Richard suddenly lost it and yelled at Fiona, "Shut up.
"She doesn't have a kid with another man!"
Fiona snapped, her temper flaring.
She said, "Did I cheat on you or something? Why are you yelling at me?
"You just don't appreciate anything!"
With that, she spun around and stormed off, fuming.
The wind howled even harder, snapping branches right off the trees.
Richard watched Fiona storm off, pain and conflict flickering in his eyes.
He hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "Fiona is just so stubborn, she never grows up. I better go after her.
"Annie, stop lying.
"You should move back soon. I've already fixed up the house for you.
"I'll help you find a job, and Emily shouldn't have to grow up without her dad."