Chapter 2

Asher froze for a moment, his anger cooling as he took a second look at me.

When he noticed the bandage wrapped around my forehead, I saw a hint of concern flash in his eyes. Though maybe I was just imagining it.

It was obvious he had no clue about any of this.

"Asher," Chloe called out in her soft, sugary voice from the doorway.

The two kids were clinging to her hands as they walked in together.

"Sophia, you misunderstood. I was trying to lower you down that day, but I didn't know how to use the controls and hit the wrong button. That's why you got hurt. I wasn't trying to kill you," Chloe said, her voice quivering.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she coughed a few times for extra effect.

The kids looked worried and hurried to comfort Chloe, their faces full of concern.

"Chloe, you're still getting better. Crying will only make you feel worse. Dad, you should comfort her," Lily said.

"Yeah, forget about Mom. It's not like she hasn't lied to us before. Chloe is way more important," Alex chimed in.

So Chloe was more important to them?

Then what was I to them?

When the twins were born, they were so tiny and frail. I was terrified their health would suffer. All these years, I never trusted anyone else to look after them. I raised them with my own hands, every single day.

Whenever they were sick or scared, I was always right there, making sure they were safe, never leaving their side for a moment.

But in the end, I became the one everyone ignored, the one nobody cared about.

This time, I was done being the pushover. I wouldn't take it anymore.

"I'm not lying. Chloe tried to kill me. She didn't know how to use the controls. She could've called someone who did. Why did she have to take matters into her own hands?" I shouted.

"Asher," Chloe called softly.

She tugged at Asher's sleeve, tears welling up in her eyes.

She said, "You have to believe me. I swear I never meant to hurt her. I'm terrified of even squashing a bug. How could I ever hurt someone, let alone kill her?

"And the kids are so young and sweet. Growing up without a mother was hard enough for me. How could I ever let them suffer like I did?"

With that, Chloe started sobbing into her hands.

Alex and Lily's eyes were red with emotion as they listened, and they clung to Chloe, trying to comfort her.

"Chloe, don't cry. Mom's so awful. She made you cry. I don't like her anymore," Alex shouted.

"Alex is right. I don't like Mom either. Mom never owns up to her mistakes. She always blames someone else," Lily added.

They glared at me not just with resentment, but with a kind of hatred I'd never imagined from them.

Why? Why did they hate me?

I stumbled, almost falling over.

"Looks like I'm a burden to you. Maybe I should leave," Chloe said.

She started to leave, and Alex hurried after her.

"No, Chloe, don't go," Alex cried.

Lily stumbled and fell to the floor.

"Lily!" I reached out to help her up, but she pulled away from me, got up quickly, and ran straight to Chloe.

"Chloe, don't go. Mom should be the one to leave," Lily shouted.

Lily's words stabbed right through me, leaving me frozen where I stood.

"Mom's so bad. Why does Mom want Chloe to leave? Mom should be the one to go," Alex shouted.

Alex, just like his sister, wrapped himself around Chloe's leg, refusing to let her leave.

The scene hit me like a punch to the gut, making my eyes sting.

Clearly, my kids didn't need me anymore.