Chapter 2
"Ellis really put her heart into this. At least I get to drink it too!" Jaxton said.
Ellis couldn't help but laugh at the two of them.
Not in the mood to mess with them, I just got up and headed back to the second floor.
"Ellis, since Mom's not here, will you feed me? Pretty please?" Jaxton whined.
"Alright, alright, I'll feed you," Ellis said with a smile.
Normally, I never let anyone feed Jaxton, gotta help him grow up independent. He was five years old, for crying out loud.
But now, Ellis was pampering him so much, he was practically turning back into a baby.
No wonder he always sided against me. I was just the tough, 'bad' mom.
When I got back to my room, I saw the sheets had already been changed.
On the table sat a family photo, three of us, all smiling brightly, but inside, we were worlds apart.
I grabbed the frame and chucked it straight into the trash. The glass shattered like it'd been hit by a bullet.
They could keep pretending all they wanted, but I was done living a lie.
I remembered that wizard from Grelland who once cast a fortune for me.
"Mark my words, one of you will betray your vows," he warned.
Back then, I was so caught up in my own happiness. There was no way I'd buy into that.
But looking back now, it felt like destiny had already set things in motion.
That night, Dylan and Jaxton came to keep me company in bed.
I lay between them, eyes shut, but my thoughts just wouldn't settle down.
After a while, I sensed Dylan getting up.
Jaxton whispered softly, "Daddy!"
"I wanna go too!" Jaxton added.
Dylan picked Jaxton up and tiptoed downstairs.
Ellis was staying in the guest room on the first floor.
I slipped out of bed and quietly trailed after them.
After Dylan knocked, Ellis opened the door, and the moment she saw him, they just fell into each other's arms, kissing like they couldn't help themselves.
Jaxton covered his eyes.
"Aw, that's so embarrassing!" Jaxton said.
Ellis shyly tapped Dylan, then buried herself in his arms.
Dylan gently patted Jaxton's head.
"Jaxton, I've got a special mission for you. Go upstairs and make sure Mom doesn't find out about us," Dylan whispered.
Jaxton pouted.
"But I wanna sleep with Ellis too! She smells so good, and Mom just smells like herbal medicine. That's kinda yucky," Jaxton whined.
"Be good, Jaxton. Daddy and Ellis are trying to make you a little brother or sister," Dylan said.
Jaxton's eyes lit up.
"Really? I want a little brother to play with!" Jaxton said excitedly.
Dylan smiled and nodded.
"Alright, Ellis will work on giving you a little brother," Dylan said.
"Alright, I'll go keep an eye on Mom. I promise I'll get the job done!" Jaxton said.
My nails dug painfully into my skin. So this was my loving husband and son, huh?
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away and headed back upstairs.
I had just lain down when Jaxton came in.
He glanced over at me, checking to see if I was really asleep.
Jaxton lay down beside me, mumbling quietly to himself.
"Go, Daddy, you can do it. Give me a little brother!' Jaxton whispered.
My heart felt chilled to the bone, like someone had poured ice water straight into my chest.
Just when did they start to change?
Half a year ago, Ellis quit her job and came to my city to visit and have some fun, crashing at my place.
Dylan and Jaxton liked her from the very first moment.
She was like a younger, more outgoing version of me, no responsibilities, none of the burdens or cynicism, just bursting with energy, always ready for fun, and completely free-spirited.
Later, Ellis landed a job as a nurse at a local private hospital and ended up moving in with us for good.
At first, I hesitated, worried Dylan wouldn't go for it.
But to my surprise, both Dylan and Jaxton agreed right away.
"She's family too. Having her here means we can all look out for each other," Dylan said.
"Yay! I love Ellis. I get to sleep with her tonight!" Jaxton cheered.
I was thankful for my generous husband and well-behaved son, who could've guessed things would turn out like this.
The night was so quiet, I could hear even the slightest sound.
The guest room was right below the master bedroom, and I could just barely make out their voices and moans floating up through the floorboards.
"Dylan, when you're with Amina, do you ever think about me?" Ellis asked.
"Don't ask that. If you keep teasing me like this, I'll have to punish you," Dylan replied.
"But I really wanna know," Ellis whined.
"Relax, baby. You're my one and only," Dylan murmured.
*****
With my back to Jaxton, tears streamed silently down my face, soaking into the pillow.
By morning, Dylan and Jaxton woke up beside me.
"Morning, honey," Dylan said.
"Morning, Mom," Jaxton chimed in.
I had to hand it to them, sneaking around and putting on this whole twisted family show, just to keep up appearances.
"Hey, where's our family photo? I've been searching everywhere for it," Dylan asked.
Dylan gave me a wary look.
"I broke the frame, so I tossed it," I replied.
Dylan let out a sigh.
"Oh, I see. That's fine. We'll just buy another one," he said.