Chapter 2
As soon as I finished speaking, Henry's face went livid.
He probably never thought that I, the meek wife, would ever say something so final.
"What do you mean by that? Natalie, did you take crazy pills today?" he hissed, his voice low and full of threat.
"My daughter's face is swollen like this, and you're asking me what I mean?" I stared him down, every word sharp and clear.
"Chelsea didn't mean it! That's just how she is! As her sister-in-law, can't you just put up with her?" he kept repeating that ridiculous excuse.
"Put up with her? I put up with her for five years! And what did I get? She gets to slap my daughter whenever she wants, and you, her own father, sit there and watch!" My voice stayed calm, but every word cut.
"You." That was as far as Henry got. I'd left him with nothing to say.
That was when Chelsea finally snapped, her silence breaking like a dam.
She threw the purse onto the chair, planted her hands on her hips, and shrieked, "Natalie, you crazy bitch! Who are you to talk to my brother like that? You're a mutt the Carter Family feeds. Now you want to bite your owners?"
"So what if I slapped your daughter? She was the one who messed up my purse! That little mongrel, no manners at all! She deserved every bit of it!"
She kept going, her words getting nastier and nastier, those filthy insults spilling out of her lips painted in bold lipstick.
A slap cracked through the air.
It rang out sharp and clean.
But this time, it wasn't Sophie who got hit.
It was me.
I stood up and, with everything I had, gave Chelsea a full-force slap across the face.
The whole world went dead silent.
Chelsea clutched her cheek, staring at me like she couldn't believe what had happened. A few seconds later she screamed louder, "You hit me? Henry! Mom! She hit me!"
Henry's mother shrieked and came at me, reaching for my hair. "You crazy bitch! You've lost your mind!"
I simply stepped aside, dodging her wild, clumsy hands without breaking a sweat.
Henry stormed over, grabbed my wrist, and squeezed so hard it felt like he was about to snap my bones.
"Natalie! Are you out of your mind? Apologize to Chelsea right now!" he yelled.
His grip was painful, but I didn't struggle. I only stared at him, my gaze icy and unyielding.
I watched his face twist with rage, his eyes burning with hatred for me and nothing but protectiveness for his sister.
Suddenly, it all felt pointless.
Arguing with these people was like wrestling with pigs. Either way, I'd end up filthy.
I ripped my hand free from his grip.
With everything I had, I broke away, and Henry actually stumbled back a step.
I didn't look at any of them. I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone.
With everyone watching, I calmly dialed a number.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Mr. Williams, it's Natalie," I said, keeping my voice cool and steady.
"I need you to change the entry code for the apartment in Building 17, Unit A at Regency Heights. Please do it immediately."
"Yes, effective right away."
"Text the new code to my phone."
After I hung up, the whole private room was dead silent.
Everyone looked like they'd been hit with a freeze spell, staring at me in disbelief.
Chelsea's wailing cut off instantly, and Henry's mother's curses died in her throat.
Regency Heights.
That was one of the city's top luxury districts, and everyone in the room knew exactly what that meant.
But what they didn't know was that I owned an apartment there.
Henry was the first to break the silence.
His voice was trembling. "Who, who were you calling? Regency Heights? Since when do you have an apartment there?"
I finally looked at him, my gaze as cold and distant as if he were a complete stranger.
"Henry, in five years of marriage, you've never once cared about my past," I said, my voice calm but cutting.
"There's a lot you don't know about me," I added, my tone icy.
With that, I bent down and scooped up Sophie, who was still sobbing, and whispered softly, "Sweetheart, let's go home."
"Isn't this our home?" Sophie asked in a small voice.
"No," I said, kissing her swollen cheek. "This place is nothing but a prison that's been draining the life out of me. We're going back to our real home."
I picked up Sophie and headed upstairs to pack our things.
This so-called home was something I'd bought before I got married, and it was registered under my name alone.
But now I couldn't stand another second in that house.
I only took our IDs, a few changes of clothes, and a plain old jewelry box.
I never spared a glance at the furniture I'd carefully picked out or the decorations I'd arranged with my own hands.
If it wasn't mine, I didn't want it.
Everything I once thought belonged to me turned out to be nothing but a joke.
When I came downstairs with Sophie's little suitcase, the whole family was crowded in the living room, blocking my way.
Henry's mother was the first to rush over, spreading her arms wide to stop me.
"Natalie! Are you crazy? Where do you think you're going, dragging the kid out this late at night?" Her face was twisted with anger and panic.
Maybe it was my calmness that made her feel like she was losing control for the first time in her life.
I stopped, looking right past her at Henry, whose face was full of mixed feelings.
I spoke out five words, clear and firm.
"I'm going back to my own home," I said.