Chapter 7

The next day, an uninvited guest showed up at the apartment. Tess stood in the doorway with her chin lifted, two towering bodyguards at her back. She flicked a stray lock of hair and said, "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not here to throw my weight around. Shane assigned them to me because he's worried someone might try to hurt me. It would've been rude to refuse." Holly's chest ached with hatred, but she held herself still. She planned to leave with Aaron tomorrow, so she didn't want to stir up more trouble. "Why are you here?" "I brought gifts," Tess said, smiling. "Shane said I'd be the one raising Aaron from now on, so I figured I should start getting close to him." As the bodyguards pulled out stacks of Lego sets, Aaron shrank behind Holly and shouted, "Go away! I hate you!" Tess didn't get angry and instead laughed behind her hand. "Aaron, I'm your mother. If you say you hate me, you'll be punished!" Holly shielded Aaron and asked Tess to leave. Tess arched a brow. "Don't rush. I haven't given you your gift yet!" One of the bodyguards lifted a white ceramic urn. The gold letters on it made Holly's eyes widen. It was Hayley's name! Holly lunged to grab it and caught nothing but air. "Give it back!" Tess waved a triumphant hand. "Kneel!" Holly already hated Tess and Shane to the bone. Even if it killed her, she'd take Hayley's ashes back. She caught Tess by the throat so quickly that the bodyguards didn't see it coming. Then, a sharp slap cracked across Tess' cheek. "How dare you slap me?" "Slap you? I want to kill you! You'll pay for my mother's life!" Holly's fingers tightened until even the bodyguards panicked. They tore her away and pinned her down while Tess collapsed in a fit of coughing, her eyes bloodshot. "Go! Flush that thing down the toilet!" Holly's eyes blazed with fury. "Don't you dare, you bitch!" A bodyguard headed for the bathroom. Seeing that, Holly's composure shattered as she begged, while Tess watched with relish, savoring every bit of her collapse. Holly watched Hayley's ashes pour into the toilet. "No, please! I'll kneel! Don't do it!" Aaron lunged forward, but Tess kicked him aside and slammed the flush button herself. "Your mother deserved to die! You both deserve to die! She disappears today! Who's next?" The laughter that followed was cold and cruel. "What's going on?" The door swung open without warning. Shane stood there, his brow furrowed. Tess' face changed faster than a page turning. She clapped a hand to her cheek, pressed herself to his chest, and started to complain. "I came to bring Aaron gifts, but Holly slapped me and told him to hate me..." The bright red handprint ignited Shane's temper. Aaron didn't dare go near him and cried as he tried to defend Holly, "That's not true! She's the bad woman! She flushed Grandma's..." "Shut up!" Shane's face darkened. "This is how you've been raising Aaron?" Holly stared blankly toward the bathroom. Shane took her silence as admission. "Slap her 99 times. Let her remember it!" The bodyguards moved at once. Aaron threw himself in front of Holly to protect her, but he couldn't stop them. Holly's face swelled high in no time, and still, she never begged. Then, a tooth hit the floor, streaked with blood. Shane wavered and snapped, "Holly, apologize to Tess, and I'll let this go!" Her lips were so swollen she could barely make a sound, but she still shook her head. By the time all 99 slaps landed, the bodyguards' hands were sore. Holly was far worse. She blacked out on the floor. When she woke up, Shane was sitting beside the bed, his expression cold. "Tess is kind. She'll let you stay in Havenport and see Aaron on a schedule. I'll compensate you financially. Your mother's death was an accident. Behave yourself, and I won't shortchange you or Aaron!" He knew how stubborn Holly was. It was that unyielding spirit that had drawn him in years ago, but now, it only gave him a headache. He thought she'd refuse or scream, yet she did neither. In a torn whisper, she said, "I agree. Today is my birthday. Can Aaron stay with me?" Her sudden change in attitude caught him off guard. He figured Hayley's death must have knocked some sense into her. That was good. Shane had Aaron brought over. He told Holly to get some rest and said he'd stop by later before leaving. Holly watched his tall figure disappear through the door and felt the final trace of light in her eyes go out. They had been together for six years, yet he still didn't remember her birthday. She forced herself upright and hugged Aaron. "Sweetheart, we're leaving. From now on, you only have Mom." Aaron sniffled and nodded. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll take care of you for Grandma!" The ache rose hot in her chest. So, Aaron understood everything. ... Holly contacted Wren and headed for the airport with the new identity he'd arranged. They had just reached security when those familiar bodyguards came running toward them. She grabbed Aaron and broke into a run, only to find another team of bodyguards blocking their path up ahead. Right then, Aaron broke free from her hand, gave her a determined look, and dashed toward a quieter hallway. He tipped his little face up and shaped the words with his lips. "Mom, wait for me. I'll come find you!" A jostling tour group swept Holly through the security gate. She turned around just in time to see them taking Aaron away. Dazed and hollow, she boarded the flight to Caligold. The city's lights glittered beneath her. Everyone who loved her had been left behind. The wings roared and carried her across the ocean toward freedom and the hope waiting on the far shore.