Chapter 4 She Chose to Leave

As soon as the words left Annabelle's mouth, the air in the room grew heavier. Samuel frowned. He couldn't understand why Annabelle was making such a fuss over a room. Just as he was about to say something, Lucas came running toward them. He flailed his little arms and started hitting Annabelle's legs and face. "You wicked woman! Don't bully my mommy! That's my mommy's room!" he shouted angrily. Though Lucas' strength was limited, Annabelle's legs ached from his little punches. As she tried to push him away, he grabbed her hair. She winced in pain and grabbed his wrist in response. Before she could do anything else, Lucas shrieked. "Ouch! Mommy, my hand hurts! She hurt me! She's bullying me!" he wailed. Annabelle's head throbbed with pain, and tears welled up in her eyes. She instinctively looked toward Samuel, who was watching Lucas with concern. She followed his gaze and froze. Blood was dripping from Lucas's wrist. Panic seized her. Tears welled up in Elise's eyes as she held Lucas close. Annabelle stood frozen in shock when Samuel's harsh voice cut through the silence. "Annabelle! Lucas is just a kid. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? I've told you that Elise is only staying temporarily. Can't you stop clinging to the past? It's just a room. Why are you deliberately going against her?" His blatant favoritism silenced Annabelle even further. She swallowed her emotions and tried to speak. "Samuel—" Before she could finish, he cut her off sharply. "That's enough! This house isn't yours to decide over. I already gave her that room. Even if you're upset, you shouldn't take it out on a child. You've really disappointed me. Take a good look at yourself and reflect." With that, he carried Lucas out the door. Samuel's face was filled with the tense concern of a caring father. Elise followed closely behind him. As she passed Annabelle, Elise flashed her a smug smile. Annabelle saw it clearly. At that moment, everything clicked into place. The sting from Lucas' punches still burned on her cheek, but as she watched the three of them leave like a happy little family, she realized she was the only outsider now. Her tears fell uncontrollably. Even her breathing became ragged, and she struggled to catch her breath. Annabelle didn't know how long she had cried, but the exhaustion eventually knocked her out. She only woke when her phone started ringing. As soon as she answered the call, Lexi's voice came through the phone. "Belle, the immigration papers should be ready in about a week. Are you serious this time? Don't you dare fool me. I haven't seen you in ages." Annabelle offered a bitter smile. "I mean it this time. I might end up being your burden for the rest of my life." There was a pause on the other end before Lexi finally asked, "What about Samuel? Are you two divorced?" Annabelle gave a soft, muffled hum in response. Lexi's heart ached, but she knew comforting words wouldn't help right now. Instead, she said warmly, "You should go ahead and start packing. I'll come to pick you up in a week. You don't need to bring a thing. We've got everything you'll need in Elsington." Annabelle could hear the kindness behind her words, and for the first time in a while, the numb ache in her chest eased just a little. After hanging up, she looked around the house. There really was nothing worth taking. If Elise wanted that room so badly, she could have it all—Samuel included. That night, Annabelle simply found a clean guest room, curled up on the bed, and quickly fell asleep. She didn't know how long she'd been out before a sharp crash of shattering glass startled her awake. Following the sound, she realized it was coming from the master bedroom. She frowned, wondering what glass could even be in there. But as she neared the door, a sudden wave of dread hit her, and she picked up her pace. The moment she stepped into the room, her eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing?"