Chapter 8

Alicia's expression instantly stiffened, but she forced a smile and quickly changed the subject. "Amanda, Avery, you must be tired from the long trip. You should get some rest." Both of them praised Alicia's thoughtfulness. "Alicia, you're so considerate. It would be wonderful if you're truly part of the Bennett family." Elise let out a silent laugh. It wouldn't be long before they got what they wished for. Three days later, Elise was discharged from the hospital. No one came to pick her up. She hailed a cab and returned to the Bennett residence on her own. The villa was eerily quiet. The helper was just about to leave. Alexander preferred a quiet environment, so he only allowed the helper to clean in the mornings. Everything else was left for Elise to handle on her own afterward. Back then, she didn't mind. As long as it made Alexander's life a little easier, she was willing to do anything. After just a few days away, Elise came home to find everything in the house had changed. All the decorations she had carefully chosen were gone, replaced with items that suited Alicia's taste. Even the embroidered family portrait she spent a week stitching had been taken down and tossed into the storage room. According to the helper, Alexander had taken his family and Alicia on a beach vacation three days ago to celebrate Aaron's birthday. Apparently, they couldn't enjoy themselves properly with outsiders around. Despite being Alexander's wife and Aaron's mother, Elise had become the so-called "outsider". She opened her phone and tapped into her social feed. Her screen was instantly flooded with vacation photos of their trip. The photos were filled with clear blue skies, endless ocean, and bright sunshine. Just looking at them felt like being brushed by a warm spring breeze. That was Maldoria, the place she had begged Alexander to take her to for years. He always had some excuse, and even Aaron would act annoyed when she asked. Eventually, she stopped bringing it up. In every photo, Alexander and Aaron were smiling. Elise couldn't remember the last time she had seen those expressions on their faces. When they were with her, they were always cold and distant. The final photo they all posted was the same. Alexander and Alicia each held one of Aaron's hands as they ran happily toward the sea. The caption read, "As long as we're together, that's all that matters." If they were such a happy family, she had no reason to stay and ruin it. She opened their profiles one by one, blocked and deleted each of them, then quietly left the family group chat that had remained silent from the moment she joined. Then, she packed her things. There wasn't much. Over the years, she had spent all her time and money buying things for Alexander and Aaron, while her own wardrobe remained bare. On her desk sat a single framed photo of the three of them. It was the only one in existence. Neither Alexander nor Aaron liked taking pictures, and even this one had only happened after she begged them repeatedly. In it, Aaron sat on Alexander's lap, positioned far from her, with a sulky look on his face. She used to think it was cute. Aaron looked just like his father, but now, the image stung. She removed the frame and ripped the photo to shreds. Every trace of her had been wiped from the house, and she made sure to do the same. They didn't want her here. She wouldn't leave anything behind to remind them of her. Just as she finished, her phone rang. "El, I'm here to take you home." She grabbed her suitcase and stepped outside. The wind was wild, whipping through the trees and shaking their branches violently. She looked up and saw dozens of helicopters circling overhead. The leading one slowly descended onto the open ground. From it, a strikingly handsome man in a tailored black suit rushed toward her. Tears welled up in her eyes. She hadn't cried through all the pain, not even at her lowest. But the moment she saw Cyrus, everything came pouring out. Behind him, a group of men in black followed in formation. She dropped her luggage and ran into his arms with red-rimmed eyes. As the helicopter lifted off again, Elise glanced back one last time at the Bennett residence growing smaller in the distance. All she felt was relief. From her pocket, she pulled out the shredded photo pieces and scattered them into the wind. These past six years had been nothing more than a nightmare. From this day forward, she would erase those two names from her life forever. She whispered to herself, "Alexander, Aaron, this is goodbye for good."