Chapter 88

Susan's POV: I used to tell myself that I was free. Free from the crying of babies. Free from bedtime stories. Free from the weight of little hands reaching out for someone else. But lately, freedom felt more like a punishment. Lily chose Haley over me without a second thought. It shouldn't have hurt. But it did. I sat on the edge of my bed that night, staring at nothing, replaying the scene at the playground. Lily hadn’t looked at me with love. She looked at her with trust, comfort, peace. The way a child should look at her mother. And Haley… she just took it in stride, like she belonged there. Like she’d always belonged there. I had money. I had everything. Clothes, cars, beauty, control. Haley had none of it, yet she was the one everyone looked at. The one they listened to. The one they defended. Lily chose her. Sebastian defended her. Even Jordan, that sweet little boy, stood in front of her like a loyal guard dog. And me? I was just noise. A stranger with the wrong tone of voice.