Chapter 2 - Confronting The Cold Betrayal In My Own Living Room
I stood frozen in the center of our grand Atlanta foyer, my designer suitcase slipping from my trembling fingers. The heavy thud of leather hitting the imported Italian marble echoed loudly through the silent, cavernous room.
Jeffrey didn't even bother to stand up from his plush leather armchair by the stone fireplace. He simply swirled the amber whiskey in his crystal tumbler, looking at me with undisguised annoyance.
"You're home early, Claire," Jeffrey said, his voice dripping with icy detachment. "The board meeting in London wasn't supposed to wrap up until Friday afternoon."
"I finished early because I wanted to surprise my husband and my son," I whispered, my voice shaking with rising fury. "Instead, I walk in and find my four-year-old child treated like a stray dog in his own home."
Noelle, my mother-in-law, scoffed loudly from the sofa, adjusting the expensive cashmere blanket draped over her lap. She continued feeding spoonfuls of gourmet yogurt to a giggling little girl sitting beside her.
"Don't be so dramatic, Claire, as usual," Noelle snapped, rolling her eyes toward the ornate chandelier. "That boy has been impossible to manage ever since you abandoned him for two years to play corporate executive in Europe."
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The woman standing by the wet bar—a sleek brunette wearing an expensive silk robe—let out a mocking laugh. Her name tag from the local country club was pinned to her counter, but I knew exactly who she was.
"Some mothers care about their careers more than their own flesh and blood," the mistress sneered, crossing her arms. I stared at the group of people I had trusted with my entire life, realizing they were monsters wearing human skin.
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