Chapter 5

After moving into the house, Heather began acting as if she owned the place and criticized everything about its decor.

She complained that the paintings on the wall were ugly, the carpet was the wrong color, the stuffed animals were hideous, and the garden flowers were too plain…

Utterly smitten, Chandler indulged her every whim. He took down the oil paintings I'd done myself, replaced the carpet we'd chosen together, and threw Alfie's favorite stuffed toys into the storage room.

Turning around, he dug up all the lilies I loved from the garden and replaced them with her preferred roses. It was as if Heather were the true lady of the house.

I pretended not to care. After all, they were legally married, and in the eyes of the law, this house was indeed their shared property.

Plus, I was leaving soon anyway, and this was no longer my home.

I let Heather have her way until one night, while she was out, I slipped quietly into Grandma's room. When Heather first moved in, she'd promised not to touch anything, but now, the entire room had been transformed.

The simple, solid-colored bedsheets had been replaced with bright pink ones. The decorations that once adorned the walls and desk were gone, now swapped with Heather's makeup and jewelry. Grandma's last traces had been erased.

Fighting back tears, I reached under the bed and pulled out a small wooden box, holding Grandma's belongings. Heather hadn't found it, so it remained safe and untouched.

I opened it; inside were Grandma's belongings and an old picture album filled with years of memories of our time together.

Suddenly, a sharp voice came from the door. "Danielle, what are you doing in my room?"

Heather had returned, and I instinctively hid the box behind my back.

"This was never your room. You're just a guest." I tried to explain, but she dropped her usual gentle act and strode forward to snatch the box from my hands.

"Are you stealing from me? I can't believe this is who you really are."

"Give it back! Those are my grandma's stuff!" I shouted and struggled with her over the box, and in the chaos, its contents scattered across the floor. With a deliberate stomp of her heel, she crushed the photo album before ripping it apart.

"Look closely. This is what happens when you try to take what's mine!" She lifted her chin smugly before a small figure darted into the room and rammed into her.

"Don't you dare hurt my mom!"

It was Alfie. He kicked and punched at her, but as an adult, Heather quickly overpowered him and slapped him twice across his face.

"You little brat! Did your mom never teach you manners?"

Rage surged through my veins. "Don't you dare touch my son!" I shouted and shoved her away with a force I gathered from nowhere.

She fell backward and knocked her head against the corner of the table before blood immediately began to flow.

Just then, Chandler walked in, and his expression darkened with fury as he took in the scene. "Danielle! I never thought you could be this vicious. How could you attack her like that?"

Hugging Alfie close, I tried to explain. "It wasn't me. She hurt Alfie first…"

"Enough!" Chandler roared. I'd never seen him so mad.

"According to the Leighton family rules, you will spend one week confined in the basement. As for Alfie, his summer camp is canceled, and he's grounded for a month."

My face paled. "No, Chandler, please… You know I'm afraid of the dark..."

But he ignored me and scooped Heather into his arms before rushing out. Looking at the wreckage, I stood frozen in despair as bodyguards barged into the room and seized me by the wrists without mercy.