No Place for me

Chapter 7

“Alia!”

My sister screamed in my face.

“When will you ever learn to do things right? Do you know how important your marriage to Drew is to this family?”

I looked at my kids. I could see the panic on their faces.

“Babies, go to your room,” I said softly. “I’ll join you later.”

“Okay, Mommy,” Liam replied.

I knew they didn’t want to leave my side. I could see it in their faces. But I didn’t want them witnessing another chaos. Not anymore. I watched until they were out of sight.

“Alice,” I said, turning back to her. “Did you even bother to ask what caused the divorce before pouring all the blame on me?”

“I don’t need to ask,” she lashed out. “You are the reason, Alia. Same old you, always ruining every opportunity you get. You had just one job—stay married to Drew Jacobs. And you failed. Whose fault is that? Mine? Or Dad’s? Or Mum’s?”

“He was with another woman in our home,” I said, my voice shaking. “The kids saw him.”

She frowned. “Wait… you didn’t say you were taking them to your home.”

“I didn’t think it was important,” I replied. “We walked in on Drew kissing Kirah.”

“And?” Alice scoffed. “Please. We all know that witch was Drew’s side chick. But he is your husband. Instead of standing here looking like a failed wife, go and get your man back.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” I shot back. “You don’t know what it’s like living in that house. The past two years have been nothing but hell for me. But I endured it because I wanted things to work so badly.”

“Do you think life itself is easy?” my father cut in, my mother standing beside him. “Alice has been married for ten years to a man we chose for the growth of this family. Not once has she complained. But you—always whining, always shining in disgrace. When are you going to grow up and stop disappointing this family?”

“Stop! Just stop!” I screamed, covering my ears. “I’m tired of this comparison. Alice this, Alice that. I am not Alice. I am Alia. She didn’t marry Drew i did. Just because she’s lucky doesn’t mean I’m not trying hard enough.”

“You’ve always been unlucky,” my mother said coldly. “That’s why you gave birth to bastards.”

“Mum!” I yelled. “How dare you call my children bastards?”

“Well, what are they?” she said angrily. “You don’t even know who their father is. Are they not bastards?”

“Mum, that’s enough,” Alice cut in, her eyes filled with pity.

“Oh, Alice, let me speak some sense into her,” my mother continued. “You came to us two years ago hungry, with those children. We gave you a better life. And what did you do? You messed it up again, Alia. Again.”

My body shook.

I could take any insult thrown at me but never at my kids.

“You can insult me all you want,” I said, my voice trembling. “I don’t care. But never—never insult my children. They didn’t wrong you in any way. And who told me to hide them from Drew? You and Dad did. Didn’t he tell you he wanted the divorce because he found out about them?”

They went silent.

I laughed bitterly. “I guess he didn’t tell you. If I had told him from the beginning, he would have either accepted them or called off the wedding. But you told me to hide them. And now it’s my fault?”

“Alia,” my mother said softly, switching tactics. “You know I love those kids. They are my grandchildren. I was just angry. But you need to go back to Drew. Don’t you want your children to stay happy? We make sure they don’t lack anything here.”

“There’s no going back,” I said firmly. “It’s over.”

Her face hardened again.

“You will go back, Alia. Even if you have to crawl on your knees. That marriage must work. You can’t call yourself a mother when you’re depriving your children of a good life you can’t give them.”

“Stop being stubborn,” my father added. “Drew is a good man. He’s just angry. He’ll take you back if you beg.”

“I already signed the divorce papers,” I said quietly. “So all this”—I pointed at the three of them—“is useless.”

“You didn’t think to inform us before signing?” Alice asked.

“What for?” I replied. “He already has a baby on the way.”

“What?” they all shouted at once. “What baby?”

“Kirah is pregnant.”

“You stupid girl!” my father screamed. “If only you had given him an heir, another woman wouldn’t have taken your place!”

I was done. Completely drained.

“I have nothing else to say,” I said, heading toward the door.

“And where do you think you’re going?” My father blocked my way.

“Inside,” I replied. “I need to tuck Liam and Luna into bed.”

“You have no place in this house anymore,” he said coldly. “Not after the shame you’ve brought to my name. Get out.”

“Dad, you’re doing it again—chasing me out.”

“And whose fault is that?”

I smiled bitterly. “You’ve never seen me as your daughter. I’ve always been a tool to you. And when a tool is no longer useful, you throw it away. I’m done being your tool.”

“I’ll get my kids and leave.”

“You don’t have to take the children,” my mother said.

“Let her do whatever she wants,” my father replied.

I looked at Alice. She looked torn, but she stayed silent.

Before I could touch the doorknob, Liam and Luna opened the door. They had been listening the whole time.

I held their hands. “Let’s go, babies.”

“Aren’t you going to pack their things?” Alice asked.

“No,” I replied. “I came here with nothing, and I’ll leave with nothing. I won’t take your parents’ precious money.”

I loaded the car with the belongings Drew had sent.

Whatever love I had left for this family died the moment I drove away.

I looked at my kids—the only people I had left.

That night, I booked a hotel.

By morning, we would leave this city and everything in it behind.