CHAPTER 3

Vivian’s POV

“Daddy, you didn’t say that she was a supermodel,” Ashley gushed.

I stood there and watched her. She looked at Jessica with so much love in her eyes. Like Jessica was the most important person in the world. Everyone in the room looked at Jessica the same way. Even Lyon, he stared at her like he would do anything for her. Like he would pull the moon out of the sky if she asked.

Jessica bent down and pulled Ashley into a tight hug. She had fake tears in her eyes. Lyon put his hand on Jessica’s back and led both of them into the living room. Like they were already a family.

“Welcome, Jessica,” Lyon said. His voice was soft. I had never heard him talk like that before. “I organized this little welcome party for you. Welcome home. I am so happy you are finally back for good.”

This is how they welcome her. This is how they celebrate a woman who left her daughter at the front door when Ashley was barely a month old. She left to chase her career, she never looked back. And now she walks back in and everyone acts like she’s a hero.

I have never been celebrated, not for anything. On my birthday or even Mother’s Day.

I took care of Ashley, I breastfed her when my own body was still broken from losing my son. I did it while I was still grieving. And not once did Ashley look at me with love in her eyes and not once did Lyon thank me..

When Lyon and I first got married, he came home drunk one night. He forced himself on me and I got pregnant. Around that same time, he got Jessica pregnant too. The whole family celebrated her pregnancy, they threw her a party.

My pregnancy was treated like a disease. No one talked about it, no one asked how I felt. When I went into labor, Lyon wasn’t there. He was with Jessica. My son didn’t survive, he died during birth.

Two weeks later, I was still bleeding. I was still crying myself to sleep every night. That’s when Jessica showed up, she left Ashley in a basket at the front door. The same front door she just walked through. She said having a baby was too much for her, so she needed to focus on her career and then she left.

Instead of going back to school, I was told to take care of Ashley. I was still weak. But no one cared, I had to be a mother again. So I was, I loved Ashley like she was the son I lost. I gave her everything I had. Every night and day for five years.

And now I stand here and watch her run to the woman who threw her away.

Lyon turned to Ashley and said, “Sweetheart, Daddy has something to tell you.”

Ashley’s whole face lit up. She beamed and bounced on her feet. “Are you going to marry your girlfriend?” she asked, loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Everyone laughed, including Lyon, the sound filled the living room like this was the happiest day of their lives. “Yes,” Lyon said, still smiling. “I am going to marry her.” Jessica’s eyes found mine across the room, and she smirked. “But,” Lyon said, putting his hand up to quiet the room, “what I want to tell you is different.”

He bent down so he was eye level with Ashley. He took her small hands in his. “Ashley, Jessica is your biological mom.”

My heart broke at those words, they decided to tell her here, in front of all these guests.

Ashley gasped. Her mouth opened and her eyes got wide. “How is that possible?” she whispered.

Lyon’s voice got soft. “Jessica wanted to be a better woman, a mom you would be proud of. So she had to leave and work very hard. She didn’t leave you on purpose, sweetheart. She did it for you.”

Jessica bent down too. She brushed Ashley’s hair back from her face. “I’m back for good now, baby,” she said. “I’m here to stay, I want to make up for all the time I missed.”

Ashley stared at her for a few seconds, then she jumped in the air.

“So she is not my real mom?” Ashley said, pointing at me without even looking at me. “She’s not?!”

She threw her arms around Jessica’s neck and hugged her so hard. “I’m so happy! My real mom is someone I can finally be proud of! I can brag about her at school!” She pulled back and looked at Lyon. “Thank you, Daddy! Thank you for giving me the best mom ever!”

I couldn’t move, tears ran down my face but I didn’t wipe them. What was the point? Five years of my life were wasted and gone in a minute.

Jessica stood up slowly. She looked at me again, and she walked toward me, her heels clicking on the tile. She stopped halfway across the room. “Thank you,” Jessica said, her voice loud and clear. “Thank you for taking care of Ashley for those years I was away.”

“I’m back to take my place as her mother,” Jessica said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Ashley rushed to stand beside her, she turned and looked right at me.

“Miss Vivian,” she said, she had never called me that in her life. “You don’t have to do anything for me again,” Ashley said. Her voice was steady. “My real mom is here now.”

I nodded, I couldn’t speak. I blinked hard to push the tears back, but they fell anyway. I turned around and went upstairs, I didn’t want to break down in front of them.

I closed my bedroom door and slid to the floor. That’s when I let myself break. I covered my mouth with my hand so no one would hear me. I cried for my son, I cried for six years of my life that meant nothing to them. I cried until my throat was raw and my eyes burned.

It was evening when I came out. The house was quiet, the party was over and the guests were gone.

Only Kate and Paul, Lyon’s dad, were in the living room. She sat on the couch, scrolling on her phone. She looked up when she saw me.

I walked up to her. “Mrs Stark,” I said. “I want to return to school.” She raised one eyebrow. “You promised me,” I said. “You promised that when Ashley was old enough for school, I could go back. She doesn’t need me anymore. Her mom is back, so I want to return to school.”

Kate stared at me for a long time. Then she laughed. “After six years you want to return to school?” she said. She set her phone down and stood up. She walked over until she was right in front of me.

“Stark University terminated your admission, five years ago.”