Chapter 2

Dad bellowed, "How dare you lie to us! Your mother cried her eyes out when you lost part of your esophagus! Is this how you repay everything she's done for you, Hannah?"

Mom and Dad looked at me with undisguised disgust. They didn't hesitate for a second—they took Chris' word over mine completely.

I gripped my feeding tube, feeling completely choked up. "I-I'm telling the truth."

It was then that the door swung open, and a little girl with her hair tied in a bun came running in and wrapped her arms around Chris.

"Daddy!"

Chris lifted her into his arms and walked up to me. "Meet your Aunt Hannah, Jennie."

I asked, trembling, "W-What did you say her name was?"

Chris and I used to have a child too. He rested his head on my lap, scrolling through baby name websites. "What should we name our daughter, Hannah?"

"How can you be so sure it's a girl? What if it's a boy, Chris?"

"I just love the idea of having a daughter!" Chris said before pointing to one of the names on the website. "What about this one? I like the meaning behind it! How about we name our daughter Jennie, Hannah?"

Jennie looked up at me with a smile.

"Hi, Aunt Hannah! I'm Jennie Graham! I'm six years old this year, Aunt Hannah!"

I nearly passed out when I heard that she was six years old. I had to steady myself against the wall to keep myself from collapsing.

Just then, Queenie came out of the elevator, gently holding her slightly rounded belly.

Mom and Dad instantly rushed over. "Oh my! You're expecting your second!"

Chris carried Jennie over and joined the others.

I was the only one standing in the middle of the living room, like a stranger who had wandered into someone else's house.

"It's been a long time, Hannah," Queenie said as she looked over at me, barely able to hide the smug look in her eyes.

I couldn't help but lash out. "Do you think being a homewrecker is something to be proud of?"

Mom slapped me hard across the face, her eyes brimming with fury. "How dare you say that in front of Jennie!"

Chris covered Jennie's ears and said, "I'm your brother-in-law now, Hannah. Jennie is your niece! You'd better mind your language around her!"

Queenie suddenly held her stomach and cried out in pain. Chris immediately slipped a pillow under her lower back, while Mom and Dad fussed anxiously around her.

I clenched my fists tightly, my fingernails digging into my palms, as a metallic taste filled my throat.

"Why are you just standing there, Hannah?" Lily Lane, my aunt, asked.

I instantly grabbed Aunt Lily's hand as soon as she walked in, as if grabbing a lifeline. She had always been the only one in the family who never played favorites with Queenie. "Aunt Lily, I—"

Aunt Lily shook off my hand and walked straight over to Queenie with a smile. "I heard you were back, so I rushed right over to see you, Queenie!"

Aunt Lily shot me a glance. "I've bought some of Queenie's favorite food. Bring it up, would you, Hannah?"

I barely remembered making it downstairs. I felt the heat hitting my face, but I felt cold all over. I walked absent-mindedly to the bridge where Chris and I first met.

That day, Mom and Dad had turned my birthday party into a celebration for Queenie getting admitted into a university instead.

I cried as I ran to the bridge, and Chris rushed over from behind and hugged me. "Please don't do anything reckless!"

Through tear-filled eyes, I told him Mom and Dad were always biased toward Queenie. He got angry on my behalf and snapped, "I'll go back with you and give them a piece of my mind!"

I smiled through my tears after hearing that. Chris, on the other hand, was stunned when he saw my dimples.

From that day onward, Chris would always back me up whenever I complained about Mom and Dad's blatant favoritism.

He even solemnly promised me on the day he proposed to me. "I want to be the one you can rely on, giving you the strength you need, Hannah."

Yet, at this moment, even the person I thought I could always count on had abandoned me.

I slipped my bag off my shoulder and swung a leg over the guardrail.

"Hannah!" Chris came running toward me from behind.