Sienna's POV
Liam went silent. I could feel it in the way he looked at me, as if he was still processing the words I had just said. All this time, I had almost never said “no” to him. No matter how small or complicated his requests were, I always found a way to fulfill them. I was so used to pleasing others—especially him—that I forgot I, too, had limits. But today, I finally found that limit. Emily gave a small smile, trying to ease the tension like she always did. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a burden. I’ve already troubled you enough by staying here. Hoping to taste your cooking on top of that—I feel embarrassed.” She stood and walked toward the door. But before she could leave, a sharp little voice rang out. “Mommy is mean!” Noah shouted, glaring at me. He even smacked my arm lightly. “Don’t be mean to Aunt Emily!” My body stiffened instantly. Liam reached out for Emily’s arm and looked at me like I was the cause of all the chaos that morning. “You’re still upset about this morning? Didn’t I tell you Emily only came in to borrow a charger?” I looked at both of them. My face remained blank—too tired to be angry. “I’m not feeling well,” I replied calmly. “My body’s exhausted. I don’t have the energy to cook.” Noah shot me a sharp look. “Sick? Ew, why didn’t you say so earlier! Aunt Emily’s body is weak, you know. What if she catches your sickness?” I could barely breathe. The child I carried, gave birth to, raised with all my love—now worried more about a woman who only arrived a few weeks ago. Suddenly, I felt like a stranger in my own home. Noah had always been an angel, but lately, something had begun to change. Was I seeing my son less? Could that be a sign that Liam and Emily were becoming a negative influence on him—even as they pretended to be understanding? Noah tugged on Liam’s hand. “Dad, we have to buy medicine for Aunt Emily. She can’t get sick!” “I’m fine, Noah,” Emily said gently, trying to calm him. But Liam was already looking at her with full concern. “It’s okay, let’s listen to Noah. You remember how long it took for you to recover last time? Better to be safe.” And just like that, they left. The three of them now looked like a perfect little family—without me. I was still seated at the dining table, staring at the bowl of dumplings that had gone cold again. Full. Untouched. Just like my role in this house: prepared with love, yet unwanted. Slowly, I cleaned up the remains of breakfast and carried them into the kitchen. I dumped everything into the trash. Tasteless. But my heart was even more so. After all these years with them, I was still no one. Liam only knew me through a contract, and Noah… even he now chose Emily over me. As I stood staring at the cold kitchen floor, my phone buzzed. A message from Liam. [We’re at the supermarket. Pick us up now.] I stared at the screen without emotion, then grabbed the car keys. I didn’t reply. I didn’t ask. I just left. I parked not far from the supermarket’s exit. From a distance, I could see Noah clinging to Emily’s arm, grinning. “Aunt Emily, I want ice cream!” Emily chuckled and pinched his cheek. “If Noah wants it, of course Auntie will buy it.” I approached them slowly and spoke in a soft but firm voice. “Noah, did you forget what the doctor said? Your stomach is still sensitive. Ice cream will make you sick.” Noah immediately whined. “But I only want one…” Before I could explain further, Emily turned to me and responded casually, “Sienna, if a kid wants ice cream, just give it to him. No need to be so uptight.” I looked at her, sharp. “He’s my son. His health is not yours to comment on.” Just as I finished speaking, Liam arrived, pushing a shopping cart. His eyes immediately landed on the three of us. He saw Emily and Noah’s sulking faces, then looked at me. “Emily just wanted to buy him ice cream. Why make a fuss?” I sighed. “The doctor said Noah shouldn’t have cold food until his stomach stabilizes. It’s not the right time yet.” But Liam didn’t listen. His eyes pierced through me. A gaze that once made me tremble, now only left me numb. “If you keep being so rigid, he’ll only grow more distant,” he said quietly but sharply. “You could’ve just said, ‘One spoonful only, the rest Mommy will eat.’ Done. But instead, you escalate everything.” That sentence struck like a whip. Painful. Brutal. Undeniable. I stood frozen. In their eyes, I no longer mattered. Every kindness I’d ever given now held no value. I wasn’t just losing in love. Even in the one thing I tried hardest to protect—Noah’s health—I still lost. I didn’t reply. I just gave a faint smile. One that even felt unfamiliar to myself. Since Emily’s return, everything changed. From a wife, I became a housekeeper. From a mother, I became a nanny. And now… I was just an outsider. I turned around. The afternoon breeze brushed against my face as I walked toward the car. My steps were calm—not from peace, but because my heart had frozen. Inside the car, I sat still. Staring straight ahead. My left hand on the steering wheel, my right hand gripping the fabric of my skirt—now damp with cold sweat.Liam's POV The office was silent, only the ticking of the clock competing with the sound of my own heartbeat. The sunlight, which should’ve felt warm, only added another weight on my back—burning my skin and tightening my chest. I sat in my work chair, documents open on the laptop screen, but the words no longer registered. I stared without truly seeing.I’d been here for two hours. Two hours sitting in silence, doing nothing. Since when did I become like this?My hand clenched on the table. It felt like there was a gaping hole in my chest—empty but full of pressure that couldn’t be explained. I tried to take a deep breath, but my chest was too tight. As if each inhale only filled half my lungs, the rest blocked by something invisible—regret, perhaps.My thoughts went back to that night. The night Sienna looked at me—not with anger, but with a terrifying calmness. Like someone who had finally stopped hoping. It wasn’t a look of hate. Nor disappointment.
Sienna's POV I lay down, pulling the blanket up to my chest. A long exhale escaped my lips. I was tired. Not just physically, but in the way someone feels after a long battle where no one really wins. I didn’t even know if this was a victory or just another escape. My eyes stared at the ceiling. Blank. Empty. And strangely, that emptiness felt more honest than the fake smile I used to wear in that house. I remembered Noah. His innocent face lying on that hospital bed. His small eyes looking at me full of hope, full of longing. Only that child made me hesitate. Only because of Noah did I still ask myself: Should I go back?But should I return to the very place that slowly killed me, just to be beside a child who doesn’t even know what’s happening?Tears slid silently from the corners of my eyes. Warm, and somehow reaching deep into my chest. I love Noah. So much. But I can’t sacrifice myself again—not even for him.I’ve tried before. Stayed for o
Sienna's POVI cried for myself. For all those years I waited for someone who never even realized I was bleeding. For years I tried to be enough for someone who never truly wanted to see me. And now… now that he finally turned to look at me, I am already too tired. My phone buzzed again. But this time, I didn’t want to look at it. Didn’t want to know. I needed time for myself. To reweave the shattered pieces of my heart. To rebuild the self-worth that once crumbled, piece by piece. I lay down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. The world felt quiet, but for the first time, the silence didn’t scare me. Because now I know… I still have myself.I let my body sink deeper into the sofa. The late afternoon air slipped in through the slightly opened window, carrying the scent of freshly fallen rain. Outside, the sky was still gray, as if it too felt the weight on my chest. But I wasn’t crying anymore. That earlier cry had been my last one today—or at least I ho
Sienna's POV I shook my head slowly. “I loved you, Liam. I did. But I’m just too tired now. My love for you has long burned out. I can’t go back to a place that broke me—slowly, every single day. I have to choose to love myself this time.”He looked at me like he wanted to beg. But no words came out.“Don’t ask me to come back just because you feel empty. I know what it’s like to live with someone who doesn’t love me the way I loved them. I don’t want Noah to see that and think that’s what love looks like.”I picked up my small bag and stood. “Thank you for being honest, Liam. But this… it’s too late.”Before I turned away, I caught a glimpse of the broken expression on his face. But I knew—if I stayed there any longer, I would fall into the same wound again.I wouldn’t let that happen again.I walked out of the café with quick steps, as if the glass walls would collapse behind me if I delayed even for a second. The soft sound of the door closing be
Sienna's POV My steps paused for a moment in front of the glass door of the small café just across from the apartment. The damp morning air still clung to my skin, but it wasn’t that which made my body feel heavy—it was the reality that I was about to sit down and talk with someone who had once been the center of my life… and also its undoing.I pushed the door open and immediately spotted Liam sitting in the corner of the café, wearing a dark shirt, his hands clasped anxiously on the table. His eyes went straight to me the moment I walked in. I saw a flash of relief on his face, but I didn’t return his expression with a smile. I took a deep breath and walked over.“Morning,” I murmured briefly, then sat down across from him.“Morning,” Liam replied softly.A barista came over and we ordered. I chose an espresso. I needed something strong to keep my mind steady during this conversation. Liam ordered an americano.Once our drinks arrived, he looked at the sma
Sienna's POV My sobs slowly faded, though my body still trembled. I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand, still hiccuping as I tried to breathe. The ache remained, but at least now I could breathe a little easier. Liliana led me to the sofa without many words. She wrapped a blanket around me, then disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a warm glass of water. Her hand touched my shoulder gently as she offered it to me. I accepted it, though my hands were still shaking. A sip of that warm water slid down my throat like a quiet hug, comforting without needing any explanation. I sat with my knees pulled to my chest, wrapped in silence that somehow felt warmer than any words. Liliana sat beside me, not forcing me to speak. Just being there. Sometimes, that was exactly what I needed—someone who didn’t try to fix me, just stayed. The ticking of the wall clock was soft. Outside the window, the city remained awake under the glow of amb