My Fading Affection

Even though the heater in the room was blasting, a piercing chill ran straight to my bones. Not caring that my daughter was already fast asleep, I shook her awake.

"Willow, wake up! Tell me, what is this group chat all about? And did your dad make you call another woman your mom?"

Willow rubbed her sleepy eyes, her small face full of exhaustion.

"Olivia isn't another woman. She's my real mom."

Those words struck a nerve. Completely losing control, I screamed, "Willow Parker, I am your real mom!"

Terrified by my frantic expression, Willow burst into heavy tears.

My mom, sleeping in the next room, rushed in the moment she heard the crying. She immediately pulled Willow into her arms and snapped at me.

"Celeste, why are you screaming at a child in the middle of the night?"

Holding up the smartwatch, my eyes bloodshot, I stared straight at her.

"Mom, did you know James has been having Willow call a dead woman her mom?"

My mom had helped raise Willow since day one; there was no way she hadn't noticed.

Sure enough, she froze for a split second, then instinctively averted her eyes.

Seeing that, I let out a bitter laugh. "You knew."

Her gaze kept darting around, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Celeste, it's not what you think. James, he..."

"If it's not what I think, then what is it?" I cut her off mid-sentence, shouting in pure fury, "You're my own mother! How could you cover for him like this?"

Olivia was always smarter, prettier, and far more calculating than me, and I had suffered so much because of her back in the day. She even set me up back then, almost ruining my chance to take the SATs and get into college.

Mom knew all of that, yet she still chose to hide this from me.

A sharp pain suddenly tightened in my chest, making me double over slightly.

Seeing me like this, Mom panicked.

"Celeste, what's wrong? Is your heart acting up again?

"Why do you always get so stubborn whenever it comes to Olivia? She's dead anyway, so she can't threaten your place. Why break your own heart over something so small?"

The more Mom spoke, the more justified she felt, her voice gaining confidence.

"Making a scene like this only hurts your marriage with James and ruins your own health. It's not worth it.

"Willow is still young and doesn't know any better. When she grows up, she'll realize. Why be in such a rush right now?"