006

I felt a sharp, wincing pain flooding through my head like a broken dam, driving up a sharp sensation that sent signals to my brain. I held my head firmly, squinting my eyes, as a hiss couldn't help but escape from my lips.

In slow motion, I moved my head slowly, and there it was... MY CHILD, LEO! Standing at the edge of the hallway, he has grown! My heart ached as tears pricked at the corners of my eyes—my baby! The air felt thick, slow, shrouded with tension. Before I could process anything, I found my feet stomping towards him hastily, and I drew him into a tight hug, his warm, delicate skin pressed against my body. I shut my eyes, not wanting to let go; I missed my son so much. Minutes felt like hours as the hallway was filled with stillness. Then the epiphany struck me like crisp lightning; I wasn't Alicia anymore. Gosh! It slipped my mind.

Before I could process the disorienting situation, I felt his soft, delicate hands yank me off his body vigorously, sending me flying and landing on my butt with a thud. A scoff escaped from my lips as I glared at him, stunned by his actions. His little icy blue eyes bored into mine fiercely.

"Who are you? And how dare you hug me like that? The only person who ever hugged me tightly was my mother," he yelled forcefully in his tiny voice, his little eyebrows furrowed in anger.

Oh! I totally forgot; I wasn't Alicia. I should be excited that he still recognized his mother, or not willing to replace her, right? But to my dismay, wrong! I wasn't happy; I felt hurt, crushed, demolished. I felt my heart aching from the hurt I had experienced today. Lambert strode towards him hastily, parting his hair softly.

"It's okay, Leo. I don't know why she behaved like that. Well, she's the nurse assigned to Daddy's treatment," Lambert said to Leo softly, stooping low to his level with a slight smile on his lips.

I managed to stand up, flicking the dust off my body as I stared at Leo pitifully. He has grown up so much, but darkness shrouded his soul. But why?

"Dad's nurse? You want to be my new mommy? I won't let you!" Leo suddenly snapped at me again. My eyes widened in shock, my tongue tied. I was speechless.

Lambert held his shoulders softly. "Leo, that's okay. She isn't snatching Daddy, okay? She's just a nurse," Lambert said in a soft, confronting tone.

Leo seemed unconvinced and yelled, shooting a malevolent glance at me. "You will never be my mom. Only Emily has the right to be my mom. You will never replace Mommy!"

Time seemed to freeze. Feeling my blood drain, I felt my heart stop, the air feeling toxic for me to breathe. Emily?

Emily has snatched my kid too? How? What kind of snake did I harbor as a friend? I felt chills down my spine. I couldn't hide it anymore; this was it. I couldn't take the pain. I can't. How am I going to get my family back?

Leo isn't ready to accept anyone except Emily; she has brainwashed everyone, well, except Lambert. The sounds of clicking heels captured everyone's attention. The heels sounded boisterously in the hallway, heading towards us, and speaking of the devil, it was none other than Emily, draped in a crop top and a short skirt, wearing heavy makeup and seductive lip gloss.

It's obvious this witch wants to have my man wrapped around her fingers. She swiveled her gaze at everyone like a clock ticking, and her eyes landed on Leo. Immediately, she strode towards him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Mum!" Leo chimed cheerfully.

MOM! Wow! My heart was squinting with unrelenting ache. I'm not sure I will be able to survive another minute.

Throughout the years, Emily wore the skin of a friend, a sister. She deceived me into thinking I could rely on her. But to my dismay, she was more nefarious than a witch. Assuming I hadn't lost my wolf, I would have dug my fangs deeper into her skin.

What a shameless wolf!

She parted Leo's hair softly, shoving a fake smile onto her lips. "Oh, that's my son! How are you feeling today? Have you eaten? And what are you doing here, son?" she asked sweetly in her high-pitched voice.

Son? Gosh, I wish I could sink a fang into her throat. As much as I needed to rip her into shreds, I couldn't! My plans would be ruined.

Leo's little finger suddenly pointed towards me. "It's because of this witch."

Emily snapped her head towards me, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Witch? What did she do?" Emily asked.

"She's trying to steal Father away from us," he replied flatly.

Emily's eyes widened as she narrowed them towards me and scoffed bitterly.

"She can't, dear. I'm going to have her head ripped off her body; she can't even perch close to Daddy," she threatened, her lips slightly curved up.

I held the fabric of my clothes tightly, trying to suppress my outburst. "Don't make unnecessary threats, Emily. Leo is just making an unnecessary fuss," Lambert cut in, unfazed.

"Then why did she hug me, Uncle Lambert?" Leo yelled.

Emily's eyes widened in shock, staring at me bewilderedly. "She hugged you?" Leo nodded. "Why did you hug my son? Do you want to give him bird flu?" she asked, sounding as illiterate as she was.

One thing about Emily that breaks her like ice. It was that she was dumb, she wasn't as brilliant as I was. When we were both in high school, she always dreamed of being me for a day, just because of my intelligence. So, her vomiting this rubbish from her mouth isn't unforeseen.

I almost rolled my eyes and snapped, "First of all, ma'am, bird flu is a bird disease, humans can't contract it. And why did your son hit me?" I asked, trying so hard to quench my fueling rage.

Her eyes snapped open in shock. "How dare you talk back to me? You are fired!" Emily yelled fiercely, trembling with rage.