Chapter 5

SARA'S POV

My mother-in-law, Bethany, stared at me with a slack jaw.

She hadn't expected to hear that. A satisfied feeling settled in my chest. That should shut her up for a while.

Before she could respond to the bomb I had just dropped, I heard a familiar voice call out to me.

“Sara, is that you?” Derek's grandfather yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

“Yes, Paps. It's me,” I said, watching him walk towards me with a brilliant smile on his face.

Danielle rushed towards him and hugged him. “Oh, that's my little princess,” he chuckled as he picked her up easily from the ground, throwing her up and catching her.

“How are you?” He asked Danielle, ruffling her dark hair with affection in his eyes.

“I’m fine, gramps. I missed you!” Danielle said excitedly, kissing his cheeks.

 “How are you, my dear?” Paps walked up to me, pulling me into a warm hug.

“I'm alright, paps, how are you?”  I asked with a warm smile. He looked good without even trying, and his hair was completely white now. 

“Apart from my knee giving me problems? Great. Especially now that you are here.”

“Have you seen the doctor?” I asked, a little worried about his health. He was stronger than most men his age, but he was always too stubborn to take precautions.

“Don't worry about me.” He waved my concerns off. “You will stay for dinner, will you not?”

I looked briefly at Bethany, and she looked to be deep in thought, barely present.

“I don't think…”

“It wasn't a request, Sara,” he cut me off before I could refuse. “You will indulge an old man, won't you?”

I chuckled at his attempt to blackmail me. “I guess I could use some delicious food I don't have to make.”

“That's my girl.”

“Is that who I think it is?” Grandma Dorothy rushed towards us. 

“Yes, it's me.” I smiled.

She hugged me and Danielle, very happy to see us both. 

Grandma Dorothy and Papa Jonathan were the only family members who cared about me and genuinely loved me. 

After the death of my mother and father, they'd been the ones to look after me and treated me like I was part of their family.

If they knew about Derek's misdemeanor, they'd have put him to order by now, but I wasn't interested in a marriage where I had to report my husband to be treated like a human.

During dinner, Danielle was mostly with Paps, both of them talking like they were middle school girls. It was a beautiful sight to see. Especially since Danielle was telling him about a little boy she liked in school.

“So, Sara, my dear. How's home, how are you and your husband?”

My fork full of pasta froze mid-air, and I carefully placed the fork down.

“Good,” I smiled but it didn't quite reach my eyes.

I didn't want to tell them about my plans of divorcing their grandson just yet. 

It would devastate them and they'd probably try to talk me out of it which was something I didn't want.

They'd been the ones to arrange our marriage and they believed that we could make things work. If only they knew how bad things were now.

“I'm glad to hear that. I know how busy Derek is.”

Yeah, by sleeping with Alyssa. 

“Just good? You should be making my son feel great,” my mother-in-law said. “I mean, he gives you everything,”

“Bethany,” Paps warned his daughter-in-law, but she wasn't done... Far from it.

“Well, it's true, isn't it? It's no surprise that her homemaking skills are questionable. I mean, look at Danielle, the poor kid looks malnourished,”

My jaw clenched at her accusation. I wanted to speak, but I didn't think it was a good idea to disrupt dinner.

“Does your mother even feed you, honey?” Bethany asked Danielle directly.

Danielle shook her head.

I felt betrayed by her actions. I knew she was a kid and was probably lying to get dessert or something, but it still hurts.

She knew perfectly well how much care and effort I put into every meal I made for her. Even on workdays, if I had the time, I would always make her special kids’ meals myself.

Not long ago, she was still hugging me and saying that my cooking was her favorite. For a mother, there’s hardly anything more heartbreaking than seeing her own child side with someone else to hurt her.

Giving up custody of her really does seem like the right decision.

Just then, familiar footsteps walked into the kitchen.

“Daddy!” Danielle yelled and got out of paps lap and ran to hug Derek.

He was back. He didn't look happy, but as soon as Danielle hugged him, he cracked a huge smile.

Danielle whispered something in his ears and he chuckled.

“Sure, we can go out this weekend.,” 

“Yay!” Danielle exclaimed, and Derek kissed her forehead before setting her down.

I didn't need a priest to tell me that their outing definitely involved Alyssa.

I ignored the sudden pang in my chest. 

“Welcome son,” Paps said to his grandson, and Derek gave a curt nod.

He didn't bother to spare me a glance, just as usual. 

Paps stood and followed Derek to the study.

“You and Derek should stay for the night, Sara.”

Grams said, bringing me back from my thoughts.

I wanted to refuse, but I didn't want to be rude. They were after all my biggest allies.

“Of course.” I smiled politely.

That night, I waited for Derek to talk about the divorce in the room until late into the night. But he didn't come to the room.

 I knew his grandparents would have told him to stay the night, so it was a bit strange that he never showed up. 

Around midnight, I stepped out of the room to look for him, and as I passed by Danielle's room, I heard voices coming out of her room and quickly went in to check what was going on. But there was nobody there. 

However, Danielle was sitting up with a blanket over her head, watching something on a tablet.

"Danielle?" I called gently, walking fully into the room.

She gasped and quickly tried to hide the tablet under the covers.

"Where did you get that?" I asked and understood why she developed dry eyes. 

She hesitated, then muttered under her breath. "Alyssa gave it to me,"

Of course. My stomach twisted.

"You're not supposed to have this, especially not this late. Danielle, you know the rules, no screen at bedtime."

"I couldn't sleep," she whispered.

"That's not an excuse. You should have come to me. Now, give me the tablet”

Before I could take the tablet, Danielle started to cry loudly, then the door creaked open, and in walked Bethany.

"Oh, for heaven’s sake," she said, eyeing the situation. "What are you doing, Sara?”

"I'm handling my daughter," I said coldly, straightening.

“Handling her? By snatching things out of her hands and scolding her over nothing?" She walked over and wrapped an arm around Danielle. "She's just a child. You're always so harsh with her."

"I'm trying to parent," I said through gritted teeth.

"Well, maybe I'd you were better at it, your marriage wouldn't be falling apart. Are you still waiting for Derek to come to your room? He’s already left. You know he never really wanted to stay with you."

That did it.

Bethany lifted Danielle into her arms like some prized possession and turned to walk out. "You don't deserve her." She added over her shoulder.

I stood there seething.

Enough.

I was done trying to be polite and civil. Done waiting for Derek to finally face me like a man. If he wanted to keep playing house with Alyssa. He could do that alone. I was moving out. I'd pack my things tomorrow and be gone before dinner.

If he would even notice.