Chapter 2

Shirley demanded, "Why is the bracelet I gave Diane on your wrist?"

She glanced at my father-in-law, Arthur Aldridge, and my husband, Dean Aldridge. Noting their stern expressions, she quickly reined in her panic and feigned anger as she turned on Helen.

I stepped forward and pretended to smooth things over with a smile. "Don't be upset, Shirley. It's enough that you thought of me.

"Helen missed you while you were away at school. When she heard that this bracelet was a gift from you, she wanted to keep something of yours close. So, she bought me a necklace and asked for the bracelet in exchange."

As if she'd just been saved from the predicament, Helen nodded eagerly under the weight of Dad's and Dean's stares.

"Yes, that's exactly it. I missed you so much, Shirley. It wasn't because I was greedy for the bracelet. I bought a new necklace and traded it with Diane."

I nodded in agreement. While it was true that Helen had asked me for the bracelet, it hadn't been because she'd missed Shirley.

Instead, she'd overheard me offhandedly mention that Shirley had taken it to be blessed by a priest and that it would guarantee I gave birth to a son. If I had a son, everything the Aldridges owned would belong to our family of three.

So, Helen had schemed and wasted a hefty sum of money buying a necklace to make the exchange with me.

Shirley knew Helen too well to believe the story was that simple, but she had no choice but to swallow her accusations and accept what I'd said.

"It's all good as long as Diane doesn't hate me. Though I've suffered a lot after she sent me to school, I know she did it for my good, so I don't blame her."

Listening to her thoughts, I smirked and said, "Enough about that bracelet now. Since everyone's here, I have good news to share."

Then, I turned to Dean and shyly announced, "I'm pregnant."

The usually stern Dad and Dean could barely hide their joy.

In Shirley's mind, a shrill, irrepressible cry rang out. "That's impossible!"

Frowning, I turned to her in confusion, only to see that her face was pale. Then, her inner voice sounded in my mind again. "It's wonderful that Dean and Diane are having a baby, but if they do, will they not care about me anymore?"

Seeing her feign a look of disappointment, my expression softened. I reached for her hand and gently said, "You're going to be an aunt, Shirley. Aren't you happy?"

She clenched her fists, a mix of hope and unease flickering across her face. "Of course, I am. I'll be a great aunt."

As if to prove her words true, she poured all her time and energy into taking care of me during her rare holiday, from cooking up little treats and fussing over every detail to even stitching tiny clothes by hand. I quietly disposed of most of it, but her efforts weren't entirely in vain.

Dad had always doted on Shirley and was pleased to see her caring for me. Even Dean, who'd never hidden his disdain for the way Shirley and Helen had forced their way into the family, seemed moved.

He said, "When the day comes for Shirley to marry, as her brother and sister-in-law, we should make sure she has a proper wedding gift."

All I did was smile and nod. Of course, I would prepare a grand gift, and I hoped she would be fortunate enough to receive it.

…

One afternoon, Shirley stepped forward with a white porcelain bowl and shyly called out to Dean. Only after he nodded did she turn sweetly to me.

"You hardly ate at lunch, Diane. I made this pumpkin soup just for you. Here, try it."

Steam rose up from the bowl as she held it out, and I smirked. With a sudden flick of my hand, I pushed it away and covered my mouth as I doubled over, retching violently.

"Ouch… It hurts…"

The scalding soup tipped over and splashed across Shirley's body. Almost instantly, her skin turned red where it burned her.

"Crap…" Her inner voice slipped out for a moment before she forced it back down.

I covered my mouth and nose, snickering mockingly. Was she finally losing control?

"Shirley, what did you add to that pumpkin soup? Diane's never had morning sickness. And couldn't you have been more careful when carrying something that hot? What if you burned her and hurt the baby?"