Chapter Five All For Cynthia

 

Sarah’s POV

She walked in just like she was the Queen of Sheba, her shoulders held high, carrying herself like royalty. Her chin was lifted, and her face wore an obvious, smug smile that she quickly tried to mask with a fake gentleness.

“Hello, Mrs. May. I believe this is our first time meeting,” she said, her voice soaked in fake sweetness.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Racheal, your husband’s cousin. And I’m happy to stay with your family until you get better.”

My heart screamed.

If I laid my hands on a gun right now, it wouldn’t matter if I had never touched one in my life. I swear, on everything I held dear, I would have pulled that trigger without blinking. Because how could she?

Was she not a woman like me? Could she not feel the pain of betrayal?

How would she feel if she had been married for ten solid years and, one day, her husband brought another woman into their home—the same woman he was cheating with—and lied to her face, calling her his cousin?

Would she have tolerated it? Would she dare let the thought even enter her mind?

So why was she doing it to me?

I wanted to say it. Fuck her. And fuck Abraham too. I wanted to rise from the bed with fury, grab my lovely daughter by the hand, and walk away—forever—without once looking back.

But then, it struck me again.

If I left—if I said screw them, let them rot together—and I took Cynthia with me, what would happen if something went wrong tomorrow?

Dr. Chen’s voice echoed in my head. “Your condition has worsened. Your life is at risk.”

I wasn’t even in this hospital just because of emotional shock. Yes, catching Abraham red-handed might have been the trigger. But the truth was, I had collapsed because I couldn’t breathe. My heart gave way.

I shut my eyes and opened them again. I looked at Cynthia’s face, and she shook her head, silently pleading with me not to accept this woman.

And I swear, I didn’t want to. But if I stood my ground and told Abraham to send his “cousin” away, he would surely refuse. They had clearly planned this. They were in it together.

No matter what I said, he was going to bring her in. The only option that would remove her was if I left. But I couldn’t—not in my condition. Not with my failing heart. Not with Cynthia needing stability.

So, maybe pretending to believe Racheal was his actual cousin was the only option I had left.

I forced a hollow smile onto my face, one that didn’t reach my heart. Then I patted the other side of the bed—the one Abraham wasn’t sitting on.

“Here, come sit down. You don’t have to stand all day,” I said, the words burning my tongue. A sign of false acceptance.

As soon as I said it, she smirked again—like she had won. Like she had finally taken Abraham from me, as if she’d been waiting and planning this moment for years.

She stepped forward, ready to sit.

But before she could get close, Cynthia jumped up.

She was a beautiful girl with a bright, loving heart. Most days she was cheerful. When she wasn’t reading, she was in the kitchen with me, gossiping about school and laughing about her classmates. But today... today I saw a new side of her—a fierce, protective side I didn’t even know existed.

Her eyes were red with anger. She stared at Racheal, then slowly turned her gaze to Abraham—her father.

“I hate you!” she screamed. Then she bolted out of the room, sobbing so loud it sounded like her heart was shattering into pieces.

***

I was discharged not long after. The doctor said I was lucky they had rushed me in when they did. If it had taken even a few more minutes, the outcome would have been tragic.

He didn’t use the word “death.” He softened it—a sad story, he called it. I knew it was for Cynthia’s sake, hoping she wouldn’t grasp the gravity of it all.

But Cynthia understood. We all did.

If Abraham hadn’t driven me here, I might not have made it. And that’s exactly why I had to stay. Why I had to endure this mess. Because anything could happen to me at any time. And I needed to make sure Cynthia would be okay if I was gone.

Even if Abraham was a liar and a cheat—bringing in the same woman he had an affair with—I still believed he loved his daughter. I had to believe that.

He wouldn’t let her suffer. He wouldn’t stand by while another woman mistreated his child. I had to cling to that hope. That way, if the worst did happen, I could rest in peace.

We walked back into the house—Abraham, Cynthia, Racheal, and I—all four of us like a twisted version of a family.

“Cynthia, why not show Aunty Racheal to her room?” Abraham bent to her level, smiling like he was still the father she adored.

Was that still okay? That he acknowledged they wouldn’t share our room?

At least his conscience still worked... at least a little.

Cynthia reluctantly turned and walked toward the guest room down the kitchen hall. We lived in a modest three-bedroom apartment. Our room was upstairs. Cynthia’s was next to the living room. And the third room—the guest room—had always been a spare.

Now, it was Racheal’s.

The way Cynthia dragged her feet told me she was fighting for me. But how could I explain to her that I was playing a role? That I was pretending to be foolish for her sake?

I slowly made my way upstairs and lay on the bed, exhausted from everything.

From downstairs, I heard Abraham’s voice.

“Dear cousin, I’m starving! Could you prepare something for us to eat? I’m sure my lovely wife is hungry as well!”

He expected me to laugh. To join in like we were one big happy family.

But I saw through him.

He just wanted to eat his girlfriend’s food. As if mine was no longer good enough.

I shook my head gently. I didn’t care if they saw me or not. I turned away from the world, climbed the staircase, climbed fully onto the bed, and lay there.

“Is this the life I’m going to start living now?” I whispered to myself, tears pricking my eyes.