All Chapters of Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night: Chapter 151 - Chapter 160

LENAThe drive home was usually easy. Calm, even. Most days, Isabella filled the car with stories about unicorns, princesses, and the bakery her imaginary dragon apparently wanted to open.But not today.Today, she was stuck on one topic.“Mama,” she said from the backseat, swinging her feet, “if I have a grandfather, why doesn’t he call me?”I kept my eyes on the road, trying not to tense. “Sometimes adults don’t know how to be good family, sweetheart. Not everyone knows what love looks like.”“Daddy knows,” she replied confidently.“Yes. Daddy knows.”“So… my grandfather doesn’t?” she asked in a small voice.I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “I don’t know, honey. But it’s complicated.”She paused, processing that word like she was trying it on her tongue. “Comp-li-cated.”“Exactly.”She hummed softly, not convinced, not satisfied. Isabella was Roman’s daughter in every stubborn way possible—once she wanted an answer, she would dig until she found one.“Mama,” she said again

Lena The doorknob turned, and every muscle in my body locked. My breath stopped somewhere in my chest, and Isabella clung to my shirt so tightly her nails dug in.The door opened.I braced myself.And then—“Why are the lights off?”Roman’s voice.My knees nearly buckled.He stepped inside, pushing the double stroller with Benjamin and Nataniel slumped in their little seats, fast asleep with their cheeks flushed pink from fresh air. Roman’s hair was damp, his shirt rumpled, and the moment he saw me, he froze.“Lena?” His eyebrows drew together. “Why are you—”I didn’t let him finish.I ran straight into him. My arms wrapped around his shoulders so tightly I felt my fingers trembling against the back of his neck. I tried not to cry but the moment my face pressed against his chest, everything came out. A silent, shaking collapse.

The days after the note felt strangely quiet.Too quiet.Roman insisted I stay home as much as possible, so that’s what I did. I kept myself busy with Isabella and the twins, trying to distract my mind from the fact that someone had slipped a note onto our doorstep without us noticing. Benjamin and Nataniel were finally settling into an easier routine, and Isabella was always eager to help, even if her version of helping meant talking to them nonstop.Sometimes Ava dropped by with groceries or snacks or just to sit beside me while I breastfed or rocked one of the boys. She didn’t ask too many questions, which I appreciated. She just talked about random things—what she saw online, a ridiculous argument she had with her landlord, a new cafe she wanted me to try once I felt better.It helped.Roman had been home more too. I didn’t know if it was for me or because of the note, but his presence made me feel safe, even when we weren’t in the same room. He moved around the house with a certa

LENAI woke up to the cold side of the bed.No warmth. No scent of Roman. No faint rumble of his breathing beside me.Just the quiet hum of the house and the distant chirping of birds outside the window.I blinked at the ceiling for a long moment, my mind taking a second to remember the mess of last night. The argument. His refusal. The way he walked out of the room without looking back. The heavy silence that followed, stretching between us like a wall.And then the heavier realization that he was truly gone.I pushed myself up slowly, rubbing my face. My chest felt tight even before my feet touched the floor. I checked the small phone he had given me. Nothing, of course. No missed calls. No messages. Just his number. The only number I was allowed to have on it.A sad little device meant to protect me, or cage me. I wasn’t sure anymore.There was no point lying in bed and overthinking, so I headed downstairs. The moment I reached the kitchen, Isabella’s voice rang out.“Mommy!”She w

LENAI must have fallen asleep sitting up.My neck was stiff, my back ached, and the hospital chair dug painfully into my spine, but I didn’t move. The moment consciousness returned, the first thing I did was look to my right.Isabella was still there, lying on the narrow hospital bed, bundled up in layers of soft blankets. Her cheeks weren’t as flushed as before, and her breathing sounded calmer. The IV line glowed faintly from the machine beside her, the soft beeping steady and comforting.Thank God.I reached out and brushed her hair away from her forehead. Her skin was still warm, but not burning like earlier. A nurse must have come in while I slept—Isabella’s damp towel had been replaced, and her chart was updated on the tray.I exhaled shakily.I didn’t remember falling asleep. I didn’t remember closing my eyes. All I remembered was holding Isabella’s hand and trying not to cry while waiting for the doctor to come back with results.And then everything must have gone dark.My ph