Chapter 3

Aubrey Delacruz

Kieran left his phone on the nightstand while he showered. A notification flashed: "Hope the meeting goes well tomorrow, Kieran! -Carolina."

My blood ran cold.

I snatched the phone. His passcode was still our first anniversary date. The messages were there-a string of texts with "Carolina Farley."

"Jeanie says the dinner tomorrow is just to get to know each other," Carolina wrote. "She's been so sweet to me."

Kieran's reply: "Yeah, Mom's really pushing for this. She thinks you're a much better fit for the family business."

Another message: "Don't worry about Aubrey. She's just around. Mom will handle her."

Just around.

Three years. Three years of my life, my love, my labor. And I was "just around."

I placed the phone back exactly as I'd found it.

When Kieran emerged from the bathroom, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, perfectly still.

"Who is Carolina Farley?" I asked, my voice calm.

His face drained of color.

"What? No, that's-that's nothing. Just a business contact. Mom's trying to set up some introductions-"

"Don't lie to me, Kieran. I saw the messages. Your mother is arranging your engagement."

He slumped onto the bed. "Okay, fine! Yes, Mom is setting me up with Carolina. But it's not what you think! Her family has money. Connections. Mom thinks it could save the business."

"And me?" I asked quietly. "What happens to me?"

He couldn't meet my eyes. "I don't know. Mom said she'd handle it."

"Handle me," I repeated. "Like I'm a problem to be solved. A loose end to be tied up."

"It's not like that-"

"Stop." I stood, my voice trembling with a fury I'd suppressed for three years. "You never saw me as a person. I was a resource. Free labor. A convenient body to fill the space until someone better came along."

"That's not true-"

"I gave you three years, Kieran. Three years of my life. And you were just... waiting for an upgrade."

Tears streamed down my face, hot and angry. "You let your mother treat me like dirt. You let her call me worthless because I wasn't 'legally family.' And all this time, you were planning to replace me."

I grabbed my coat. "I'm done."

I walked out of the room, out of the house, into the cold night air.

An hour later, Jeanie sat me down in the living room. Kieran stood behind her, avoiding my gaze.

"Aubrey, dear," Jeanie began, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "You're a sensible girl. You know how important the family business is. Carolina Farley is a wonderful match for Kieran. Her family is very well-connected."

She leaned forward. "So, to put it plainly, it's time for you to make your own arrangements. You understand, don't you?"

I looked at Kieran. He stared at the floor.

"Alright," I said.

They both blinked.

"Alright?"

I stood. "You want me to leave. I'll leave."

I walked to the bedroom and pulled my suitcase from the closet. I packed methodically-clothes, books, documents. Jeanie hovered in the doorway, her expression shifting from triumph to confusion.

"What are you doing? Where would you even go? You don't have anywhere-"

I stopped and turned to face her. "No place to go? Is that what you told yourself, Jeanie? That I was trapped here?"

I pulled out my phone and showed her a photo. My condo. Small, but mine.

"I bought this six months ago. With money I saved. Every dollar you said I wasted on 'silly books.'"

Jeanie's mouth fell open.

I reached into my purse and pulled out my CPA certificate. "I passed the exam six months ago. I'm a certified public accountant. I start as Finance Director at Cameron Industries next week."

Kieran stepped forward, his face pale. "Aubrey, wait-"

"Three years," I said, my voice steady. "Three years of cooking your meals, cleaning your house, managing your finances. Three years of being told I wasn't 'legally family.' And you know what? You were right."

I picked up my suitcase.

"I'm not family. I never was. And now, I never will be."

I walked out the front door and didn't look back.