Chapter 5

He hated me. He would never notice the difference between the pills. The thought was both a relief and a source of deep, aching bitterness.

The pain had reached a new peak, a level I didn't think was possible. It was a dull, constant ache that had settled deep in my bones.

I picked up a framed photo from my dresser. It was a family portrait, taken last year. Emit' s face was a thundercloud, but our children, a boy and a girl, were smiling brightly.

My children.

They were my only solace, the only reason I hadn't completely shattered.

Tomorrow, my mother, Hildur Cummings, was supposed to bring them for their weekly visit.

After they were born, the Arnold family matriarch, Connie, declared I was an unfit mother. She said a shameless woman like me couldn't be trusted to raise Arnold heirs.

They took my babies from me.

I remember dragging my weak, post-childbirth body across the floor, screaming, begging them not to take my children. I crawled after them until my stitches tore and I was bleeding on the cold marble floor.

It was Emit who had picked me up and carried me back to bed. He had fought for me, just that once. He negotiated with his grandparents, and they agreed to let me see the twins once a week.

The next day, my mother and my half-brother, Isiah Jenkins, arrived, their faces grim.

The children weren't with them.

"Where are they?" I asked, a knot of dread tightening in my stomach.

My mother' s hand flew out and cracked across my face.

"That's for hurting your sister," she said, her voice cold. She was here to defend Gigi.

I wiped the blood from my lip and laughed, a hollow, broken sound. "Why do you love your adopted daughter more than your real one?"

I looked her straight in the eye. "Is she your real daughter? Is that it?"

My mother' s composure flickered for a second, then she was all smiles, grabbing my hands in a show of affection. "Doris, darling, don't be silly. You know how hard it was for me when I married into this family, pregnant with you. We have to be smart. We have to cling to Emit. He's our ticket."

She sighed dramatically. "I tried to set you up with him, but then Everleigh came along. It's a blessing she's dead, really. And now Gigi is here. She looks so much like Everleigh. She can help us win Emit over for good. She's one of us, right? We can't let some outsider get him."

The mockery in my eyes deepened. "So what's next, Mother? Are you going to tell me to divorce him and let Gigi take my place?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" she scoffed. "Gigi won't threaten your position. Look at the men in this family! They all have mistresses. You just need to be generous."

Isiah quietly handed her a cup of tea.

"Stop it," I said, my voice sharp. "Stop acting. I know you hate this family as much as I do."

The smile froze on her face. She glared at me, then stormed out of the room.

As Isiah turned to follow, I grabbed his arm. "Isiah, tell me the truth. Is Gigi her real daughter?"

His ears turned red. The skin where I touched him felt hot. He looked at me with a strange, unreadable expression.

Then he violently shook my hand off.

I stumbled back, catching myself on the edge of a table.