Disbelief washed over me. What kind of father was he? I regretted marrying a man who had never truly been a father to our child.
"You want proof? Go to the cemetery. You’ll find her name on a gravestone," I said my words laden with bitter finality.
Maximus swallowed hard, the denial finally cracking. "I have no time for this nonsense, Carrie," he muttered, turning away.
"No time, huh? I’m not surprised," I retorted, my voice laced with sarcasm.
"You’re right, Carrie. He has no time for you. He never really loved you," Lalaina sneered, following Maximus out.
The door slammed shut, leaving me alone with the crushing weight of my loss and the bitter sting of betrayal.
I simply watched Maximus and Lalaina seated on the couch while I felt like a ghost standing by the door, invisible to them despite witnessing their betrayal.
I'm used to being treated this way, but it still hurts knowing he replaced me with my stepsister.
"Does your foot still hurt?" I heard Maximus ask as he massaged her foot.
"Yes, Max. My whole body hurts. I badly need a massage," Lalaina said flirtatiously.
As I observed them, painful memories flooded my mind—recollections that still haunted me to this day.
When I gave birth to Stacey, I took care of our daughter all by myself. There were days when I was so sick, yet Max didn’t even bother to check on me. He just left me there, ill; I nearly died when he refused to buy my medicine.
Luckily, I survived those storms. My daughter became my strength. I stood on my own feet and saved myself. I never depended on Max again because I realized he didn’t care about me.
He showed more concern for my stepsister, Lalaina, reminding me constantly how much more important she was to him.
Even on his own daughter's birthday, he couldn't spare the time to celebrate, let alone give her a gift. But when it came to Lalaina, he showered her with everything as if he'd plucked the moon from the sky for her.
Well, Lalaina was right—Max never loved me or my daughter, and I accepted that. I didn’t want to force myself on him anymore.
I felt resolved, ready to take my luggage and leave, but I paused when I heard Lalaina speak about me.
"Max, your wife is always jealous of me. Can’t you see? She’s so obsessed and wants to control your feelings. Now, she’s using her daughter to play with us. She even poisoned Stacey," Lalaina muttered.