Then my eyes landed on the bottom of the grand staircase.
A pair of designer red bottoms rested casually near the first step.
They weren’t mine.
I stood completely still, the blood turning to ice in my veins. I didn’t need a written confession. Sometimes the universe exposes the truth long before your heart is ready to process the betrayal.
Cora shifted slightly against my chest, letting out a soft sigh.
I lowered my eyes and gently cradled the back of my baby’s head. That tiny, warm movement was a stark wake-up call: I was no longer just a woman protecting her feelings—I was a mother protecting her child.
Holding Cora securely, I slowly began the climb upstairs.
Every step felt like pulling heavy chains. Partly because my physical body was still healing… but mostly because, as I reached the landing of the second floor, a sound shattered the quiet
