The Child Was Never His

Chapter 2

The words had barely left my mouth when four or five security guards seized me. Their grip was rough as they dragged me forcibly toward the door.

My knee struck the hard floor edge hard, and blood began to flow freely.

A searing pain spread through my body, and a dull ringing filled my ears.

But the pain deep inside was a thousand times worse.

Sharp, judgmental voices rose all around. "Fighting over a man at the wedding, truly shameless."

"She looks so quiet, but she's nothing but a shameless, crazy disgrace!"

I do not know how I made it home through the cold rain, limping all the way.

This small house had been our wedding home, chosen together after more than half a year of searching.

Our photograph, taken by the sea at sunset, still hangs clearly on the wall.

My unfinished design drafts were still stacked on the desk.

The fridge was still covered in his handwritten notes. Eat properly, don’t stay up late.

Everywhere were traces of the love we had shared, yet now each one brought only dull, aching hurt.

When I reached the bedroom, I found all my things thrown carelessly across the floor.

Clothes, sketchbooks, and jewelry were scattered everywhere, but the safety lock my father had obtained from a master craftsman the day I was born was gone.

He had said it would protect me, year after year, keeping me safe and unharmed.

The photo album my father had given me for my coming-of-age ceremony was also gone.

For eighteen years, he had written a message to me on the back of a different photograph every single year.

I searched the whole house and found only a few charred scraps of the album in the trash.

'If our love had already turned to ash, why destroy the memories I shared with my father too?'

I broke down completely and wept uncontrollably.

I did not notice when Lenora appeared in the bedroom doorway.

She looked at me calmly, still wearing her beautiful bridal makeup. "These things bring bad luck, so I've burned them."

She tilted her head slightly, her tone edged with open defiance. "If my father hadn't taken pity on your family's poverty back then, he never would have given you a job down at the Docks. But your father grew jealous, set fire to the place, and left so many people with no way to feed their families. Now your father has run off with the money and is living comfortably abroad. Has he no shame!"

She stepped closer, triumphing, glinting unmistakably in her eyes. "Caelum was always meant to be mine. You merely occupied a place that never truly belonged to you for five years."

She took Gideon's hand and a cruel smile touched her lips.

My gaze fell on the child's hand and my breath caught sharply.

The safety lock was there, held loosely as Gideon played with it.

Lenora saw my stricken look and stroked the child's head with disdain. "What a waste to burn it, far better Gideon has it as a toy than it ever was on you."

Just then, footsteps sounded from the hall, Caelum had returned.

Lenora shifted slightly and gave the child a gentle, unseen push. Gideon stumbled and rolled down the flight of stairs, bursting into loud tears.

Caelum went pale instantly, rushing to scoop the child up.

He lifted his head and fixed me with a blazing, furious stare. "You hate Lenora, so you take it out on an innocent child?"

Eira, standing behind him, spoke with a frown. "Everyone always said you were so bitter and dark, Lenora would never do anything like this!"

Dashiell, anxiously trying to calm Gideon, suddenly called out. "Gideon hit his head, there's blood on the back of his skull! Call emergency services now!"

The room fell into total chaos.

Rain blew in through the open window and thunder crashed overhead.

Caelum held Gideon tightly, looking at me with nothing but pure revulsion. "For what you've done today, let your mother take your place in the psychiatric ward!"