Weeks later...
A knock on my door on a hot afternoon felt like a cruel joke. I wasn’t expecting anyone, least of all her. My chest tightened as I opened the door to find Stella standing there, her radiant smile as blinding as the baby she held in her arms. She looked every bit the picture-perfect wife and mother, while I felt like the discarded chapter of a book no one wanted to read.
“Melissa!” she chirped, her voice sweet, almost saccharine. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by. I hope it’s not a bad time.”
Before I could answer, she breezed past me into the apartment, her energy filling the space. The baby cooed in her arms, and she looked down at him with such adoration that my stomach churned.
“It’s fine,” I muttered, closing the door behind her, though it was anythi
