Chapter 2 She Came Back
757 Words
That same night, Mandy moved into the Hayes residence.
I was upstairs folding the clothes Hilbert left behind from the night before when I heard the noise downstairs.
Looking out the bedroom window, I saw Hilbert carrying her luggage inside himself. Mandy held onto his arm, smiling brightly beside him.
The sight made my chest ache. I felt like a complete outsider.
Carefully holding the laundry basket, I headed downstairs toward the laundry room.
But of course, I ran right into them.
The second Mandy saw me, the smile vanished from her face. She narrowed her eyes and looked me up and down with open disgust.
"So this is the little orphan you've been keeping around?"
Hilbert frowned but didn't say anything.
Mandy slowly walked over to me and smiled coldly. "Vicky Rogers, right? I heard Hilbert treated you as some precious treasure just to get back at me."
She grabbed the corner of the shirt in my arms, then let go like it was filthy.
"Too bad. A substitute is still just a substitute. Now that I'm back, it's time for you to get lost."
I lowered my head as tears blurred my vision.
"Mandy, stop it." Hilbert grabbed her wrist and shot me a look. "Vicky, go do your thing first."
Mandy snorted and shook his hand off before walking upstairs.
She casually checked every room before speaking again, "I want the room next to the master bedroom. The lighting's better."
That was my room.
Hilbert hesitated for a second. "Mandy, Vicky's staying there. Pick another one."
"I want that one." Mandy cut him off impatiently. "Hilbert, get this straight. You're the one begging me to come back. If you can't even give me this, then maybe I should just leave."
She turned as if she actually meant it.
Hilbert immediately grabbed her arm. "Alright, alright. You can have it."
Then he looked at me casually. "You can move into the guest room."
Watching him carefully comfort Mandy like she was the most important thing in the world, I felt ridiculous.
"Okay," I said quietly.
I went back to my room and started packing.
Every piece of clothing, every necklace, every luxury item in the room had been bought by Hilbert.
Back then, I thought those things meant he loved me.
Now I finally understood. Material things meant nothing to a man like him. Real love was about who he chose first.
Mandy watched me take down the framed photos on the wall one by one. Suddenly, she snatched one from my hands.
It was a picture from our beach trip last year. Hilbert had carried me on his back while I held a seashell wind chime toward the camera. We were both smiling so happily.
"This is disgusting." Mandy slammed the frame onto the floor.
Glass shattered everywhere. I crouched down instinctively to pick it up, but she stepped directly onto the photo. Her heel crushed Hilbert's face beneath it.
"What are you doing?" I glared at her before I could stop myself.
Mandy ignored me completely and turned toward the servants nearby. "Throw all these pictures away. Looking at them annoys me."
The servants sensed the tension immediately and froze in place.
Right then, Hilbert walked over and frowned at the mess covering the floor.
"Mandy, what are you doing?"
"What? I can't throw away trash now?"
She casually tossed one of my necklaces aside too.
"Hilbert, you said this house would be mine from now on. These pictures bother me. Why shouldn't I throw them out?"
Hilbert stayed silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed. "Throw them away."
At that moment, my heart completely shattered.
Without saying another word, I packed the rest of my things into a box and walked out of the room.
Hilbert's expression darkened. For once, he actually tried to comfort me patiently.
"Mandy's always been like this. Don't take it personally. We can always take more photos later. I can buy you better gifts too."
I pulled my hand away from him. "I understand. You don't have to explain."
That night, I lay awake in the guest room staring at the ceiling. My thoughts were a complete mess.
I knew Hilbert hadn't kicked me out entirely because I still had value.
Then suddenly, faint sounds of heavy breathing came from the master bedroom.
I instantly realized what they were doing. Helplessness crashed over me like a wave.
I covered my ears desperately and buried my face into the pillow as tears silently soaked through the fabric.
- Writer
