My Mother's Husband Is My Sugar daddy

Chapter 10

Adriana's Emotional Switch

The next evening, she met Francis at a rooftop restaurant that overlooked the city skyline. The wind played gently with the hem of her emerald dress, her earrings swayed with each turn of her head. Francis stood as she arrived, kissing the back of her hand.

"You look exquisite," he said.

They talked about business, losses, and about raising children. He told her he had no kids but always wanted them. She told him about Adriana, about Dotan, and about the weight she carried. She felt very safe and comfortable with him.

His eyes were gentle. "You've done well. Raising a daughter on your own? That's strength."

As the evening ended, he didn't push. He just walked her to her car, opened the door, and smiled. "Thank you for tonight."

Adriana was waiting when she returned home, lounging on the couch with popcorn. "Well?"

Luci leaned against the door, dreamy. "He was… nice."

"You like him, I can tell. Your eyes are glowing."

Luci smacked her arm playfully. "Go to bed."

The glow didn't fade, not the next day, not the day after that. Francis began to call, to send flowers and to ask about Adriana. He didn't push. He was patient and gentle.

Adriana noticed the change in her mother. The way she hummed while cooking, the little bounce in her step. Luci even bought a new dress, wine red with lace sleeves. One afternoon, Adriana snuck a photo and captioned it, "Hot mama alert."

Luci gasped when she saw it online. "Take that down!"

Adriana laughed. "Too late mum, you already got 78 likes in 10 minutes."

And so it began, a season of renewal and new love. However, Adriana began to switch emotionally. The house used to be quiet, but comforting, but now it just felt empty. Adriana sat cross-legged on her bed, the pale blue light from her phone casting an eerie glow across her face as she scrolled mindlessly through her feed. She paused on a meme, then skipped it without even smiling. The laughter that once came easily now felt distant.

It had been months since Luci started dating Francis.

Adriana had been the one who nudged her mother toward the relationship. She remembered the way her mother used to stare into nothing after putting her to bed, those long nights Luci sat curled up on the couch with a photo of Dotan pressed to her chest. Adriana would pretend not to notice, but her ears caught every muffled sob, and her heart, even as a child, had cracked each time. So when Francis came along, and she noticed how her mother's shoulders softened, how the shadows under her eyes began to fade, she encouraged her.

But now, she wasn't so sure.

Luci's laughter echoed faintly from the living room. Adriana stared at the door, a tight knot forming in her chest. That laugh used to be for her. Now, most evenings, her mother and Francis were either on a call, out at dinner, or at his place watching movies while Adriana live-streamed upstairs or buried herself in t****k.

She didn't say anything at first. She told herself she was just being silly. Her mother deserved happiness, and that's what she wanted for her, right?

But then came the silence, some evenings when Luci forgot to ask how her school presentation went. The nights she came home later than usual, smelling of wine and peppermints. Adriana felt something shift, like the space she used to fill was now occupied by someone else. It hurts more than she wanted to admit.

One evening, as Luci and Francis giggled over something on the phone while she was in the kitchen, Adriana walked in, grabbed a soda from the fridge, and turned to leave without a word.

"Hey, sweetheart," Luci called, "Come say hi to Francis."

Adriana didn't even flinch. She walked straight past her, not sparing a glance.

Luci gave a nervous laugh. "She's just moody sometimes."

But it wasn't just moodiness. Snide remarks started to slip into Adriana's sentences.

"Going out again?" she would mutter with her eyes glued to her screen.

"You should marry him already and get it over with."

"Don't worry about dinner. I've learned how to feed myself."

Luci tried to brush it off but it stung.

Then came the evening Luci decided to formally introduce Francis to Adriana in the living room.

He wore a crisp navy blue shirt and dark jeans, trying to look approachable. His smile was warm as always.

"Hello, Adriana," he said, extending his hand. "It's nice to finally see you. Your mom's told me a lot about you."

Adriana barely glanced at him. "Cool."

Luci sat forward. "Baby, he's being nice, don't be rude."

"I'm not being rude," Adriana replied flatly. "I just don't care."

The air in the room stiffened. Francis's smile faltered and Luci's heart thudded with dread.

Later that night, when Francis had

left, Luci cornered Adriana in her room.

"What was that about?" she asked, her voice low but firm.

Adriana didn't look up from her phone. "Nothing."

"No, don't do that. You've been acting cold for weeks. Now you can't even pretend to be polite?"

"I don't like him," Adriana snapped.

Luci blinked. "Why?"

"Because you're not my mother anymore when he's around!" she shouted, rising from her bed. "You don't have time for me anymore. It's like I'm invisible unless you need to show me off."

Luci stared, stunned. "That's not fair, I've always been here for you."

"Not anymore," Adriana whispered, voice cracking. "Not since him."

Luci sat on the edge of the bed, her hands trembling. "Baby, I love you. Francis doesn't change that."

Tears brimmed in Adriana's eyes. "You said we'd always be together. That it was just the two of us."

"It's still the both of us; nothing is changing, Adriana," Luci said softly. "But I'm human too, I get lonely."

There was a long silence.

"I just want my mom back," Adriana said, voice almost childlike.

Luci reached out and pulled her into a hug. "I'm still here, baby. Always."

They had to postpone the engagement because of Adriana's change in behavior. Luci couldn't go ahead knowing her daughter felt abandoned.