Chapter 23
Abigail
+35 BONUS
I waited for Conrad to protest, like he always seemed to do when it came to Susanna, but to my surprise he said nothing. Then again, there was no mistaking the weight of Alexander’s words, or the look in his eyes- he wasn’t asking for permission, not that anyone in this family ever truly did.
Alexander turned to me, his expression contemplative. “Abigall,” he said, his voice low. “Thank you, I’ve heard from everyone how helpful you’ve been, looking after Susanna during… everything” He hesitated briefly, his tone softening “I owe you a great debt.”
I barely had time to respond before the door to the master bedroom swung open, and out stepped Susanna. Her face was a mess of tears, her voice cracking as she pleaded, Alexander, please don’t take me home yet. It’s been so hard. You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
I hadn’t expected Susanna to show up. Seeing the tears streaming down her face now, it occurred to me she’d hidden herself away in the master bedroom to avoid her husband. Maybe she’d had a suspicion on what he was going to do.
Her wide, tear–streaked eyes shifted to me, and I felt a stab of cold irritation. “Abigail has been so kind,” she said, her voice trembling. “She’s taken such good care of me, we’ve become so close. I don’t want to leave her. She’s been like a sister to me.”
1 let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking my head. I couldn’t help it–I felt the sarcasm slip past my lips, sharp and biting. “Close?” I repeated, my voice laced with mock sweetness. “Of course, you wouldn’t want to leave, Susanna, not when you’ve made yourself so comfortable. Why would you, when you’ve even moved into my bedroom?”
Susanna looked startled, but I didn’t stop. The words felt bitter on my tongue, but they were the truth. I had no patience for this woman’s fake innocence anymore. “Now that it’s time for you to leave, what’s your plan? Are you thinking of taking me along with you? Is your next move to put me in your husband’s master bedroom as well?”
Before I could say anything else, Conrad immediately stepped forward, his voice quick and defensive. “There’s no way my wife would live in someone else’s room,” he said firmly. His words were directed at Susanna, but his eyes flickered briefly to me trying to guess how far my anger might go. “Abigail is still recovering from her injury,” he added, his tone softening slightly. “She can’t be expected to take care of anyone right now.”
He turned back to Susanna. “I think it’s best if you and your sister stay at my private medical villa for a while. It’s close to the hospital, and you’ll be more comfortable there.”
First my home, and now the villa? Even now when her husband was back, it was all for Susanna. Always for Susanna. Was there anything he wouldn’t do for her?
Marceline emerged from the direction of the dining room, her sharp eyes sweeping across the scene. She wasn’t one to be left out of the conversation, and her voice came out clear and cutting as she spoke. “Susanna shouldn’t have been staying with Conrad in the first place,” she said pointedly. “It’s not appropriate.”
“Wait a minute,” Alexander said, his voice deceptively calm “Are you saying it’s Conrad who’s been staving with my
and not Abigail?” He turned his narrowed eyes on Conrad now. “Why is Conrad deciding whe
live?”
wife
Marceline opened her mouth, but Conrad cut in hastily, his words tumbling over themselves in his rush to explain. “It wasn’t like that,” he said, holding his hands up as though to ward off Alexander’s judgement.” Susanna needed help, that’s all. She’s pregnant, Alexander. I was only trying to make things easier for her.” He turned to me then, his voice touched with desperation. “Abigail was the one looking after her, not me.
Her
Chapter 23
absence in the house lately was only because she got injured. That’s all.”
+25 BONUS
A small laugh bubbled up from the back of my throat, though it was far from pleasant. He was trying too hard. He was too busy protecting Susanna’s image to see how ridiculous his words sounded. I couldn’t help but narrow my
eyes at him.
Susanna chimed in, her voice soft and apologetic. “It’s tru” she said, wringing her hands together. “It’s my fault Abigail left. I accidentally broke a plate, and I must have upset her. I. I just haven’t been able to focus properly during this pregnancy.” Her voice broke on the last word, and she looked at me with wide, watery eyes. ” I just hope Abigail isn’t mad at me anymore.”
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to snap. Was she serious? What a silly excuse at rewriting history. So, it wasn’t Lilian bringing the police to my house, her framing for theft or Susanna’s bold claim that my jewelry set was a secondhand reject that had me leave, but it was the broken fruit platter?
Alexander raised an eyebrow at Susanna’s words as he turned to her, his expression resolute. “Abigail’s always been generous, almost to a fault,” he said, never once losing his composure. “She wouldn’t leave her home over something as trivial as a broken plate. If she left, it wasn’t because of that.”
Unease entered Susanna’s eyes, but Alexander wasn’t done. “But if it’s true you upset her,” he continued, his tone growing sharper, “have you apologized to her?”
with
My breath caught at his words. Alexander didn’t turn to me but his trust in my character made my eyes burn sudden tears. He believed me, even without hearing my side. That simple trust felt like the warmest light filling every inch of me. He was standing up for me. For once, someone in this house was asking the hard questions and challenging Susanna’s silly claims. It felt like a relief so great; I couldn’t even breathe for a moment.
Susanna’s face tightened, her smile forced and brittle. “I’ve apologized, of course,” she said, her voice a little too sweet. “But I don’t think Abigail would want to hold it against me.”
I found my voice then, though it trembled slightly. I wasn’t about to let her get away with that. I wasn’t about to pretend like everything was fine just because she wanted me to. “No, Susanna. You haven’t apologized to me. Not for that, or for anything else.”
Alexander finally turned to me, his dark eyes softening, “Then perhaps she should,” he said simply, before fixing Susanna with a piercing stare. “So, Susanna, if you upset her, you need to apologize properly. Do you understand?”
it
The silence that followed his words was deafening. Susanna was a master at playing the victim, but this time, wasn’t going to work. Her smile dropped as she opened her mouth, forcing the words out. “I…I’m sorry, Abigail. I truly apologize if I’ve ever made you feel uncomfortable.”
I could see it in her eyes–she wasn’t sorry. She was only sorry she’d gotten caught. But it didn’t even matter to me right now. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt like someone truly had my back. Alexander had chosen me. He was willing to call out the truth. He was willing to stand by me, even if it meant facing the uncomfortable truths that the rest of them had been dancing around for far too long.
He believed me, and that meant so much more than I would ever be able to put into words.
