“Certainly,” she replies in a contemptuous tone.
I hear them coming into the living room, and I have to breathe deeply to calm down.
She never thought me worthy of her beloved son, let alone now that she knows I’ll give her a grandson.
The painkiller’s effect is over, and the excruciating pain almost makes me cry. I get up and pour myself a glass of water, preparing to take the pill. I know I should eat first, but I can’t resist anymore.
Suddenly my hand is slapped so hard that I lose my grip on the painkiller. It flies to the other side of the kitchen. The glass falls to the ground, breaking into a thousand pieces.
“What the hell...” I manage to say, surprised.
“Are you crazy? You shouldn’t take pills while pregnant if you really are. Or is it just a trick to keep my son tied to you?”
“Who the hell do you think you are? This behavior of yours is starting to tire me. I can’t stand you, and you can’t stand me! Why the fuck are you here?”
“Watch how you talk. I’m still your mother-in-law.”
“Unfortunately!” I answer her. My head is bursting, and my side hurts. My head starts to spin.
“At least it’s Jeremy’s?” she asks, looking at Danny and me in turn.
“Ma’am, what are you trying...” Danny starts, but I interrupt him.
“I don’t understand what I did to you to deserve being treated like this. I’m disgusted by your behavior. I’ll tell you this once, and I hope you understand it.” My vision starts to blur, and I feel faint. “I’ve never cheated on Jeremy and never will. I can’t say the same for your son. Now please, that’s the door. Get the fuck out and never come back. If you continue to treat me like this, I give you my word that you’ll see your grandson only in photos.” I cling to a chair so as not to lose my balance and begin to tremble. Danny runs up to me. Ingrid tries to support me, but I pull away.
Danny helps me sit on the sofa. He brings me a painkiller and a new glass of water. After a few minutes, I start to feel a little better. Ingrid is still there, sitting at the table in the living room, watching me. Danny brings me an ice pack to put on my side. As I lie down, my shirt rises slightly, showing part of the hematoma. I lower it suddenly, but it’s too late. Ingrid has already seen.
She gets up and leaves.
As Danny finishes cooking, the gate bell rings.
“Are you waiting for someone?” I ask him. Ingrid has the gate card, so I would have found it already in the house.
“Yes.” He answers and goes to open the door.
“Hi, Danny. This place is beautiful.”
“Isn’t it? And to think that if I had arrived earlier, it would have been mine.”
“Nooo, was this it?”
“Yes. Zoë, come here.”
Obviously, the puppy has other plans. Zoë comes straight to me.
“Hello, little one.” I greet her by scratching her behind the ears as Danny and another man enter the house.
“Hailey, this is Andrew or Drew. He’s my best friend and brother.”
“Hi, Drew. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I didn’t know you had a brother.” I greet him by extending my hand, which Drew shakes with ease.
“Hi, Hailey. I’ve heard a lot about you. Believe me, the pleasure is all mine. I finally know the girl who made this recluse fall in love, “he says, smiling and turning to Danny. “You’re really an asshole. You said she was beautiful, but here we’re beyond beauty.”
“Be careful, she’s mine.”
“You know I’d never allow myself.”
I burst out laughing as I hear their exchange.
