Leo and Mia burst in, their small faces etched with fury.
“Mommy’s too lazy!” Mia shrieked. “We want Auntie Cassie to take care of us!”
Leo echoed, “Auntie Cassie is gentler than you, more diligent than you, a million times better than
you!”
Dominic’s gaze remained fixed on Elara’s face, as if waiting for her to concede.
But she simply took a deep breath and said softly, “If you think she’s so great, then invite her to stay. I have no objections.”
The air instantly froze.
Dominic’s face darkened completely.
“Are you sure?”
Elara took another deep breath. “Absolutely.”
“Dad, let’s go!” Mia eagerly tugged on Dominic’s sleeve. “I want Auntie Cassie to come over right
now!”
“With Auntie Cassie, we don’t need you anymore!” Leo made a face at Elara. “Go away! Leave this
house!”
Dominic gave Elara one last look. Seeing her still unmoved, he turned and strode out with the
children.
Elara stood rooted to the spot, listening to the sound of the car engine fading into the distance, and gently closed her eyes.
Soon, she would grant their wish.
To leave them completely, to leave this home.
The day Cassandra moved in, she immediately directed the housekeepers to redecorate the living
room.
“This sofa set is too somber,” she said, her slender fingers lightly brushing the leather. She turned to Dominic with a soft smile. “Dominic, how about we get a cream-colored one?”
3:46 pm
Dominic didn’t bat an eye, simply instructing Mrs. Gable, “Do as Ms. Sterling says.”
Elara stood at the top of the stairs, watching the workers carry out the sofa she had carefully chosen just six months prior.
Leo and Mia trailed behind Cassandra like two excited puppies, pointing and exclaiming, “Auntie Cassie, this cushion needs to go too! Mommy’s was so ugly!”
Cassandra gently stroked their heads. “Alright, we’ll change everything.”
Elara’s fingers tightened slightly, but then quickly relaxed.
Those cushions were ones she had painstakingly sewn stitch by stitch during her pregnancy, stuffed with hypoallergenic down because the children had sensitive skin when they were little.
Now, they were unceremoniously tossed into the trash.
Over the next few days, the house grew increasingly unfamiliar.
At the dining table, Cassandra sat in Elara’s usual spot, gently serving the children.
Dominic would occasionally pour her a cup of coffee himself, his long fingers gently pushing it
toward her, his eyes holding a softness Elara had never received.
In the evenings, the living room lights would dim, and the four of them would crowd onto the sofa to
watch movies.
Mia would be curled in Cassandra’s lap, Leo leaning against Dominic’s shoulder, their laughter
echoing through the room.
When Elara walked past, they wouldn’t even glance at her, as if she were invisible.
Even more absurd, Dominic, Leo, and Mia had once been meticulously particular about their quality
of life.
But now?
She watched Cassandra casually toss his multi-million dollar Patek Philippe watch face down on the coffee table, and he just indulgently let her; she watched the children happily wear their school uniforms, thrown into the washing machine by Cassandra, with yesterday’s sauce still clinging to the collars; she watched Cassandra pour takeout onto plates and claim she cooked it, and no one ever
3:46 pm
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