A deep, suffocating sadness crashed over me like a tidal wave, raw and unrelenting. Every breath felt like agony, a dull ache pressing against my chest.
But I swallowed it down. This pain was mine alone to bear.
Without sparing me another glance, Hugo and Jasper turned away, focusing solely on Ava as they carefully led her out.
The moment their figures disappeared through the doorway, a single thought echoed in my mind: just two more days, and I would finally be free.
At the first light of dawn, I slipped out the door.
At the fresh market, I picked out a plump chicken, a softshell turtle, and a bag of high-calcium milk powder, things the elderly needed.
After marriage, my in-laws had always treated me like their own daughter, warm and kind.
Before I left for good, I wanted to see them one last time.
As I stepped through the familiar doorway, my mother-in-law greeted me with a bright smile.
“Audrey, what brings you here on a random day like this?”
I let out a light laugh. “What? Mom, you don’t want to see me?”