It hadn’t taken her long to learn the rules. Back then, she could feign discomfort and he would carry her back inside, guilt etched on his face.
But this time was different.
Yesterday, everything had changed.
Evelyn and Charlotte had fought—words sharp enough to cut, leaving deep wounds. Charlotte had hurled cruel insults, accusing Evelyn of being manipulative, of worming her way into Christopher’s life and ruining their bond.
“You’re just like your mother,” Charlotte had sneered. “Pathetic, unwanted. No wonder your father left her—and you.”
Evelyn couldn’t hold back. Years of life on her own had given her a sharp tongue and she let loose with biting retorts that left Charlotte visibly shaken.
But then Charlotte had done the unthinkable. With a shove, she’d sent Evelyn tumbling down the staircase, leaving her knee bruised and swollen.
And, as if on cue, Charlotte had played the victim perfectly. The moment Christopher appeared, she clutched her chest, gasping, feigning a heart episode.
“She attacked me,” Charlotte had cried, her voice trembling.
Christopher hadn’t even looked at Evelyn before sweeping Charlotte into his arms and rushing her to the hospital.