"Yasmine, come in quickly. What are you doing standing at the door?" he called out.
Hailey seized the moment, her expression turning triumphant as she looked down at me. "Why don't you come in? It's so hot outside. Do you want the mosquitoes to come in and bite me?"
My mother-in-law, Susan, stood by, arms crossed, her face a mask of dissatisfaction. The weight of my luggage felt unbearable, so I dropped it and marched upstairs, my heart pounding with anger and hurt. The house that once felt like a sanctuary now seemed alien, filled with strangers who had taken my place.
"What's gotten into you?" Susan's voice followed me, sharp and accusing. Chris, finally sensing my distress, hurried after me. He grabbed my arm, his touch both familiar and foreign.
"Yasmine, listen to me. Hailey is just staying for a while," he said, his voice pleading.
I whirled around to face him, my eyes blazing. "So you knew she was here all along?"
Chris's hand trembled as he held mine, guilt etched into his features. "I, I just found out too," he stammered, but his eyes betrayed him.