Chapter 134 CHAPTER 134
The Quiet Hurt
The curtains were half-drawn, the television silent, the only sound coming from the soft click of plastic beads sliding through Tessa’s fingers as she braided Pretty’s hair.
The little girl sat on the floor between her mother’s knees, humming a tune under her breath. Beside them, Beauty was already half done, her small head glistening with neat cornrows.
“Mommy, can I get pink beads too?” Pretty asked, turning her head a little.
Tessa smiled faintly. “Yes, baby. Same as your sister.”
Beauty grinned. “I told you, Pretty. Pink is the best.”
The twins giggled together, the kind of innocent laughter that made everything around them seem less broken for a moment. Tessa smiled, even though it hurt to. Her fingers moved automatically, part mother’s touch, part muscle memory. She had done this countless times before, but today, it felt like she was holding her breath between every twist.
Outside the open glass doors, she could see Julian in the yard with Kamal and Jamal. The boys chased a football across the lawn, their laughter sharp and free. Julian cheered them on, his shirt sleeves rolled up, his energy loud enough to fill the empty spaces she couldn’t.
“Good shot, Kamal!” he shouted. “That’s my boy!”
Jamal tripped over his own feet, then fell laughing, clutching his stomach. Julian joined him, teasing, “You’re supposed to chase the ball, not tackle the grass!”
The boys’ laughter echoed back into the house, and for a small moment, it steadied Tessa’s heart.
She focused back on the braids. “Hold still, Pretty. Don’t move your head too much, okay?”
“Yes, Mommy,” the girl mumbled obediently, clutching a toy.
The calm didn’t last long.
Heels clicked against the marble floor, slow, deliberate, echoing confidence. The smell of alcohol drifted in before the voice came.
“Well, this looks cozy,” Lila drawled from the doorway.
Tessa froze for half a second before forcing herself to keep braiding. She didn’t look up. She didn’t need to, Lila’s presence was loud enough without words.
Lila walked in wearing a mini skirt so short it shimmered when she moved. Her top was a thin silk blouse tied at the waist, showing off just enough skin to make her intentions clear. A champagne bottle dangled from her fingers, half empty, and her smile was all arrogance.
She didn’t even glance at Tessa as she passed. Instead, she aimed a bright, polished grin toward Lady Bianca.
“My darling!” Lady Bianca exclaimed, rising with a smile that was all teeth and pride. “You’re glowing.”
Lila giggled, setting her bottle down on the center table. “You flatter me, mom. I barely slept.”
“You don’t need sleep when you have youth,” Bianca purred, giving her a once-over. “And you look like the weekend itself.”
Lila laughed again, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “As long as I don’t look like your son’s heartbreak.”
Lady Bianca smirked. “He’s doing better. Slowly. You’ve been a… welcome distraction.”
Across the room, Tessa’s fingers froze on Pretty’s braid. Her heart twisted. She didn’t look up, didn’t speak, she just reached for another bead, pretending not to hear.
Pretty shifted a little. “Mommy, it’s too tight.”
Tessa blinked, loosening her grip. “Sorry, baby. Mommy’s just...”
Beauty turned, watching her mother with worried eyes. “Are you sad again?”
“No,” Tessa lied softly. “Mommy’s okay.”
The sound of footsteps pulled her eyes up, just for a moment.
Ares stepped into the room wearing a white shirt, sleeves rolled up, collar loose, that familiar scent trailing behind him. He didn’t look at her. His expression was unreadable, eyes cold but calm, like a man who had learned how to shut his heart off.
He walked right past her.
Straight to Lila.
“Hey,” he said, voice low.
Lila turned, smile blooming like a practiced flower. “There you are.”
Without hesitation, Ares leaned in and hugged her. It wasn’t long, but it was deliberate. Familiar. The kind of hug that said you’re allowed here.
Tessa’s hands shook. A bead slipped through her fingers and rolled across the floor.
“Ready?” Lila asked, looping her arm through his.
Ares nodded once. “Let’s go.”
“Party time,” she grinned, picking up her champagne.
Lady Bianca’s laughter followed them. “Don’t wait up for us, Tessa. You might cry before bedtime.”
Tessa’s lips pressed together, her face still, her heart screaming.
She watched silently as Ares and Lila walked toward the door. He didn’t look back. Not even once. The twins’ beads clinked faintly in the background.
When the door closed behind them, the silence that followed was worse than shouting.
Lady Bianca sat back down slowly, crossing her legs. Her perfume filled the space like poison. “You know, dear,” she said, voice dripping with fake sympathy, “it’s strange how peace always follows when certain people stop pretending they belong.”
Tessa didn’t respond. She just kept braiding. Twist, pull, bead. Twist, pull, bead.
Bianca continued, smiling at her reflection in a glass frame. “You could’ve had it all if only you’d known your place. But ambition,” she sighed, “is such an ugly trait in a woman who has nothing to offer.”
Julian’s voice echoed faintly from outside, still cheering the boys on. The sound barely reached her now. It was as though every joyful thing had been sealed outside, leaving her to braid in silence and humiliation.
Pretty finally turned to look up at her. “Mommy, are you crying?”
Tessa wiped her cheek quickly. “No, baby. Just dust in my eyes.”
Beauty frowned. “Grandma’s mean.”
“Don’t say that,” Tessa whispered gently, forcing a smile. “She’s still family.”
Lady Bianca chuckled. “Wise words, though coming from you, they sound almost comedic.”
Tessa ignored her, finishing the last braid. Her hands moved slower now. The twins leaned against her legs, one resting her head on her lap.
For a long moment, the only sound was the wind outside and the muffled laughter of the boys.
Lady Bianca rose at last, fixing her earrings. “Well,” she said briskly, “I have a spa appointment. Don’t make a mess of the living room while I’m gone.”
Tessa didn’t reply.
Bianca turned at the doorway, looking her over one last time. “If you’re wise, you’ll start packing soon. Ares deserves peace. Not pity.”
The words hung in the air like smoke.
When she finally left, the silence felt even heavier.
Tessa sat still for a long time, staring at nothing, the comb idle in her hand.
Pretty leaned back against her knee. “Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?”
Tessa swallowed hard. “I don’t know, baby.”
Beauty reached for her hand. “You’re still pretty, Mommy.”
A shaky smile broke through her tears. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
Outside, the sound of Julian’s laughter with the boys grew distant, and the house returned to quiet again, a quiet filled with everything Tessa didn’t say.
She gathered the beads from the floor one by one, each small clink echoing louder than words.
Somewhere far away, the engine of Ares’ car roared to life.
Tessa sat there, still, the hum of that sound carving a fresh wound into her chest.
Then, with trembling hands, she tied the last braid, whispered, “All done,” and kissed her daughter’s head.
The house looked peaceful again. But nothing inside her was.