Chapter 112 Worst Mother Ever
Leitana startled, letting out a small yelp as the hand touched her shoulder. Her eyes flew open, heart jumping then instantly softened when she saw Clara’s round, worried face.
“Are you okay, missus?” Clara asked, brow raised, her voice gentle and soft like she was talking to some spooked animal.
Leitana blinked, nodding quickly. “Mi okay, Clara. Jus’… tinking too much.”
Clara studied her for a second longer, then her expression shifted, understanding.
Then shouts drifted from upstairs and Lelitana frowned. “What's going on Clara?’ she asked.
“That’s why I was looking for you,” she said, lowering her voice. “They’ve been at it since the Master left. Avery and your mother… quarreling, very Loudly and I think it’s getting worse.”
Leitana’s stomach dropped.
Shouts, raised voices echoed faintly from upstairs now that she was listening. Avery’s voice, sharp and raw. Their mother’s, quieter, trembling, but fighting back.
Leitana pushed off the wall and hurried toward the stairs, bare feet slapping the floor . Clara hurried after her.
“Careful, Leitana!” Clara called as Leitana nearly tripped on the third step, heel catching the edge.
Leitana didn’t slow.
She reached the guest hallway and followed the voices to the open door of her mother's room.
Inside was chaos.
Avery stood in the center, face flushed red, tears streaming, chest heaving.
“You’re such a scared bitch all the time!” Avery screamed, voice cracking. “You let him do whatever he wants! You let him hurt us! You let him kill Leroy right in front of me and you did nothing!”
Alyssa’s hand cracked across Avery’s cheek.
The sound echoed through the room.
Avery froze, hand flying to her face, eyes wide with shock and fury. For one terrible second, her arm twitched like she was going to hit back.
Leitana rushed in.
“Stop!”
Both women turned.
Avery’s eyes were wild, tears and rage mixing. “Well look who’s here. The more reasonable daughter. Maybe you can talk sense into this thing you call a mother.”
Leitana stepped between them, heart hammering so hard she could feel it in her throat.
“What’s going on?” she asked, voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.
Avery laughed, the sound bitter “She knows. She knows the plan. And she’s choosing him over us like I expected”
Alyssa’s face crumpled, but her voice came out sharp. “So you plan to deceive your father…”
Avery exploded. “Don’t you dare call him our father! A father doesn’t kill his daughter’s boyfriend in front of her! A father doesn’t abuse his child for years! A father doesn’t threaten to murder an entire family just to keep control!”
Leitana looked from one to the other, chest tight.
Alyssa's eyes filled with tears. “He’s still your father. And when he finds out this is all a lie, that you lied to him about Ravial not wanting Leitana anymore, what do you think he’ll do? He’ll destroy everything. Everyone.”
Leitana’s stomach twisted.
She understood now.
Avery had told their mother the plan hoping for an ally like Letiana thought they would get from their mother
And Alyssa had chosen fear instead.
She turned to Leitana, her voice shaking. “And you… you allowed her to rope you into this? You’re letting her drag you into danger?”
Avery’s laugh was ugly. “You make me sick. You don’t care about us. You’re just his puppet. You’ll report right back to your sick husband. That’s why I can never pity you.”
Leitana looked at her mother, really looked at her.
Alyssa was trembling. Eyes down. Hands twisting the hem of her dress.
Leitana stepped closer, her voice soft.
“Plis help us, Mama,” she said quietly. “Papa… he bad person. Mi know yu wan leave him too.”
Alyssa’s head jerked up, eyes wide.
“No,” she whispered. “Your father… he’s worse than you think.”
Avery laughed again, harsh, broken. “Worse? You think we don’t know? You think we haven’t lived it?”
Leitana didn’t look away from their mother.
“Mama,” she said again, gentle but firm “He hurt yu. He hurt Avery. He hurt mi before mi even know him. He take Leroy. He threaten Mathew. He send yu here to spy. But yu still call him husband. Why?”
Alyssa’s lip trembled.
“Because if I don’t…” she whispered, “he’ll take everything. He always does.”
Leitana reached out, slowly and took her mother’s trembling hand.
“Den let us take it back,” she said softly. “Together.”
Alyssa stared at her, long and searching.
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
Leitana squeezed her hand.
“Mi know. Mi scared too. But mi no wan live scared anymore. Mi wan live free.”
Avery stood frozen, tears still falling, watching the two of them.
Alyssa looked from Leitana to Avery then back again.
And for the first time in years… she didn’t look away.
“I…” she started, voice breaking. “I don’t know if I can.”
Leitana smiled, small, kind and full of quiet strength.
“Den we help yu learn.”
She looked at Avery.
Avery stared back, chest heaving, eyes red-rimmed and glistening. But something shifted.
Something small.
Something fragile.
But something.
Leitana turned to her mother.
“Stay,” she said simply. “Stay wid us. No spy. No report. Jus’… stay. And see.”
Alyssa’s breath hitched, sharp and unsteady.
She looked at Avery.
Avery stared back.
No words.
Just silence—thick, heavy, aching.
Then Avery shook her head, voice cracking. “I can’t. I can’t do that. You don’t know him like I do.”
Leitana sighed, soft and resigned. She squeezed her mother’s hand once more—gentle, lingering—then let go.
And stepped back.
Giving her space.
Because some things couldn’t be forced.
Some things had to choose themselves.
And maybe, just maybe, this time… they would.
Suddenly a different voice broke the choking silence.
“Excuse me, missus.”
Leitana turned. Clara stood in the doorway, hands clasped nervously in front of her apron.
“There’s a young girl with a man here to see you, missus.”
Leitana nodded once. She glanced at her mother one last time, but Alyssa had already looked away, eyes fixed on the window, shoulders trembling.
“T’ank yu, Clara. Mi come down soon,” Leitana said quietly.
Clara dipped her head, eyes flickering between the three women with unspoken sympathy. Then she nodded and slipped away, the door clicking softly behind her.
Leitana exhaled—a long, weary breath—and walked out, footsteps fading down the hall.
Avery stared at the closed door for a heartbeat.
Then she turned to her mother.
“You’re the worst mother ever,” she said, voice low and shaking with fury and hurt.
She didn’t wait for a reply.
She walked out, slamming the door behind her with a crack that echoed through the room like a gunshot.
Alyssa stood frozen for one trembling second.
Then her knees buckled.
She sank to the floor in a heap, hands clutching at her chest as if trying to hold her heart together.
Tears came fast and silent at first—then louder, broken sobs that shook her whole body.
She pressed her forehead to the cool wood floor and cried like she hadn’t cried in years.
All alone.