Chapter 155 Battle for Mommy's Love Part II

Chapter 155 Battle for Mommy's Love Part II
Ashley POV

"Carmen!" I whispered. "What are the odds!"

"Hello, Ashley." Carmen smiled, but something cold flickered in her eyes. "I saw you get invited into Sarah's house last night. I felt so relieved knowing you'd found your mother." She paused, studying my face. "So... How are you settling in with your new family?"

I looked over at Lily, who was now showing Linda her pathetic ribbon collection, and felt that familiar surge of irritation. "Terrible. She has everything. Beautiful clothes, expensive toys, everyone doting on her. And Sarah..." I swallowed hard. "Sarah's having a baby. Soon I'll have to compete with Lily and a new baby for attention."

Carmen nodded thoughtfully. "That does sound challenging."

"It gets worse," I continued desperately. "They're moving tomorrow, to some big new house. If Lily comes with us..." I shuddered. "I'll never get Sarah to myself. Carmen, you have to help me. You said you know Sarah well. Can't you do something? If you don't take Lily away now, I'll be stuck with her in the new place forever!"

Carmen was quiet for a moment, then her face brightened with what looked like inspiration. "There is a way to give you some quality time with Sarah. Just the two of you, like a real mother and daughter should have."

My pulse quickened. "How?"

"Well," Carmen said carefully, "I have a place in the countryside, away from the city. Lily might enjoy a little vacation there while you and Sarah bond properly."

I stared at her, hardly daring to believe it. "You'd really do that?"

"Of course, dear. I care about Sarah's happiness, and I can see how much this situation is troubling you. The thing is, we'd need to make this look like Lily's choice. If Sarah thinks we're forcing her daughter away, she'll never forgive us."

"But how do we make Lily want to leave?"

Carmen reached into her purse and pulled out a small packet. "This is just a mild relaxant. A tiny amount mixed into a drink will make Lily more... agreeable to suggestions. Just enough to help her see that spending some time with me might be fun."

I took the packet, examining it. The plan was forming in my mind, and it was beautiful. A few days without Lily, time for Sarah to see how much better life could be with just me as her daughter. By the time Lily came back, Sarah would realize who truly deserved her love.

After that, I couldn't focus on shopping anymore. I grabbed Linda's arm. "I'm tired. Can we go home now?"

We checked out quickly, and soon we were heading home. When we got home laden with bags, Sarah was just finishing lunch preparations. "Perfect timing," she said, smiling at us. "How was the shopping?"

"Ashley was very... enthusiastic about her choices," Linda said diplomatically.

I dragged my bags over to Sarah, eager to show off. "Mommy, look what I picked out for you!" I held up a bag of gourmet chocolates I'd grabbed. "These are all special things I chose just for you!"

Sarah's face lit up. "Oh, sweetheart, that's so thoughtful of you!" She pulled me into a hug, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.

Then Lily appeared with her stupid ribbons. "Mommy, I got these for your designs. I thought you might like the colors."

"Oh, Lily, these are gorgeous!" Sarah examined the ribbons with the same enthusiasm she'd shown for my chocolates. "These will be perfect for some pieces I'm working on. You have such a good eye."

I gritted my teeth and muttered under my breath, "Show-off."

Sarah called us all to lunch, but I could barely concentrate on eating. My mind kept wandering to the packet in my pocket and Carmen's promise. Just a few hours, and my biggest obstacle would be gone.

After lunch, Sarah announced she needed to meet with the moving company and pick up some paperwork from a testing facility. "Mom, would you mind staying here with the girls and continuing to pack? We still have so much to organize for tomorrow's move. I shouldn't be gone too long."

"Of course, dear. We'll be fine."

As soon as Sarah left, I turned to Lily. "Want to play house? I know some really fun games."

Lily nodded eagerly, and we set up in the living room. I made sure to be extra nice, sharing toys and letting her have the good roles. Then, after we'd played for a while, I suggested we switch roles.

"Now I want to be the mommy," I announced. "And since I'm the mommy, we should dress the part. Let's trade clothes!"

Lily hesitated, looking down at her pretty dress. "But..."

"Come on, if I'm the mommy, I should look nice. And you'll be the kid, so you can wear my simpler clothes."

Eventually, she agreed. Soon I was wearing her beautiful dress, much better quality than anything I'd ever owned, while she wore my plain outfit.

"Now," I said, "as the mommy, I think we should have a special drink to celebrate our game."

I went to the kitchen and prepared two glasses of juice. In Lily's, I emptied the entire packet Carmen had given me. Insurance was important. Better to use too much than too little.

"Here you go," I said sweetly, handing Lily her glass.

She drank it without question, trusting me completely. Within minutes, I could see the change. Her eyes became unfocused, and she swayed slightly where she sat.

"Are you okay?" I asked, though I was secretly pleased.

"I feel... weird," she mumbled.

"You know what? As your mommy, I think you need some fresh air. Let's go outside for a walk."

"I should tell Grandma Linda..."

"Oh, she's busy cleaning for tomorrow's move. Let's not bother her."

Lily tried to protest, but her words were slurred. "I don't think... we shouldn't go without..."

This little brat. Even drugged, she's still so cautious.

I put on my sweetest voice. "But I'm the parent now, remember? I'm responsible for you. Trust me!"

Lily swayed, the drug clearly affecting her judgment. "But... how do we sneak out without getting caught?"

"Who said anything about sneaking?" I smiled. "I noticed this morning you came in from outside. You don't sleep here at night, do you?"

Lily nodded slowly. "I sleep... next door..."

"Exactly! So you just say you need to get some things from your room next door to pack them up. That way we can go out perfectly normally, right?"

Lily opened her mouth to respond, but only confused mumbling came out. The drug was working perfectly.

I didn't wait for her to figure it out. "Grandma!" I called out loudly toward the rooms where Linda was packing. "Lily and I are going next door to play!"

Linda's voice came back from the bedroom. "Okay, honey. The keys are on the counter by the door if you need them!"

I called back an acknowledgment but didn't bother with the keys. We weren't going next door.

Lily leaned heavily on me as we left the apartment. "Where... where are we going?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"To meet a friend of mine. You'll like her."

"I think... I think I should go back..."

"Don't worry. We'll be back soon."

I guided her through the building and down to the maintenance area Carmen had described. Sure enough, there was a white van parked near the equipment room. I knocked on the side door, and it slid open to reveal Carmen's smiling face.

"You did very well, Ashley," she said, reaching out to help lift Lily into the van.

I brushed off my hands, satisfied. "Alright, Lily's all yours for the next few days. Remember to let Sarah know."

Carmen's smile grew wider. "Oh, don't worry about that, dear. I'll handle all the explanations."

I was about to step away when Carmen's hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. "Actually, why don't you come inside for just a moment? There's something I want to show you."

Before I could protest, she pulled me into the van. The door slammed shut behind us, and suddenly the space felt much smaller and more threatening.

"Hey!" I struggled against her grip. "Let me go! I'm not going to the countryside!"

Carmen's laugh was cold and ugly. "Oh, you sweet, stupid child. Did you really think I was Sarah's friend? That was just a story to get you to help me."

Panic shot through me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Carmen said, reaching for something behind her, "that you've been very useful, and you still are."

She pulled out a cloth that reeked of some sharp chemical smell. I tried to scream, but Carmen pressed it over my nose and mouth before I could make a sound.