Chapter 92 The House Didn’t Feel Like Home Anymore
Lilibeth didn’t speak the entire ride home.
Not when the car pulled out of the school gate.
Not when her mother took a call and ended it halfway through.
Not even when they passed three turns that didn’t lead directly to their house.
She just sat there, staring out the window like she was trying to decide something.
Her mother finally spoke when they reached the driveway.
“You’ve been ignoring me.”
Lilibeth didn’t look at her.
“I’ve been busy.”
The engine turned off.
Silence settled inside the car.
Heavy.
Her mother turned slightly in her seat.
“You’re walking around with people I don’t trust,” she said.
Lilibeth let out a quiet breath.
“You don’t trust anyone.”
That wasn’t the right response.
They both knew it.
Her mother stepped out of the car without another word.
That was worse than shouting.
Lilibeth followed a second later.
The house looked the same.
Nothing changed on the outside.
But the moment she stepped in, she felt it.
Something was off.
Voices.
Not loud.
But present.
Lilibeth froze slightly.
“We have guests?” she asked.
Her mother didn’t answer immediately.
She just walked ahead.
That was enough warning.
Lilibeth dropped her bag slowly and stepped into the living room.
And stopped.
A man was sitting there.
Calm. Comfortable. Like he belonged in the space.
She didn’t recognize him.
But something about him felt familiar in the wrong way.
He looked up.
And smiled slightly.
“There she is,” he said.
Lilibeth’s brows pulled together.
“Do I know you?”
Her mother finally spoke.
“You should.”
That answer did nothing but make things worse.
The man stood up.
Not rushed.
Measured.
“You’ve grown,” he said.
Lilibeth didn’t move.
Didn’t smile.
Didn’t pretend.
“Okay, stop,” she said. “Who are you?”
The man exchanged a quick glance with her mother.
Then looked back at Lilibeth.
“I’m your father.”
Silence.
It didn’t land softly.
It didn’t even land clearly.
It just… dropped.
Lilibeth blinked once.
Then laughed.
A short, sharp sound.
“No,” she said immediately.
Her mother didn’t correct him.
Didn’t interrupt.
Didn’t deny it.
That made it worse.
Lilibeth’s expression shifted.
Slowly.
“You’re lying,” she said, quieter now.
The man shook his head once.
“No,” he replied.
Her hands clenched at her sides.
“You’ve never been here,” she said. “Ever.”
“I’ve been around,” he answered.
That was not the right thing to say.
Lilibeth stepped back slightly.
“Don’t do that,” she said. “Don’t act like this is normal.”
Her mother finally stepped in.
“Sit down,” she said.
Lilibeth turned to her.
“No.”
That came out sharper than anything else she’d said.
“You don’t get to decide this for me,” she continued. “You don’t get to just bring someone here and say—”
“He’s your father,” her mother cut in.
Silence.
The man didn’t interrupt.
Didn’t defend himself.
Just watched.
That somehow made it worse.
Lilibeth shook her head slowly.
“No,” she repeated. “No, this doesn’t just happen like this.”
Her mother’s voice lowered.
“It’s happening now.”
That hit.
Not loudly.
But directly.
Lilibeth looked between them.
Then back at him.
“You left,” she said.
The man didn’t deny it.
“I had reasons,” he replied.
Lilibeth laughed again.
But this time it wasn’t sharp.
It was empty.
“They always have reasons,” she said.
Silence stretched.
Her mother stepped closer.
“You need to listen.”
Lilibeth turned to her.
“I’ve been listening my whole life,” she said. “That’s the problem.”
The man finally spoke again.
“I didn’t come back for nothing.”
That made her look at him.
Really look at him this time.
“Then why now?” she asked.
A pause.
Because whatever the answer was…
It wasn’t simple.
“Because things are starting to shift,” he said.
Lilibeth froze.
Not because of what he said.
Because of how he said it.
Like he already knew something she didn’t.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“What does that mean?”
He didn’t answer directly.
“It means you need to be careful who you stand next to,” he said.
Lenora’s face flashed in her mind instantly.
Lilibeth’s jaw tightened.
“This is about my friends?” she asked.
Her mother stepped in again.
“It’s about everything,” she said.
That didn’t help.
Lilibeth stepped back again.
Creating space.
Distance.
Control.
“No,” she said. “You don’t get to come back after all this time and start telling me who to trust.”
The man didn’t raise his voice.
Didn’t argue.
“I’m not telling you who to trust,” he said.
A pause.
“I’m telling you not everyone around you is what they seem.”
That landed wrong.
Too vague.
Too intentional.
Lilibeth shook her head.
“I’m not doing this,” she said.
She turned.
Started walking away.
Her mother’s voice followed her.
“Running won’t fix this.”
Lilibeth didn’t stop.
Didn’t turn.
“It’s not running,” she said.
A pause.
“It’s choosing what I deal with first.”
And right now…
This wasn’t it.
She needed air.
She needed space.
She needed something that made sense.
Because this?
This didn’t.
Not even a little.
And the worst part?
A small, quiet part of her…
Believed him.