Chapter 41 Momma's Help

Chapter 41 Momma's Help
Aellorah

I woke to the low sound of Max’s growling voice, “No, the same rule applies for all of you—stick together and watch each other’s backs. We have to be ready for whatever Blackwood Senior throws our way.”

I shifted beneath the sheets, stretching and reaching for my phone.

“Keep it down, love. My RA will kill us if she finds you here this early,” I chided softly, looking at the time. It was just past seven.

Max lowered his voice but continued to argue with one of the boys on the other side of the phone. As Max paced back and forth, engulfed in his conversation, I opened my Instagram account. There was a stream of notifications. Some people were congratulating us, some seemed puzzled by the sudden engagement, and some were blatantly cruel.

One girl wrote, “That tiny, stuck-up bitch? What does he see in her?” I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that it was jealousy rearing its ugly green head. Those comments couldn’t bother me—not if I didn’t let them.

One comment, nestled between the others, caught my attention—my mother’s. It was a single sentence: “I’m so proud of you.”

“Why is she commenting publicly?” I asked in a shocked squeal, sitting up in bed.

Max

My gaze snapped up to look at Aellorah’s shocked expression. “Yeah, I’ll call you later. I gotta go.” I didn’t wait for Hayden’s reply, hanging up the phone. At her sharp question, my mind instantly switched on high alert.

“What’s up, baby?” I asked, reaching out to brush a stray hair from her forehead as I sat beside her. Aellorah’s worried expression triggered a surge of my protective instincts, urging me to shield her from whatever potential threat she might be sensing.

“Let’s take a look,” I murmured gently, trying to remain positive. I leaned back, giving her space, and reached for her phone. Scrolling through the comments, I felt a mixture of emotions rise inside me. Some of the vitriolic remarks grated against my nerves. How dare anyone question the way I felt about Aellorah, especially people who didn’t know her? “Looks like your father isn’t the only one throwing shade at our engagement…” I remarked dryly, anger creeping into my voice.

I paused when I found her mother’s comment, examining the simple but powerful words. “Your mom… she’s showing her support publicly,” I commented, my eyebrows rising in surprise.

“Yeah, but that’s exactly what worries me,” Aellorah replied in an anxious whisper. “What if Daddy sees her comment? I—I need to call her…”

My grip on her phone tightened as I contemplated the potential fallout that her mother’s comment could result in. “Maybe we should be cautious, Blackwood,” I warned. “We don’t want to draw unnecessary attention from your family right now.”

But the worry etched on Aellorah’s face tugged at my heartstrings, loyalty and devotion winning out over caution. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “Alright, if you need to reach out, I’ve got your back, little mouse.” Reaching for her hand, I offered a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll figure this out together, tackle it as a team, right?”

Her eyes lit up with a blend of hope and relief. “Call her, baby,” I encouraged, smiling affectionately at her. “We’ll deal with the repercussions later—for now, let’s just focus on supporting each other.”

Aellorah

My pulse raced in my ears as I opened my contacts and dialed my mother’s number.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Momma answered, her voice soft, the words almost… resigned?

“Hey, Momma,” I whispered into the phone, my voice already trembling with emotion.

“Congratulations, baby. I’m so happy for you.” But she didn’t sound happy. In fact, she sounded brokenhearted.

“Thanks, Momma,” I replied, nearly choking on the words. “You shouldn’t have commented on the picture, though. If Daddy sees—”

“Baby, there’s nothing your father could do to me… he killed me a long time ago… the minute he forced you into his bed.” The world shifted on its axis, the room spinning around me. I swallowed the lump in my throat, words completely escaping me. “You thought I didn’t know…” Momma said softly. “Did you think my sicknesses were a coincidence? That I just happened to need to go to the doctor every time you came home from school?”

Oh, my God.

She’d been trying to help me. Protecting me in small, unsuspecting ways. I’d never known, not for a single moment…

“Momma… Can you help me stop them?” I asked in a strained whisper, knowing the risks of what I was requesting. “Can you get access to Daddy’s files?”

There was a long, stretching silence, and then Momma spoke. “I can get you the login by tomorrow night. I… I wish I could have done more all these years. I was afraid that if I intervened, he’d find a way to get rid of me, and you’d have wound up all alone with them…”

My heart ached at the admission. She’d known what was happening to me, and she’d been as helpless as I was. “You’re eighteen now, Aellorah. An adult. It’s your life, now, baby. So, go live it.” Momma hung up without another word, and tears flooded my eyes.

Max

As Aellorah dropped the phone on the mattress, I noticed the mix of emotions swirling across her expressive face—shock, gratitude, desperation, and relief.

“Hey, baby, you alright?” I asked softly, pushing her phone aside and pulling her into a comforting embrace. Aellorah’s quiet sob pierced my heart, and I wrapped my arms tighter around her, offering solace and support in the only way I could.

“Your momma… she’s been fighting for you all along, hasn’t she?” I asked in a whisper, kissing her temple and stroking her soft hair.

Aellorah nodded, sniffling as she buried her face against my chest. “She did everything she could… from afar,” she agreed, her tiny voice trembling with emotion. “She wanted to protect me, but… I just wish she could have been there more.”

I held her tighter, my own heart heavy with sympathy and determination. “We’ll get through this, Princess,” I promised her. “Your mother is going to give us the tools to take down your father—and I swear on everything I hold dear that we’ll make sure you get justice for what they’ve done to you…”

Her sniffling morphed into a fresh round of sobs as I held her, rocking her gently in my arms. There was nothing else I could say or do in that moment, only hold her as she released all the pain she’d been feeling for so long.