I walked around to the back, peering through the windows, and froze. Inside, my mother-in-law, Sylvia, stood in the living room, laughing, holding one of my daughters’ baby blankets. Derek was there too, pacing, his face tense.
“She’s out of our lives, Mom,” I heard him say. “Just like you wanted.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. I stumbled back, tears flooding my eyes. He had chosen her. He had actually chosen his manipulative mother over me and our daughters.
I hurried back to the car, trying to control my shaking hands. But as I reached the driver’s seat, a surge of fury overtook my despair. I was done being a victim. If Derek wanted to betray me, I would show him and his mother that I was not someone they could bully.
I called my mom, asking her to watch the twins a little longer. Then I drove straight to Sylvia’s house, where I knew Derek’s brother, Tom, lived with her. Tom was always honest with me, the one person in the family who didn’t bend to Sylvia’s manipulative ways.
