Go Away, My Dear Ex-Husband

Kayla stood there, staring at the photo on the wall and it finally clicked; this room wasn’t hers anymore.

Stephanie's voice broke the silence. "You must be used to smaller spaces from your time in prison, right? I thought you might struggle with a bigger room, so I moved here. Hope that’s okay with you," she said, smiling sweetly.

Ever since Stephanie had joined the family, she had always had her eye on Kayla’s room. However, back then, Kayla had been the one in charge and even their father never dared to say no to her.

"Just go ahead and sleep, Kayla won’t mind," Lionel added with a smile, stepping in. He hadn’t smiled at her once since she got out of prison, so it felt strange now, like a jab to her chest.

She didn’t even bother to respond, just gave him a quick glance and felt a sharp ache in her heart. It was clear no one here was happy to have her back—not even Lionel.

Later, after getting some sleep, Kayla woke up, but it wasn’t the same. The bed at home felt too soft after years on a hard mattress and her back ached.

She headed downstairs and found the food already half-cold on the table.

"Kayla, that’s just leftovers. It's probably better than whatever they fed you in prison, though. You can eat it," Stephanie said, snuggling into Ferris’s side, her smile all sweetness.

Kayla looked at the half-eaten food, the mess on the table and then met Lionel’s eyes. For a split second, their gazes locked before he quickly looked away.

It stung. He had learned how to turn a blind eye to her.

Suddenly, she lost all appetite and walked out into the backyard, heading straight for the tree her mother had planted before she passed.

Kayla stood frozen, staring at the barren backyard. The tree her mother had planted was gone and all that remained was a wasteland.

She slowly walked toward the stump, her eyes catching something that made her stomach drop—white bones carelessly tossed aside. Her hand shook as she picked one up. It took a moment for her to process what she was holding.

It was a dog’s bone. Skippy. Her beloved dog had starved to death here.

Her breath hitched and tears filled her eyes as she clutched the bone. "Skippy... I’m so sorry."

Before she could collect herself, she heard footsteps approaching. It was Stephanie, looking at her with a smirk. "It’s just a dog. What’s the big deal? It ruined my flowers, so it got what it deserved."

Kayla’s lip curled in disgust. Apparently, flowers were more valuable than a life.

She gently laid the bones back in place and turned to head upstairs.

Lionel was waiting at the top of the stairs, his gaze fixed on her. He followed her as she walked into her room, catching her just as she pulled out her phone.

"Hello, police? I—" she started, but Lionel grabbed the phone from her hand.

"What do you think you’re doing?" he snapped.

Kayla met his eyes, her voice thick with emotion. "She killed my dog."

Lionel paused, his expression unreadable, before he hung up the phone. "It’s just a dog, Kayla. She’s your sister. Are you seriously calling the cops on her? Stop making a scene. You’re embarrassing yourself."

Kayla stared at him, her heart sinking. For the first time, the man she had loved felt like a stranger.

Embarrassing? When he had nothing, she had never once judged him for it.