My Cousin's Wife Despises on Me

The chill of the night air cut through the thin fabric of my sweater, but it didn’t bother me. The townhouse had always been my safe haven, the one place I could retreat to when life got too complicated. Now, it felt like I was being pushed out of my own sanctuary.

I thought back to earlier in the evening, when I had gathered the courage to confront Aunt Becca and Uncle Cael. It had taken everything in me to hold my temper, but I needed answers.

I found them in the living room, quietly talking while Uncle Cael sipped his coffee. When I stepped in, Aunt Becca looked up and smiled, but I could see the tension behind it. She knew what was coming.

“We need to talk,” I said, keeping my voice steady even though my heart was pounding. “About the townhouse.”

Aunt Becca’s smile faltered. “Luann, sweetheart, I know you’re upset—”

“Upset?” I cut her off, and I could hear the sharpness in my voice, see Aunt Becca flinch. “I’m more than upset. You’re asking me to leave my own home, and now I find out that Bridget doesn’t even know it’s mine? What’s going on?”

Uncle Cael set his cup down, his expression carefully neutral. “We didn’t want to cause any unnecessary complications, Luann. Bridget’s family is… particular. If they knew she was living in a house that wasn’t ours, they would have opposed the marriage.”

Oh, right. Bridget was the daughter of Rosebud Pack’s Beta.

I stared at him, not sure I’d heard him right. “So you lied?” The words felt heavy, like I was dragging them out of my chest. “You told her the house was yours?”

Aunt Becca’s eyes softened, and for a moment, I saw the same warmth that had comforted me so many times before. “We did it for Calixto,” she said, her voice pleading. “He’s your cousin, your family. You know how much he loves her. The Rosebud Pack would never have allowed Bridget to marry him unless they were sure she’d be taken care of.”

“That doesn’t make it right!” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “You used my home to secure a marriage, and you didn’t even tell me? How long were you planning to keep this from me?”

“Luann, we didn’t want to burden you with this,” Uncle Cael said, but I could see the guilt in his eyes. “You were still in school, dealing with everything after your parents… it was easier this way.”

“Easier for you,” I shot back. “Not for me.” I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure. “I trusted you. After everything you did for me, I never thought you’d do something like this behind my back.”

For a moment, there was silence, and I could see Aunt Becca’s eyes glistening with tears. “Luann, please understand,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “After your parents fell into that deep sleep, we did everything we could to make sure you could keep going. We took care of the house, managed things… we thought we were helping.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. I had been grateful to them, so grateful that I hadn’t questioned anything. Aunt Becca and Uncle Cael had stepped in when I was drowning in grief and responsibilities. I’d handed over the keys to the townhouse because I couldn’t handle it, and they had promised to take care of things. But I never imagined they’d use it for their own plans.

I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “I get it. I get that you were trying to help Calixto. But this isn’t fair. You’ve asked me to give up everything, and now you’re asking me to leave the one place that still feels like home.”