I hadn’t even noticed when Enid woke up. She slid off the bed and padded over to me, her tiny hand brushing against my cheek.
Only then did I realize—my face was soaked with tears.
She wrapped her arms tightly around me, her little voice thick with emotion. “Mama… this is the hundredth time Daddy left us to go be with her.”
“I’ve made up my mind. We don’t need him anymore. Let’s go, just the two of us.“>
So she knew. She had known all along. She just kept giving him one more chance… and then another. Until she finally ran out of chances to give. Until she finally gave up.
I pulled her close and held her to my chest, my tears falling again–but this time, I smiled through them.
“Okay, baby. Mama will take you away.”
The next morning, Malissa showed up at my door with a cheery smile, as if nothing had happened. She invited me out shopping–said it was her way of apologizing for “not taking better care of Enid.”}
She looped her arm around Milford’s and purred sweetly, “Milo, you better come with us to pay the bills. After all, Lori’s had such a rough year–we owe her, don’t you think?”
Malissa played the role of The Wrights‘ Lady of the House like she was born for it–graceful, entitled, utterly in control. So, when I didn’t respond right away, Milford’s expression soured.
“Lon,” he said, irritated, “Lisa’s just trying to be nice. You and Enid upset her so badly yesterday she was in pain all night, couldn’t even nurse Eddy. And she still hasn’t held it against you. The least you could do is not make this harder.“M
He must’ve forgotten the walls in that house were paper thin. I’d heard everything the night before–their moaning, their whispered promises, the sound of their bodies tangled in something sickening.
The memory made my stomach churn, but I swallowed the bile and gave a small nod. I didn’t have the strength to fight–at least not right then X
At the mall, Malissa stayed latched to Milford’s arm the entire time, parading him like a trophy. He wore his tailored suit like it was armor, she floated beside him in a designer gown that probably cost more than my old car. They basked in the praise of the store clerks, soaking up the attention like royalty
Meanwhile, 1 limped behind them in a faded, off–brand dress that had seen better days–if it had ever seen one at all. I caught the judgment in the eyes of the staff, the sneers they didn’t bother hiding. I wasn’t supposed to be there, not in their world.
Whenever someone asked who I was, Milford would glance back at me–nervous, guilty–and say with a tight smile:
“She’s our housemaid. My wife thought she could use some new clothes.“2
11:42 AM
