Chapter Forty Nine
Celeste’s POV
“You’re a lame, toxic mom! Don’t try to ruin our happy family!” Bonnie screeched.
Her face scrunched into a hostile scowl that stabbed daggers at my heart.
A lame, toxic housewife? I somehow doubted those concepts were in my preschooler’s currículum.
“That’s right, sweetie. Tell the bad woman to stop trying to tear our family apart.” Vanessa said.
She stroked Bonnie’s hair like a heartless puppeteer.
“All this time, you’ve been poisoning Bonnie’s mind against me, haven’t you?” I asked through clenched teeth.” How could you so blatantly manipulate her to damage our relationship?”
She batted her doe eyes. “Little old me? The fact that you would even suspect me of something like that is appalling, Celeste.”
I had my suspicions, but the satisfied smirk that cut her face confirmed them.
“Vanessa, how could you be so cruel?” I asked, voice strained as I held back the heartache of yet another betrayal. “ A child doesn’t come up with such complex ideas on their own.”
She shrugged. Then smiled down at my daughter.
“Bonnie is such a clever girl, isn’t she?” She spoke like she was praising a dog.
It made my blood boil.
“Don’t talk to Bonnie like that.” My voice was a low, threatening growl.
Vanessa gasped and dramatically covered her mouth.
“Are you saying she’s dumb?” She asked with false horror,
“You’re twisting my words.” I shifted my glare to Damien. How did you blindly allow this snake to fill our daughter’s head with lies?” 1
Vanessa placed a hand on his arm. “You know that’s not true, right, babe?”
He glanced uncomfortably between us and the silence stretched.
“You’re willing to stand back and do nothing while she manipulates Bonnie?” I shook my head, disgusted. “Why am I surprised? You’ve always left the heavy lifting to me, so I guess I need to deal with this, too.”
Damien scowled. “That’s not true.”
But I ignored the coward and crouched down in front of Bonnie.
“Honey, Mommy thinks you’re very clever. That’s why I know you will understand what I’m about to teach you.” I said with a tight smile.
She regarded me warily. “What?”
“Sometimes people will try to trick us to get what they want. Like if Auntie Vanessa says she will buy you lots of candy if you stay with her instead of visiting Mommy, she might be-”
I blanched as her expression morphed into disgust.
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Chapter Forty Nine
“You’re a bad mom!” she yelled, pointing at me. “You’re trying to break up Daddy and Auntie Vanessa!”
I stood and stepped back, shocked by her violent disdain.
Were the malicious monster’s claws already too deep in my daughter?
“Don’t you just love how malleable kids‘ minds are?” Vanessa asked, smirking. “Sweetie, tell everyone what you think about your new sibling.”
Bonnie cradled the viper’s belly and smiled smugly.
“Auntie Vanessa has a baby in her tummy to play with me. No one wants to have babies with you because you’re boring.” She turned her nose up at me. “I don’t want to be with a lame Mommy.”
Each word felt like a sledgehammer to the heart. I fought against a tidal wave of rejection and despair.
I was too late–Bonnie was Vanessa’s puppet.
“Mommy made something for her special girl’s 6th birthday.” I said with a weak smile. “I put all my love into making it so I could show you just how much I care about you.”
Reaching into my purse, I wondered if I could use the materialism Vanessa had cultivated in her to my advantage. Regardless, this could be my last chance to give Bonnie a gift.
“What is it?” She asked, crossing her arms stubbornly.
I pulled out a luxurious velvet box and crouched down to her level.
“I designed and made this just for you.” I said, revealing the exquisite necklace set with pink opal stones. “And guess what? There’s something extra special about it.”
Bonnie watched out of the corner of her eye as I took the necklace out of the box and turned the pendant over. “See this? Mommy wrote your name and birthday on it.” I pointed at the engraving.
But she huffed and stomped her foot. “I don’t want your stupid necklace. Auntie Vanessa buys me lots of pretty jewelry!”
This wasn’t working.
I swallowed back tears. “Please, honey, you haven’t even looked at it. It’s one of a kind and I used pretty pink stones because they’re your fav-”
Bonnie snatched it from my hands. I watched in horror as she tossed it aside like its very presence offended her. I lunged to catch it, but the necklace I’d spent hours creating hit the marble floor with a sharp clang.
“I hate you and I never want to see you again!” she shrieked, eyes full of contempt. “Leave me alone!”
I froze, and the pendant bounced twice more before rolling to a stop at my feet. My heart shriveled and died in my chest as I realized it wasn’t the necklace my daughter despised.
It was me.
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