Chapter 5
I parked in the temporary parking spot, walked into the Farley manor, and was met with the usual dismissive glances from the servants. I was used to it. Since marrying Joshua, Nancy’s contempt, and the servants‘ disdain, had become a familiar backdrop to my life. If it weren’t for Kevin, I wouldn’t even bother to come
here.
“Mom!”
A clear, bright voice cut through the air. A five–year–old boy, a blur of motion, rushed towards me.
“Mom, you came! Grandma lied! She said you didn’t want me anymore!” He clung to me, his small body trembling.
His words stunned me. I looked up at Nancy, seated regally in the center of the room, Julianna beside her, an image of serene beauty. Julianna’s presence surprised me, then seemed perfectly logical. The engagement was public knowledge, the relationship soon to be official. Nancy’s approval was clearly evident.
“Mom, why aren’t you saying anything?” Kevin’s eyes were wide with panic. “Is Grandma right? Are you and Dad getting a divorce? Don’t you want me anymore?”
I lowered my head, meeting his anxious gaze, bitterness welling up inside me. For five years, I’d been his mother, in every sense of the word. Our bond was genuine, unshakeable. The thought of separation, of losing him, sent a fresh wave of pain through me.
“Kevin, come here,” Nancy called, her voice sharp.
“No!” He clung tighter.“I want to go home with Mom!”
Nancy’s face darkened. Her tone hardened. “How many times must I tell you? Gemma is *not*
Your real mother is Julianna, the famous actress!”
your mother!
The words hung in the air, stunning me. Julianna? Kevin’s mother? But Joshua had said his birth parents were dead. He’d lied. He’d lied to me all along.
1723
