The Invisible Daughter Ruined Their Lavish Celebrations Chapter 03

The Invisible Daughter Ruined Their Lavish Celebrations Chapter 03

For a second, no one said a word.

Chloe broke the silence with a smile. “Mom, just let her sit with us.”

“It’s just one more chair. Better than making a scene out in the hallway, where everyone can see.”

My mom’s jaw unclenched.

“That’s my Chloe. Always so mature.”

She barely looked at me. “Come in.”

One of my mom’s friends, a woman dripping in jewelry, nudged me through the door.

Someone steered me to a chair in the corner.

A man named Robert Hayes smiled at me. “Elena, what sounds good to you? We can order you something.”

My mom didn’t look up. “She’s not picky. Anything’s fine.”

“But Chloe’s almost out of shrimp. Let’s order another round.”

I grabbed my glass and drank. The cold water forced down whatever was clawing up my throat.

One of my mom’s friends reached over and patted my shoulder.

“Sweetie, aren’t you going to say hello?”

My eyes went to my mom without thinking. Nothing came out.

The New Year’s Eve after Grandma died, I worked up the nerve to call my mom.

She picked up. Music blasted on her end, and I could hear fireworks cracking in the background, one after another.

I stood in the cold, quiet pressing in from every side, and whispered, “Mom.”

Chloe’s voice came through instead, laughing. “Your mom’s not here. Stop calling this number.”

“Doesn’t your dad have a wife? Go call her Mom. This one’s mine.”

In the background, I heard my mom. Muffled, irritated. “Who keeps calling? It’s New Year’s, for God’s sake.”

I hung up before she could hear me cry.

That was the night I understood. The word “Mom” wasn’t mine anymore.

“If she doesn’t want to talk, she doesn’t have to.”

My mom’s expression soured. “She’s always been like this. Takes after her father. Awkward. Hard to get close to.”

Chloe nuzzled into her shoulder.

“Then I must get it from you. That’s why I’m so cute, right?”

My mom tapped her on the nose, melting.

“That’s right. We were meant to be mother and daughter. You were always supposed to be my girl.”

Something in my chest caved in. I couldn’t get a full breath.

Glasses went up around the table.

My mom beamed at Julian. “Julian, Chloe tells me you’re both heading to North Crest. You’ll look out for her up there, won’t you?”

Julian smiled.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Hayes. I’ve got her.”

Something inside me laughed. Not in a good way.

Just yesterday, we’d sat together looking at our acceptance letters. We’d agreed to commit to Southport. Together. That had been the plan.

One day later, and none of it mattered.

My phone buzzed. Julian.

[My parents made the call for me. They want me to stay in North Crest. More family nearby. More people to look out for me.]

[Chloe’s mom is close with mine. I can’t exactly blow her off. You get that, right?]

I wasn’t angry.

I just kept thinking: why hadn’t he told me sooner?

If he’d told me, I wouldn’t have spent all this time believing he was the one person who hadn’t left.

He sent another message.

[You should change your decision too. We can both stay in North Crest. Wouldn’t that be better?]

No. It wouldn’t.

I lifted my head and scanned the table.

My mom had the menu open, going over new dishes with Chloe.

Chloe liked sweet food and hated spice. My mom knew every detail by heart.

Julian had put on gloves and was peeling shrimp for Chloe without being asked.

In all the years I’d known him, he’d never once done that for me.

There wasn’t a place for me here.

Nobody cared what I ordered. Nobody would notice if I left.

I stood up without a word and slipped out.

Behind me, the conversation didn’t miss a beat.

No one was looking at me.

Back in the kitchen, I pulled on my apron and gloves and buried my hands in a sink full of dirty dishes.

I didn’t clock out until nine, trying to roll the ache out of my shoulders as I walked out.

“Elena Sterling!”

My dad caught up to me outside.

“Hey, uh… your grandma left a few things for you. Hang on a second.”