I woke up with a heavy feeling in my chest. It wasn’t just pregnancy—it was the suffocating tension at home. Carter was already up, moving around with impatience.
“Finally awake?”
His tone was cold. I sighed, pushing myself up.
“I didn’t sleep well.”
“Maybe if you didn’t lie around, you’d be tired enough to sleep.”
I pressed a hand against my belly, swallowing hard. Carter had once seemed perfect—intelligent, reliable, but over time, his tone had become colder. After getting everything—my house and my job—he dropped the pretense.
“Breakfast?” I asked, trying to break the silence.
“If there’s something decent,” he replied, barely looking up.
I cooked eggs, feeling the weight of living in a house that wasn’t even mine. I’d signed everything over to him, thinking it would make things easier.
“Are the eggs burnt?” Carter scoffed.
I didn’t respond. “Forget it. I’ll grab something on the way.”
He grabbed his keys, not even bothering to acknowledge me.
“Clean up today. I don’t want a mess.”
The door slammed, and the lump in my throat grew. I couldn’t do this anymore. I grabbed my bag and walked to the grocery store to clear my head.
Outside, I saw a woman with a shopping cart. Her worn clothes didn’t match the dignity in her tired eyes.
“Do you need anything?” I asked.
She smiled slightly. “Honey, if I list everything, we’ll be here all night.”
I chuckled. “Food? Water?”
“I’ll be fine. Just need a little time to get back on my feet.”
Curious, I sat down beside her. “What happened?”
“Life. One day, I had a home, the next, I didn’t. My son threw me out—said I was a burden.”
“Your son?”
“Some people only love you when you’re useful.”
Her words hit home. “I think I understand.”
She studied me. “Husband?”
I laughed dryly. “That obvious?”
“You’re carrying more than groceries,” she said. “Want to talk about it?”
I hesitated but nodded. “I thought I married someone who loved me, but I married a man who loved control.”
“And now you’re stuck.”
“Exactly. I gave him everything. Trusted the wrong person.”
She sighed. “Yeah. I’m Alice, by the way.”
“Evelyn.”
Alice didn’t hesitate to offer help. “Come with me.”
We went to my place, where she took a long shower and changed into my clothes. She looked different—like a person again.
“How long has it been since anyone did something kind for you?” Alice asked, her voice soft.
I didn’t know. “A long time,” I said.
That night, Carter came home. He froze when he saw Alice.
“What the hell? Who is this?”
Alice’s gaze met his, and his face shifted. “Mom?!”
I blinked, shocked. Carter’s fury quickly took over. “This woman is a homeless stranger. She’s not staying here!”
Alice folded her arms. “So that’s how you introduce me now?”
“You’re not my mother anymore!” Carter yelled.
Alice’s eyes hardened. “You threw me out. I wanted my own life, but you hated that.”
The tension was palpable, but I spoke up. “It’s our house now, Carter.”
“You don’t get it,” he spat. “This is mine now. Get out.”
I tossed him the house key. “It’s yours. But you have no family anymore.”
I left, no plan, no home—only the cold, empty sidewalk. Alice motioned me to follow her.
We walked to a sleek black Mercedes, and Alice opened the door. “It’s mine,” she said, smirking.
I was stunned. “You stole it?”
“Trust me,” she said, and we drove away.
She revealed she’d been homeless once but now owned her company. We arrived at her beautiful home.
“Why all this?” I asked.
“I needed to see if you were truly kind, to make sure my son was the same monster he always was.”
I stared, processing everything. “And now?”
“Now, I’ll help you.”
A few weeks passed. I woke up in a bed that felt like freedom. But one afternoon, the doorbell rang. It was Carter.
“I was wrong,” he said. “I want to make things right.”
Alice didn’t buy it. “Make things right? Start by going to therapy. And help the homeless.”
He promised. Maybe he would change, maybe not, but either way, I had my own future now.
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