Chapter 2: Losing My Place

***

When I returned again, the door was open just a crack when I heard Caleb’s voice.

He almost never speaks. His words are rare, brittle things. Every syllable is a miracle and a heartbreak. My breath caught.

"Mom’s... scent."

Through the gap, I saw Caleb reaching out to the woman from earlier, asking to be held.

Both she and Jason looked startled.

She picked Caleb up in her arms.

For a split second, Jason’s eyebrows shot up in shock. I’d never seen Caleb reach out to anyone like that before. Not even me.

"Mom?" Caleb tilted his head, confused.

In that moment, I froze in place. My knees went weak. I gripped the doorframe so hard my knuckles ached. My heartbeat seemed to stop, leaving only a dull ache in my chest.

[Ah—Caleb called the main character ‘Mom’!]

[Next, the main character will keep visiting Caleb, and with her company, Caleb will become healthy.]

A cold, sinking feeling wrapped around my ribs. It was as if the script had changed and I’d lost my only role, mid-act.

Suddenly, I understood.

So she is the main character.

"That’s not your mom, that’s Aunt Rachel," Jason told the child.

But Caleb stubbornly shook his head. "Mom."

Jason tried to smile, but the corners of his mouth barely moved. He looked helpless.

I pushed open the door.

The hinges creaked, announcing my presence. My hands shook, but I kept my chin high, refusing to let them see how much it hurt.

[Why is the supporting character coming in now, disturbing their family?]

[But they’re not a family yet—after all, the supporting character is still the legal wife.]

I ignored the comments.

I wanted to take Caleb from the woman’s arms.

He turned his head away, refusing to look at me. "No, you."

The rejection hit like a slap. I kept my arms at my sides, fists clenched.

Suddenly, I felt embarrassed, a little lost.

Jason coughed, breaking the awkward silence.

He cleared his throat the way he does before board meetings, as if protocol would save us.

"This is Rachel Evans, my assistant. My wife, Lillian Miller."

I tried to smile, but my lips wouldn’t cooperate. Caleb wouldn’t look at me.

"Caleb, it’s time for your medicine."

He turned away. "Want... mom to feed me."

My fingers trembled as I gripped the doorframe, the medicine bottle leaving a red mark in my palm. Rachel’s perfume mingled with the milky scent of the children’s room, making my temples throb.

The light from the window flickered on the glass bottle. I squeezed it so tightly I thought it might shatter.

"How about I try?" Rachel smiled at me, her dimples showing. "My little brother didn’t like taking medicine when he was little, either."

She sounded so gentle, so effortless. I wanted to hate her, but all I felt was emptiness.

Caleb suddenly hugged her and giggled.

I had never seen him smile so openly.

Rachel naturally took the medicine bottle, her fingertips brushing Jason’s hand by accident.

Their hands met over the medicine bottle—just a second, but long enough to make my skin prickle. Jason pulled back as if shocked, but Rachel just smiled, unbothered.

[Ahhh, their fingertips touched!]

[The supporting character is about to crush the medicine bottle, hahaha!]

I tried to breathe. The comments felt like a rowdy crowd at a football game, rooting for the other team.

The brown medicine swirled in the glass spoon as Rachel hummed a soft lullaby. The smell of grape-flavored medicine mixed with Rachel’s perfume, making my stomach turn. The child opened his mouth and swallowed the medicine without a fuss.

Her voice was sweet and gentle, like something from a music box. Caleb didn’t hesitate—just opened up, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I felt something in my heart shatter. It was as if my heart was being torn apart. I’ve cared for Caleb for four years, but he’s never smiled at me like that.

I crouched down.

"Caleb, why did you call Aunt Rachel... ‘Mom’?"

My mouth went dry. The word “Mom” felt like broken glass on my tongue.

Rachel suddenly looked up, her voice gentle:

"Mrs. Parker, please don’t misunderstand. Maybe Caleb just feels closer to me."

She bit her lip, like she actually felt bad. I couldn’t tell if it was real or just for Jason’s benefit.

"So, he’s closer to you than to the mother who’s cared for him for four years?"

I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice. I stared at the floor, waiting for the room to swallow me up.