CHAPTER 53: 53-NOT LETTING HIM IN THE HOUSE.

Iris:

"What are they doing here?" I asked loudly, noticing my children stepping out of the room.

"Mommy, Mommy, who’s here? Do we have a guest?" Amy shouted, dancing around and shaking her head from side to side as she came out of the room.

I hated that I had to push her back inside and ruin her fun, but I wasn’t going to let them near those two evil witches.

"Kids, can you please go back inside? I’ll call you once the guests are gone, okay?" I urged.

I hurried them back inside so quickly that Lady Vivian stood from the couch, fists clenched.

Zoe followed her mother, sparing me the same angry glance.

"You cannot stop me from meeting Kash’s children," Lady Vivian hissed.

"From meeting my grandchildren," she added as I faced her from behind the couch, arms folded over my chest.

"Look at you, shamelessly facing my mother. So all that innocent act was fake, then," Zoe said, folding her arms over her chest, mirroring my stance.

"Zoe, I would ask you to stop," I began, watching her eyes widen.

I didn’t know how long it would take her to realize I was no longer the same Iris, and every time I gave a fitting response, she looked more shocked.

I turned to Lady Vivian.

"Why do you care about meeting my children anyway? You never liked me, so why would you feel the need to show care for my kids?" I asked.

My mother steadily stood and turned to me, hiding behind a smile.

"I need to speak with my daughter alone. Trust me, these are not the manners I taught her," she excused herself.

She probably thought she was some high-class woman the way she held her wine, moved, and even spoke softly.

She was getting on my nerves, as always.

"Well, you better teach her that next time we come, we will meet these children, or we will involve the council," Lady Vivian stomped her feet, giving her last warning before storming out of the guest house, with Zoe tucked behind her.

They shot me a very nasty glance as they left.

Once they were gone, I faced my mother.

"You let them in, didn’t you?" I asked, hands on my waist.

"Of course I did. This family needs to love these children for them to take his illness seriously," my mother replied, reaching for a glass of wine.

I snatched it from her and poured it into the artificial plant.

These two women would rather harm these children than care for them.

No, I didn’t want them around my children.

"I don’t care what kind of game you are playing, but don’t involve these two women," I yelled at my mother, almost under my breath, trying to stay calm, though she was making it nearly impossible.

After the argument with my mother, I stormed back into my kids’ room.

They started asking questions about the guests.

My kids were always very attentive to people, so whenever someone came to the house, they would ask me a bunch of questions about them.

This time, I kept dodging their questions because I knew that the minute I told them those women were their father’s family, my kids would want to know them.

After being deprived of a father for so long, they were oddly fixated on learning about Kash and the people around him.

I spent the whole day with my kids, and it was comforting.

Kash wasn’t around, and I could easily guess he was probably in the South with his fiancée, trying to mend things.

My mother did her usual routine, going around, buying a bunch of stuff while I did what I loved most, spending time with my children.

"And then the prince and princess lived happily ever after," I read from the book, lifting my head to see both my children fast asleep.

"My little angels seemed tired," I whispered, smiling as I watched them sleep.

They truly were my everything.

I walked over to each of their beds and planted a kiss on their foreheads before tucking them in.

I yawned and stretched. I was tired too.

I put the book back on the shelf and quietly walked out of their room.

I went to my room, changed into my red silk short nighty, and tied my hair up in a messy bun.

I walked out to grab myself a glass of wine because, after a long day, everyone deserves a small break.

The moment I filled the glass and was heading back to my room, I noticed someone step onto the front porch and knock softly on the door.

Setting the glass down, I went to the door.

I was about to open it when I realized who it was.

It was strange, I hadn’t even heard him speak, but I knew it was Kash.

I let go of the handle and began sneaking away, tiptoeing so he wouldn’t hear me.

I didn’t want him to come in and start another argument.

His kids were sleeping anyway, so there was no reason for him to be here.

"I know you’re there," he said.

I almost shrieked, making a noise before quickly covering my mouth with both hands.

"Just open the door. Don’t be a child," he sounded angry from the other side.

As expected, he was here to start an argument.

"Iris, I can hear you walking around," he then hissed, sounding exhausted.

I almost responded, but I bit my tongue. He knocked again, very softly.

I clicked my tongue, shaking my head, convincing myself I wasn’t going to open the door.

I didn’t have the strength for it, and the fact that I had already scared myself about facing him made matters worse.

The best thing was to just go back to my room, fall asleep, and deal with him tomorrow.

So I did what I do best, I tiptoed back toward my room.

But halfway down the hallway, I heard the main door open.

Of course, he had a key. It was his guest house, after all.