The next morning, the mansion was unusually quiet.
Liam had already left for work, leaving only the soft hum of the kitchen appliances and the faint ticking of the hallway clock.
Ava moved about carefully, her hand resting protectively on her belly. She could still hear Yvonne's sharp laughter from last night echoing in her mind.
Leo sat at the dining table, swinging his legs as he drew on a napkin with his crayons. "Mommy Ava," he said, his little voice cutting through the silence, "are you mad at Mommy Yvonne?"
Ava forced a smile. "No, sunshine. Grown-ups just… don't always understand each other."
Leo tilted his head. "She's loud. And she smells like flowers that hurt my nose."
Ava stifled a laugh and brushed his hair gently. "You're very honest, aren't you?"
Before Leo could answer, Yvonne's heels clicked across the floor. "Talking about me so early?" she asked, her voice light but her eyes sharp.
Ava straightened. "Just chatting with Leo."
"How sweet." Yvonne smiled too widely, bending down to face Leo. "Your real mommy missed you, sweetheart. Don't you want to spend time with me today?"
Leo frowned, clutching his crayon tighter. "I want Mommy Ava."
Yvonne's smile didn't falter, but something flickered in her eyes — a quick, cold glint that vanished almost as fast. "Of course," she said softly. "But Mommy Ava needs to rest. She's having a baby, you know. And when that happens…"
She let the words trail off.
Leo blinked. "When what happens?"
Yvonne leaned closer, lowering her voice. "When the baby comes, she won't love you the same. Babies take all the hugs."
Ava froze where she stood. "Yvonne," she said sharply, "that's enough."
"Oh, relax," Yvonne said sweetly. "Just girl talk — or rather, mommy talk."
Leo's face fell slightly, confusion clouding his big brown eyes. "Mommy Ava won't stop loving me," he said quietly.
"Of course not," Ava replied quickly, crouching beside him. "I'll love you forever, sunshine."
But Yvonne only smiled — the kind of smile that didn't reach her eyes.
---
Later, when Ava went upstairs to fold laundry, Yvonne slipped into the living room. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number, her tone switching from sugary to cold.
"Yes, it's me," she said into the phone. "I told you I'm not leaving without what's mine. He owes me, and if I have to stay here until I get every cent of that alimony, I will."
She paused, glancing toward the stairs. "Don't worry. The little woman upstairs won't last long. I'll make sure of that."
Her lips curved into a slow, dangerous smirk.
Then Leo's small voice came from the corner. "What's 'alimony,' Mommy Yvonne?"
She turned sharply. He stood there, holding his rabbit by the ear, eyes curious but wary.
Yvonne laughed softly, crouching to his level. "It's just a big grown-up word, baby. It means Daddy has to take care of Mommy."
"But Daddy takes care of Mommy Ava," Leo said honestly.
Yvonne's expression tightened. "Not for long," she said under her breath, forcing another smile. "Now, how about we go make you a snack?"
"I don't want strawberries," Leo said immediately.
Yvonne froze for half a second — then smiled wider. "Oh, but these are special strawberries. If you eat them, you'll grow strong — like Daddy."
Leo frowned. "They taste funny. Mommy Ava said I don't have to eat what I don't like."
The sweetness in Yvonne's tone cracked just a little. "Mommy Ava says too much," she murmured.
She set the plate down, watching him stubbornly push it away. The more he resisted, the more something inside her twisted — jealousy, rage, maybe both.
"You really love her, don't you?" she asked softly.
Leo nodded without hesitation. "She makes me pancakes and hugs me when I cry. You don't hug."
Yvonne's hand twitched. For a moment, she wanted to slap the truth off his tongue — but she didn't. Instead, she smiled, her voice dripping with sugar.
"Maybe Mommy Ava won't be around to hug you forever."
Leo looked up at her, eyes narrowing in a way far too mature for a three-year-old. "Mommy Ava said mean people go away."
Yvonne froze.
Before she could reply, Ava's voice floated down from upstairs. "Leo, sunshine! Where are you?"
"Coming, Mommy Ava!" he shouted, hopping off his chair and running toward the stairs, his rabbit bouncing behind him.
Yvonne stood still, staring at the uneaten strawberries on the plate. The silence felt heavier than ever.
Then she whispered, almost to herself, "We'll see who goes away first."
---
That night, as rain began to fall softly outside, Ava tucked Leo into bed. He was already half asleep, his little hand gripping hers.
"Mommy Ava?" he murmured.
"Yes, sunshine?"
"Don't let her make you cry."
Her heart cracked. "I won't," she whispered, brushing his hair back. "Now sleep, okay?"
But long after Leo's breathing evened out, Ava stayed by his side, listening to the storm and the faint echo of footsteps in the hallway soft, deliberate, too close to their door.
She turned, her pulse quickening.
Someone was standing just beyond the light watching.
___
Something fishy is going on.
Do u guys like Yvonne ?
I changed Leo nickname to Sunshine