03- It's Time To Start Living For Yourself

Audrey pov

I stood in the foyer, my luggage by my side, ready to leave the house that no longer felt like mine.

As I reached the staircase, Martha rushed toward me.

“Ma’am, wait,” she pleaded, her voice trembling. She glanced nervously toward the living room, where Harold and Gina sat. “It has been weeks, and we still haven’t received our wages.”

I paused, looking at her with an air of finality. “Your real boss is back. Go to him for your pay. Don't bother me anymore.”

Her face fell, disappointment etched in her features. She hesitated, opening her mouth as if to argue.

Without another word, she turned and walked over to Harold.

I turned back toward the door, gripping the handle, when Harold’s voice stopped me cold.

“Audrey,” he snapped, stepping into my path. A stack of papers was in his hand, his face tight with frustration. “Why haven’t you taken care of the wages?”

I stared at him, disbelieving. “Me? Harold, you’ve been handling everything since you came back. Shouldn’t you know why they haven’t been paid?”

His eyes narrowed as he glanced around the foyer. His gaze lingered on the empty spaces where valuable items once stood.

“Don’t play dumb,” he said, his tone cutting. “The valuables are missing. You’ve been selling them, haven’t you?”

I froze, anger flaring. “Is that what you think of me? That I’ve been selling your precious things?”

“What else am I supposed to think?” he shot back. “You claim you have no money, yet everything of value is gone.”

My fists clenched at my sides. “You have no idea what’s been going on, do you? I was trying to save this damn house! Your shareholders were at my throat, demanding answers for the mess you left behind.”

My voice broke. “I even got injured trying to protect what little was left. And now you have the audacity to accuse me of stealing?”

Before Harold could respond, his mother, Helen, appeared at the top of the staircase.

“Why are you stressing yourself, Harold?” she asked, her voice sharp and judgmental.

“Ask Audrey,” Harold bit out. “The servants aren’t paid, the money’s gone, and the valuables are missing. Convenient, isn’t it?”

Helen’s gaze shifted to me, her expression hard and unforgiving. “Audrey, is this true? Why are the wages not paid? You’ve always been useless.”

Her words struck like a slap. My voice trembled as I replied, “Excuse me? I’ve been using my savings to keep this household afloat while your son was nowhere to be found. For two years, I’ve poured everything I had into salvaging his company. And now I’m ‘useless’?”

I turned to leave when Harold called me back. “Audrey,” he began, his tone cold and detached. “This is the divorce agreement. It’s best if you sign it before you leave. Let’s not make this any messier than it needs to be.”

My hands shook as I took the papers from him and scanned them. It was worse than I imagined—he was trying to leave me with nothing.

No compensation for the sacrifices I’d made, nothing for the years I’d poured into this house and the company.

I looked up at him, my anger bubbling to the surface. “You expect me to sign this? You’re out of your mind.”

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” Harold said with a sigh, as if he were the victim. “It’s better for both of us.”

“Better for you, you mean,” I snapped, my voice rising. “After your whole family shamelessly used me and drained my savings, and now you think you can throw me out like garbage?”

His expression hardened. “Audrey. Sign it, or I’ll have my lawyer handle it in court.”

Without another word, I ripped the divorce agreement in half, then in half again, until the pieces fluttered to the floor like confetti.

Harold’s eyes widened in shock. “What the hell are you doing?”

I took a step forward, shaking with fury. “When this divorce is finalized, I’m taking back everything that belongs to me. Every cent I poured into this family and that company. I won’t let either of you cheat me out of what I deserve.”

Helen’s face twisted in outrage, her voice sharp and biting. “You ungrateful woman! After everything this family has done for you. You’ve been taking advantage of Harold’s condition from the start!”

“Taking advantage?” I shot back, my voice rising. “I’ve done nothing but sacrifice for this family! I kept this house running when your son disappeared! I paid for everything out of my own pocket while you sat there and did nothing but criticize me!”

Helen’s expression hardened, and her words dripped with venom. “You’ve no right to get any alimony. This family and the company are already in a tough spot.”

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “Tough spot? You mean the mess Harold left? Don’t blame me for the consequences of his actions.”

Helen’s nostrils flared, as if unable to contain herself, she blurted out, “Harold regained his memory a year ago! And now it’s fucking clear it’s because of you that he hasn’t come home!”

The words hung in the air, sinking into my chest like a dagger. I stared at her, my mind racing. “What... what did you just say?”

Helen stiffened, realizing her mistake, but it was too late.

“A year ago” I repeated, stepping closer. My voice was barely a whisper, trembling with disbelief. “He’s had his memory back for a year?”

I turned to Harold, who stood frozen, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists. “Is it true?” I demanded, my voice rising. “You’ve known who you were all this time?”

Harold said nothing, his silence only cut my heart into pieces.

My heart pounded in my chest as I pieced it together. “You recovered your memory,” I said, my voice shaking. “And instead of coming back, instead of fixing what you broke, you stayed away. Why?”

Helen sneered, her disdain breaking the silence. “Why do you think? He’s been with Gina. She’s everything you’re not—understanding, supportive, and far less of a headache.”

I stumbled back, my hands trembling. The room seemed to tilt, and my vision blurred with tears. “You... you’ve been with her all this time?” I whispered, staring at Harold.

He finally spoke, his voice cold and detached. “Only with Gina do I feel relaxed. Being with you? It's nothing but a hassle.”

“A hassle?” I repeated, my voice cracking. “While I’ve been here, holding everything together, struggling to keep this family from falling apart, you were off with her?”

I turned back to Helen, my anger boiling over. “And you knew. You knew! You sat there and let me suffer, let me pour every ounce of myself into this family, while he was off living his new life!”

Helen shrugged, her expression indifferent. “Harold deserved his freedom.”

My chest tightened as I turned to Emma, who sat silently in her wheelchair, her hands gripping the armrests tightly. “And you, Emma? Did you know too?”

Emma’s face crumpled with guilt, and she looked down, avoiding my gaze. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“Sorry?” I laughed bitterly, my voice rising. “You were the one person I thought I could trust in this family. I told you everything—every doubt, every fear—and you kept this from me?”

Tears streamed down her face as she stammered, “I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want to hurt you more than you already were.”

“Hurt me?” I shouted, “You all toyed with me, lied to me, made me feel like I was losing my mind! I’ve been nothing but loyal to this family, and this is how you repay me?”

The room fell silent, I refused to fall apart. I won't cry in their presence.

My chest heaved as I struggled to rein in my emotions, my hands trembling with fury.

I couldn't bear being in the same house with these devil-like people any longer. I turned on my heel and walked out of the house, leaving behind the life I’d wasted two years trying to hold together.

***

Lisa opened the door, her face lighting up when she saw me. But her smile faltered when she noticed my red eyes and the suitcase at my feet.

“Audrey, what happened?” she asked, pulling me inside.

I didn’t even know where to start. The words spilled out in a jumbled mess as I told her everything.

By the time I finished, I was shaking, my hands clutching the cup of tea she had made for me.

Lisa sat beside me, her hand on my shoulder. “Audrey, you’ve been through so much. But you’re stronger than this. Don’t let them break you.”

Lisa had been my best friend since high school.

I nodded, but the ache in my chest didn’t ease. “It’s just... I gave him everything, Lisa. My time, my energy, my love. And for what? To be treated like this?”

“He's not worth it, Audrey.” After a moment, she said, “I have some news that might cheer you up.”

I raised an eyebrow, not feeling particularly optimistic.

“The doctor,” she said, her eyes shining. “The one who might be able to heal your leg? My boyfriend found him. There’s hope, Audrey. You could dance again.”

I could dance again.

I let out a shaky breath, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Thank you, Lisa. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

Her smile widened. “You’ve got this, Audrey. It’s time to start living for yourself.”