Chapter 13

While Xena suffered daily, I celebrated three birthdays and turned three years old.

It was winter.

I sat by the window, snacking on peanuts and candy, watching the scene outside with curiosity.

Xena was out there, shivering in a thin nightgown and slippers, scrubbing clothes and shoes in the freezing wind. It was almost pitiful.

It was almost like that time she shredded my blanket and forced me to kneel naked in the snow, begging for her forgiveness.

As for her friends, I had dealt with each one of them. Some went bankrupt, others lost their jobs.

It dulled my hatred a little.

But Blake still hung over my thoughts like a ticking time bomb.

One day, the Lincolns received an invitation to a banquet.

Felix told Xena, “You’re still her mother, and Zoe can’t be without you. So, you’ll be the one to take care of her.”

Xena and I exchanged a glance. Our eyes were filled with ambition and resentment, both determined to see this through to the end.

We had a deal. If she helped me, sh