Noticing the shift in my demeanor, Hudson leaned in with concern. “Aubrey, are you crying? Is it about your mother? I promise, once we’re married, we’ll take her to the best hospital in New York.”
If I hadn’t witnessed him propose to Harper with my own eyes, I might have been swayed by his words again. But now, realizing they wanted to use my pain to fuel their love story, I decided to play along—let’s see who ends up embarrassed.
I swallowed the rage bubbling inside me and replied as calmly as I could, "I won’t come over. I like everything you’ve done." I could hear the satisfaction in Hudson's voice as he hummed in response. "Aubrey, I ran into Harper earlier. She heard your mom was sick and insisted on coming to visit her at the hospital."
"Pack up. We’ll pick you up soon," he added.
I felt a surge of defiance. I wasn’t about to let Harper anywhere near my mother again. But before I could voice my protest, Hudson had already hung up. I called him back, but there was no answer. With a deep breath, I went to the kitchen, packed the soup I had prepared earlier, slung my bag over my shoulder, and hurried out.
Before leaving, I returned to my bedroom to stash the crumpled photos back into the safe. When I got downstairs, Hudson's car was already parked on the street. From a distance, I could see Harper sitting inside, the door slightly ajar.
As I approached, Hudson's head appeared from beneath Harper's legs. The moment our eyes met, I noticed him holding her ankle. He quickly offered an excuse. "Harper’s foot was scraped. I was just putting a band-aid on it." Harper hurriedly withdrew her leg, blushing yet proud. "Aubrey, you’re so lucky. Hudson is always so thoughtful."
Their smiles radiated affection, a blatant display that cut through me like a knife. Were they really that eager to flaunt their relationship in front of me?
Standing there, watching them, I felt a deep, gnawing pain, as if my heart were being crushed in a vice. I gripped the lunch box tightly in my hand, forcing myself to stay calm. My voice trembled with barely contained fury as I pointed at Harper. "Why is she coming to see my mother? Don’t you know she can’t handle being provoked like this again? Get her out of the car!"