CHAPTER 46

The sun was warm on my face as I pushed Ember's stroller down the paved path in the park. Her soft coos filled the air, blending with the sound of children laughing and the rustle of leaves in the light breeze. It was a peaceful day, one of those rare moments where I felt like I could breathe, even with the chaos of my life looming in the background. Ember was the calm in my storm, her innocence grounding me in a way I never thought possible.

As I strolled past a group of kids chasing a soccer ball, I heard someone call my name. The voice was sharp and familiar, and my heart sank as I turned to see my aunt, Aunt Lorraine, standing a few feet away. She looked the same as I remembered—sharp eyes that always seemed to judge, lips perpetually pursed like she was holding back venom.

"Isabella," she said, her tone dripping with disdain. "Well, well, look who it is."

I froze, gripping the handle of the stroller tightly. "Aunt Lorraine," I said cautiously. "It's been a while."

Her eyes darted to Ember in the stroller, and her lips curled into a sneer. "And what do we have here?" she asked, stepping closer. "Your little mistake, I presume?"

My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay calm. "This is my daughter, Ember," I said evenly. "And she's not a mistake."

Lorraine let out a sharp laugh, the sound cutting through the air like glass. "Oh, don't give me that self-righteous nonsense. I saw you, Isabella. I saw you a while back, hanging off some rich man's arm. And now look at you. A single mother. A disgrace."

Her words hit like a slap, but they didn't prepare me for what came next—an actual slap across my cheek. My head whipped to the side, my skin stinging from the force.

"Chasing after men, just like your mother," she spat, her voice rising. "Always chasing after things you can't have, and now you've got an illegitimate child to show for it. You're no better than she was, Isabella. No better at all."

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "You don't know anything about me," I said, my voice shaking. "You don't know what I've been through."

"I know enough," she snapped. "I know you're a selfish, reckless girl who ruined her life. And now you're dragging that poor child into your mess. God help her if she turns out anything like you."

Her words tore through me, each one leaving a jagged wound in its wake. I tried to stand my ground, to defend myself, but Lorraine's anger was unrelenting.

"You don't understand," I said, my voice trembling. "I've worked so hard to give Ember a good life. I'm doing the best I can."

"The best you can?" Lorraine sneered. "Is that what you call this? Parading around like some martyr when all you've done is bring shame to this family?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but another voice cut through the tension.

"That's enough."

I turned to see Alexander standing a few feet away, his expression dark and dangerous. He strode toward us, his presence commanding, and placed himself between me and Lorraine.

"Who are you?" Lorraine demanded, her sharp gaze raking over him.

"I'm someone who's not going to stand here and let you talk to Isabella like that," he said coldly. "You have no right."

Lorraine scoffed. "Oh, so this is the rich man, is it? Figures. Birds of a feather."

Alexander's jaw tightened, but he didn't rise to her bait. "Whatever you think you know about Isabella, you're wrong," he said. "She's a good mother and a good person, and she doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from anyone, least of all her own family."

Lorraine bristled, her eyes narrowing. "You don't know anything about our family."

"And I don't care to," he shot back. "What I do know is that Isabella has been through more than you can imagine, and she's come out stronger for it. If you can't see that, then maybe you're the one who should be ashamed."

For a moment, Lorraine was silent, her face a mask of fury. Then she turned to me, her lips curling into a sneer. "You'll regret this, Isabella," she said. "Mark my words."

With that, she turned and stalked off, leaving me standing there with tears streaming down my face.

Alexander turned to me, his expression softening. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

I nodded, but the tears kept coming. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice breaking. "You shouldn't have had to see that."

"Don't apologize," he said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

I looked down at Ember, who was staring up at me with wide, curious eyes. "I just... I don't know if I can do this," I admitted. "Being a mother, dealing with people like her... it's so hard."

"You're doing better than you think," Alexander said. "Ember is lucky to have you. And you don't have to do this alone, Isabella. I'm here, whether you want me to be or not."

His words touched something deep inside me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn't as alone as I thought.

As I wiped my tears and looked at Ember, I knew one thing for certain: no matter what anyone said, no matter how hard it got, I would fight for my daughter. She was my everything, and I wouldn't let anyone take that away from me.