I let out a short and bitter laugh that echoed through the empty hallway of my home because the irony of her statement was almost too much to handle.
“Difficult for whom exactly, Mom?”
Twenty minutes later, the security team confirmed that my electronic lock had been successfully wiped of all previous permissions and that the old metal key was now useless.
I thanked the guard for his quick work and tied my hair back into a tight bun before grabbing my handbag and heading down to the lobby to meet the storm head-on.
I refused to cower in my own living room while my family attempted to invade my personal space as if I were nothing more than a convenient resource for them to exploit.
At exactly seven minutes before one in the morning, the heavy glass doors of the main entrance swung open to admit the chaos I had been expecting.
Sienna marched in first with her makeup smearing under her eyes and her hair damp from the drizzle, carrying that look of exhausted fury she wore whenever life dared to deviate from her plans.
Her three children trailed behind her in a sad procession, with young Tessa clutching a stuffed rabbit and Hudson dragging a rolling suitcase that was clearly too heavy for his small frame.
Milo was slumped over his mother’s shoulder in a deep sleep, completely unaware of the fact that he was being used as a pawn in a power struggle between adults.
