At My Baby Shower He Celebrated Another Woman’s Child Chapter 08
The doors opened.
June walked in, escorting a middle-aged woman in a worn wool coat. Her face was tired, her hands rough from work—but the moment Sadie saw her, she looked like she’d seen a ghost and stumbled backward.
“Marlene?”
The woman looked at her, her eyes red.
“Why did you tell everyone I was dead?”
The room fell silent.
“I never abused you. The last time we fought, it was because you knew Graham had a wife and you were still determined to get involved with him. You were the one who called me nosy, changed your number, and cut me off!”
“She’s lying!”
Brooke moved to shield Sadie, snapping, “Someone like this just showing up is obviously trying to extort money from the Mercer family!”
“I’m not!”
Marlene trembled with agitation. June steadied her and connected her phone to the projector.
Image after image of bank transfers filled the screen, stretching from before Sadie’s marriage all the way through the year she claimed she had no one to rely on.
Then a voice recording echoed through the hall.
“If you keep opposing me and Graham, then don’t contact me again. I’ll tell everyone you abused me, and I’ll say you died. No one will believe you anyway.”
It was Sadie’s voice.
My mother staggered. My father stared, transfixed, at the screen. A wave of murmurs swept through the guests.
“So she’s not an orphan?”
“How long has the Mercer family been taken for a ride?”
The mask of fragility on Sadie’s face finally cracked.
“That’s enough!”
She shrieked and lunged for the projector, trying to snatch June’s phone.
“Why won’t you just die already? I told you a long time ago—I don’t have a mother!”