"See, Grandpa?" Lily whispered, smirking. "He missed me. He bought me a present with his new money."
"Don't fool yourself," I muttered.
"I actually have something for you instead."
Noah returned holding a small shoebox wrapped in faded blue paper.
"Here," he said, handing it directly to her.
"What is this supposed to be?" Lily gave a nervous laugh.
"Just open it," Noah said.
She lifted the lid. For three agonizing seconds, nobody moved. Her face went completely white.
"No," Lily whispered, her hands shaking violently. "This can't be real. You turned him completely against me!" she shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at my face. "This is all your fault!"
For three agonizing seconds, nobody moved.
I leaned on my cane, blood boiling. "I didn't have to say a single word to this boy," I replied. "You did that all by yourself fifteen years ago."
"I left them with you so we could all have a fresh start!" she cried. "You wouldn't understand!"
"You left them in the freezing cold without even knocking on the door," I fired back. "Phoebe didn't even have shoes on her tiny feet!"
"Look at what you put in that box to punish me!" Lily yelled, gesturing wildly at the discarded cardboard.
Noah stepped smoothly between us, his broad shoulders shielding me.
"Grandpa didn't put anything in that box. I did."
"Look at what you put in that box to punish me!"
"A crumpled grocery receipt?" she scoffed, tears of rage welling up. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"
"It's the exact receipt you wrote your goodbye note on," Noah said, his voice sharp as a blade. "The note where you chose a man over us. But you didn't look under the receipt, did you?"
Lily reached down slowly and pulled out a stack of crisp white papers.
"A property deed?" she whispered, confusion replacing her anger.
"A fully paid-off four-bedroom house," Noah said. "In Grandpa's name. To repay him for spending his entire retirement keeping us alive."
Lily reached down slowly and pulled out a stack of crisp white papers.
A sickening gleam of greed crossed her face instantly. "You bought a house? You're actually rich now? I am so proud of you!"
"My startup went public last month," Noah said, narrowing his eyes. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"
Lily stepped back, clutching her coat.
"Pete filed for bankruptcy three months ago," Noah continued. "And then he divorced you, leaving you with nothing."
"How could you possibly know about Pete?" she gasped, her pale cheeks flushing crimson.
"I can afford very good private investigators," Noah said coldly. "I knew you'd come sniffing around the second my name hit the news."
"You're actually rich now? I am so proud of you!"
"You saw his picture in Forbes and suddenly remembered you had children," I added, deep disgust settling in my chest.
"That is a complete lie!" Lily shouted. "Phoebe, Kelly, tell them I'm a good mother!"
Phoebe glared from across the kitchen island, hands balled into tight fists. "We don't even know who you are," she said firmly.
"I came back because I love all of you!" Lily pleaded, clawing desperately at Noah's sleeve.
Noah pulled away immediately, brushing his jacket like she had tainted it.
"You didn't come back for family," he roared. "You came back for a payday."
Noah pulled away immediately, brushing his jacket like she had tainted it.
"I am your mother!" she screamed. "I have a legal right to my family's success!"
"You lost any rights to us fifteen years ago," Noah told her.
"I carried you for nine long months!" Lily sobbed theatrically. "You owe me a comfortable life after everything I sacrificed!"
"I don't owe you a single dime," Noah said, completely unmoved.
"He's just a bitter old man who stole my babies!" Lily yelled, pointing at me again.
"He is the only real father we have ever known," Noah fired back, his voice booming through the kitchen.
"I carried you for nine long months!"
