DARK HEARTS - BILLIONAIRE MARRIAGE CONTRACT ROMANCE

TESTED

"No," I give him a stern look. "Now put your shoes on and let's go. You know how your grandma Winnie feels about people who are late."

His face lights up for the first time since I picked him up from his dads.

"We're going to Grandma Winnies?" He hurries to put on his shoes.

Ever since Jackson and my family have come into his life, it's like I no longer matter to him. Like I mean nothing to him and spending time with me is this chore he'd rather not do. I try not to take offense to his constant attitude and talking down to me, but it's starting to get to me.

So, once we get to my mom's house, I pull Jackson and Mary aside to talk to them.

"Can we help you somehow?" Mary gives me a look of disgust.

"Yes. Um... Elijah has been really disrespectful to me lately. He's been talking down to me, he's hostile, and he acts like spending any amount of time with me is going to kill him. So, I was just wondering if maybe you knew where it was coming from or how I could fix it." I smile. Hoping to keep the situation light and civil.

"Well, you could try actually being a mother for a change." Mary hits me below the belt. "You won joint custody of him and yet he spends more time at our house."

"That's because whenever I try to keep him home, he just gets angry with me. And all he wants to do is play video games all day. He doesn't want to talk or play board games or do anything with me anymore."

"You wanted joint custody of him," Jackson scoffs in my face. "Figure it out. It's not our job to teach you how to raise him, Evelyn. What the hell have you been doing to raise him all these years you've kept him from me?"

Shaking their heads, they both brush past me like I'm beneath them. And that's when it hits me... Elijah is treating me like he sees everyone else treat me.

The disrespect.

The dismissive backhanded comments.

... No one in this family respects me. And now that they've got their hooks in him, neither does my son.

Following Mary and Jackson back into the living room, I notice my mom and siblings stop talking the moment I enter the room.

"What?" I stare each of them in the face.

My mom is the first to smile like they weren't just talking about me and offer me a seat.

"We were just talking, and ever since your separation from Alexander, you haven't quite been yourself Evie," she starts. "Perhaps you should take some time away from everything to get your mind right."

"Maybe even see someone." My sister Eden suggests.

Staring incredulously at them, I tell them, "I'm fine. But you lot... you're unbelievable."

"You lot? What... are you British now?" Mary scoffs at me a second time.

"Yet, she's supposed to be fine. Walking up in here sounding just like him." Eden chuckles and shakes her head. "It's okay to admit you're not okay and you need help, Evie."

"Not in this family." I roll my eyes.

"Look, don't take it out on us that you weren't woman enough to get the job done with Alexander." My mom steps into my face. Towering over me with a voice of authority like she has my entire life. "I served him up for you on a silver platter. All you had to do was close the deal and pop out the little bun in your oven, but you couldn't even do that. Because your womb is just as defective as your brain."