In the middle of that argument, they'd caught me off guard and shoved me down the stairs together.

Kay's drawn-out sighs pulled me back to the present.

"Jeanette, if it's too much trouble, then forget it." She let out a weary breath. "I've got surgery in a few days and I'll need someone to look after me, but I don't want to be a burden on you."

Not this time. In this life, I would never fall for their tricks again. I was going to stay far away from every last one of them and build a real life with my daughter.

I looked at Kay's sallow, sickly face.

My heart didn't soften. Not even a little. Instead, I squeezed out a few tears.

"Reg just passed. My heart is shattered. I really don't have it in me to look after anyone else right now." I drew a shaking breath. "I've been crying nonstop. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is him covered in blood."

My voice cracked. "If it weren't for Caroline being so young... maybe... maybe I would've followed him."

Kay clearly hadn't expected that answer. Her mouth opened, then closed again.

Matthew stepped forward immediately to fill the silence.

"We're not asking you to take care of Mom. It's more like... we just want you two to keep each other company."

Leila came up and took my hand, her expression arranged into something resembling sincerity.

"Jeanette, Matthew's right. You and Mom have always been the closest. We just want you to be there with her." She squeezed my fingers. "We won't ask you to do any caretaking. We'll hire a home aide for both of you, on our dime."

Just like that, they'd maneuvered me onto a pedestal so high I couldn't refuse without looking heartless.

The relatives and friends gathered around clearly thought I should agree. One by one, they chimed in.

"Jeanette, you and your mother-in-law can keep each other company. That way you'll both have someone to lean on."

"Matthew and Leila are offering to pay for a home aide. You won't have to lift a finger."

"Just say yes. You're emotionally fragile right now. You need someone around."

"Exactly. If anything happens, it's easier when you're together."

"A home aide can look after you, your mother-in-law, and little Caroline. It's a win-win."

Easy for them to say. None of this was landing on their shoulders. They could toss out advice without bearing a shred of the responsibility.

No matter how many of them ganged up on me, I was not going to take on the burden of caring for Kay Perry.

I lifted a hand and dabbed at my tears, letting my expression crumble into something fragile and pitiful.

"I'm in terrible shape right now. My parents have been begging me to come home. I want to take Caroline and stay with them for a few days." I looked at Matthew, my eyes red-rimmed. "Once I've had a chance to pull myself together, we can talk about this. Is that okay?"

The moment the words left my mouth, I let out a few quiet sobs.

Caroline toddled over and tugged at the hem of my pants.

"Mommy, don't cry."

The relatives shifted uncomfortably, their expressions softening with guilt.

"Matthew... Jeanette's had it rough too. Maybe just drop it for now."

"She's been running herself ragged since Reg's funeral. Look at her face. Let her rest a few days before bringing this up again."

"Yeah, I agree. Give her some space."

Kay, Matthew, and Leila's expressions flickered, a shadow passing across all three faces in unison.

I didn't spare them another glance.

Using my poor health as an excuse, I took Caroline's hand and left as quickly as I could.

The second we got home, I called a realtor to list the house.

Then I started the paperwork for Caroline's school transfer.

I was taking my daughter and getting out. Far enough that Kay and her family could never sink their claws into us again.

Caroline stared up at me with wide, curious eyes.

"Mommy, how come I have to switch schools?"

"And how come we're selling the house?"

She was too young for the truth. I smiled and reached down to smooth her hair.

"Because we're going to live with Grandma and Grandpa from now on. And to make it easier for you to get to school, we need to transfer you somewhere closer."

She thought about it for a moment, not quite understanding, then nodded. "Okay!"

A buyer turned up fast.

They paid without haggling and gave us three days to move out. I started packing right away. Caroline helped, carrying small things beside me.

Then the doorbell rang.

Through the smart doorbell camera, I saw who was standing outside: Kay, along with the others. Behind them sat a row of suitcases.

So that was the plan. They were going to move Kay in whether I liked it or not.

I glanced around the room. Packed boxes and luggage were everywhere. If they saw any of this, there would be questions I couldn't answer.

That door was staying shut.

Outside, Kay called through the intercom. "Jeanette? Caroline? Are you home?"

A beat of silence, then her voice softened. "I've been thinking I didn't consider your feelings enough the other day. Open the door, sweetheart. Let's sit down and talk it through properly."

Matthew chimed in right on cue. "Jeanette, we were out of line the other day. We're sorry about that."

Caroline perked up at the sound of her grandmother's voice and started toward the door. I caught her around the waist and carried her back to the bedroom.

She looked up at me, confused. "Mommy, aren't we going to open the door?"

I pressed a finger to my lips and smiled. "Grandma's playing hide-and-seek with you! You can't make a sound, okay? If she catches you, the punishment is no snacks for the whole day."

Caroline clapped both hands over her mouth and nodded solemnly.

I opened the app and watched the camera feed.

They kept ringing the bell. No one answered. After a while, Matthew lost patience.

"They're obviously not home. I told you we should've called first, but no, you two wanted the element of surprise." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, surprise—nobody's here. I'm not standing around waiting. It's not like they're going to disappear."

He turned to leave. Leila grabbed his arm.

"Hold on. Something's off." Her eyes narrowed. "What if Jeanette figured out we're after the compensation money and she's pretending not to be home?"

"She told us they'd be back in three days. How are they not back yet?"

Her voice climbed. "I bet she's planning to keep all of Reg's money for herself. She's probably already looking for a new husband to run off with!"

Kay slapped her thigh and let out a sharp cry. "Then we're in trouble! She wouldn't really take my son's compensation and run, would she? That's hundreds of thousands of dollars!"

"Absolutely not! I will not let some outsider walk away with that money! And this house—my son paid for this house! I want it back too!"

"Call her! Right now! Find out where she is! She is NOT getting away with this!"

Even knowing exactly what they were, hearing those words still stung.

To Kay, none of it mattered. Not the years I'd spent at her side, not every meal I'd cooked, not every hospital night I'd sat through. I was still just an outsider.

But at least in this life, my eyes were open. They would never play me again.

Seconds later, Leila's number flashed across my screen.

I let it ring a few times before picking up.

"Jeanette! Where are you? How come you're not back yet? You said three days!"

Her tone shifted, dripping with warmth. "We're at your front door right now. We were worried you'd be lonely, so we thought the whole family could have dinner together, catch up a little."

If I hadn't already known exactly what she was after, I might have actually believed she cared.

I kept my voice light, a little flustered. "Wait, you're at the house? Why didn't you call me first?"

"My parents just can't bear to let Caroline go yet. We decided to stay a few extra days, so I bought tickets for the day after tomorrow."

I paused, then added, "How about this—I'll bring Caroline over to see you all when we get back?"

Leila let out a dry laugh. "Oh, I see. My fault, then. I should've called ahead."

"Mom can't bear to be away from you. She's been thinking about you and Caroline these past few days, worried sick you might do something rash."

"When you two come back, let us come to you instead. You'll be exhausted from the trip."

Kay leaned in, her voice dripping with false concern. "Jeanette, don't push yourself too hard."

"If anything's bothering you, if you feel wronged in any way, just tell us. We're your rock. We're your family."

I murmured a couple of agreeable sounds and offered a few polite words before hanging up.

Not long after, the three of them grumbled outside the door for a minute, then left together.

The moment they were gone, I grabbed Caroline and rushed straight to my parents' house without stopping.

It wasn't until I stood at their front door that the knot in my chest finally loosened.

My mom opened the door and saw me. She was so overwhelmed she couldn't speak.

My eyes burned. I threw my arms around her.

"Mom, we're home."

In my last life, I'd owed my parents more than I could ever repay. I'd spent every waking moment looking after Kay, never daring to slack off, never daring to leave her side for a second. Decades had passed without a single visit home.

Now I could finally make it up to them.

Caroline copied me, toddling over and wrapping her little arms around us both.

"Grandma! We're home!"

My parents couldn't get enough of us.

At dinner, my dad kept piling food onto my plate like a man possessed.

"How long has it been? You're skin and bones!"

"Eat more! These are all your favorites."

My mom focused on Caroline's plate instead.

"Caroline, you eat up too."

"So, Caroline, how many days are you two staying this time?"

I set down my chopsticks and looked at them both.

"Mom, Dad. We're not leaving."

"We're staying for good. We're not going anywhere."

They stared at me, stunned by the announcement.

I pulled out a bank card and slid it across the table.

"I sold the house."

"This is the money from the sale. It's for you."

Giving this to my parents settled something deep inside me.

My mom seemed to guess what had happened. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Jeanette, you've been suffering."

My dad nudged her with his elbow.

"What are you crying for? The kids are coming home to live with us. That's a good thing! Quit with the waterworks."

He turned to me. "You see your mother? Tiniest thing and she falls apart."

My mom swatted him on the arm.

"Oh, shut up and eat!"

My dad looked at me, playing the victim. "See that? This is what she does! Your mother's been bullying me like this for years! Won't even let a man speak the truth!"

The two of them went back and forth, bickering like they always did.

I watched them and laughed out loud.

Caroline held her bowl in both hands, tilting her head to one side as she watched them go at it.

A few days later, a phone call shattered the peace.

"Jeanette Harding! Who gave you the right to sell my son's house without asking me?"