''I don''t understand him at all…'' Chloe thought as she went downstairs. ''One time he can be nice and even generous, then he could be mean, cruel, and snapped at the smallest movement.''


    Of course, Chloe was still scared of him. He was basically a more violent version of Vincent. Vincent was a piece of shit, but he never actually snapped at her.


    He would always be condescending, though, ying down all Chloe''s hard work, and insulting her daily, even nitpicking at the smallest thing just to get the chance to ridicule her until she got extremely depressed and had no self-worth anymore.


    On the other hand, Vernon was not condescending but had violent streaks and terrible mood swings.


    ''They''re brothers, after all. So they''re basically two evils.''


    ''But picking the lesser of two evils is difficult… I don''t think I want to end up with any of them….''


    Chloe sighed as she remembered what Vernon dreamed aboutst night. That woman must''ve fucked him up because Chloe vividly remembered how obedient Vernon was when he was a child.


    He might be a brat, but he would still listen when he got reprimanded, and he was cute back then.


    Chloe shook her head, "There is no use dwelling in the past, Chloe. That bratty but cute and obedient Vernon is gone. That woman he loved so much must''ve ruined his life…."


    She said that, but of course… deep in her heart, she wondered if she could help him reconcile with his loved one or ease the pain somehow…


    **


    Chloe drove Mackie to her school as usual. Before Mackie opened the car door, Chloe warned her;


    "Remember what we talked about yesterday?"


    "Un! Never give in to the bullies! Mackie is like Mommy! We are strong!"


    Mackie smiled and patted her head, "But don''t fight anymore, okay? If Jaden and Mia did something, report to your homeroom teacher."


    "Yes! See youter, Mommy!" Mackie kissed her Mommy''s cheek before grabbing her lunchbox and opening the car door. She pranced happily as she entered the school gate, greeted a few of her friends, and walked together to enter the school building.


    Chloe''s smile faltered once Mackie entered the building. She felt a little funny when Mackie told her that she was brave.


    "My dear, I love you so much, but please don''t be like Mommy. Mommy is nothing but a failure…."


    **


    Chloe didn''t have anywhere to go because Vernon forbade her toe to the office.


    "Maybe I should just return to the apartment and start cleaning a few stuff again…." Chloe wondered. But before she could decide, her phone rang.


    She checked the caller and picked up the call. She put it on a loudspeaker as she continued driving.


    —


    "Yes, Mom?"


    "Chloe, I heard you''re fighting with Vincent. What''s wrong?" Judith, her mom, asked on the phone.


    Chloe slowed her car and parked it on the side, not wanting to be distracted while talking about this difficult stuff with her Mom.


    But Chloe knew she couldn''t hide for too long, so she confirmed it;


    "Yes, Mom, but it''s not just a fight, it''s…." Chloe was unable to utter that ''divorce'' to her mother. After all, her mother loved Vincent so much.


    "We should talk, Chloe. Can youe to my home today?" Judith asked, and Chloe agreed.


    "I''ll be there in an hour," Chloe said.


    "Okay, I''ll be waiting, dear."


    Beep.


    —


    Chloe took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. Sooner orter, her mom would discover her fractured rtionship anyway. There was no point in hiding it for too long.


    But Chloe was strangely nervous. She kept it all by herself because she didn''t want to disappoint her daughter and mother, who seemed to like Vincent very much.


    So, although it hurt so much, Chloe still didn''t dare to do anything for so long, scared that it might hurt her daughter and mother.


    Chloe drove to her mother''s home.


    It was her home before, but now that her sister and brother-inw lived with their mother, Chloe couldn''t call it home.


    Because her sister always had this sour look whenever she was there, as if she was not weed in her own house, where she grew up.


    **


    Chloe arrived and stared at her house from across the road. She clenched her grip on the steering wheel and opened the car door.


    She pressed the bell a few times until the door was opened.


    She thought she''d meet her mother, but her sister instead greeted her with a sour mood.


    "Why are you here?" Chelsea— her big sister, asked.


    Chelsea and Chloe were only a year in age difference, with Chelsea being the older one. They had a strong sisterly bond when they were young, up until Chloe was epted with a schrship in her high school.


    They went to separate high schools, and all the sisterly bond just disappeared, with Chelsea bitter over her schrship, and rtionship with Vincent that ended up with marriage.


    "Are you here to drop Mackie again? Oh,e on, what''s so hard about taking care of one daughter?" Chelsea sneered, but Chloe didn''t care about her words. She only smiled and replied politely;


    "I have something to talk about with Mom," Chloe said. She sidestepped Chelsea and walked around her old house with ease.


    Chelsea clicked her tongue annoyedly, "If you want to meet Mom, she is in her room."


    "Ah, thanks, sis. Where are my nephews, by the way?" Chloe mentioned the sons of her sister. She had four sons, all younger than Mackie, so they all saw her like some kind of big sister.


    "With their dad," Chelsea replied. "What? Do you want to say I''m not a good Mom because I don''t look out for them 24/7? Well, I''m not lucky enough to be a wife of a rich man like you. All you have to do is sit and y with your daughter, right? You don''t need to worry about money after all."