Angelus Ultionis

Chapter 1:

"‘Jane! Where the hell is my grandson?’ My mother-in-law's voice echoed through the living room, her tone sharp and impatient as usual. She didn’t even wait for me to greet her before she started her tirade.

I stepped into the room, keeping my voice steady despite the frustration building inside me. ‘He’s at school right now,’ I said calmly, offering a tight smile. ‘What a lovely surprise. What brings you here, mother-in-law?’

She looked me up and down, her eyes full of disdain. ‘Oh, please, Jane,’ she sneered. ‘I still don’t understand why my son ever married a woman like you. A poor, insignificant woman who brings nothing to this family. And now, you want a divorce? Hah!’ She let out a bitter laugh, her words dripping with arrogance. ‘You should consider yourself the luckiest woman in the world for being in this family in the first place. But don't worry, your time here is running out.’

I clenched my fists, but stayed silent as she continued, her voice filled with smug satisfaction. ‘Let my son be with the woman I’ve always wanted for him. He’s already drifting toward her, and soon enough, when Stephanie’s father agrees to the business partnership with our company, you’ll be nothing but a forgotten chapter. He’ll divorce you in no time, and when that happens, that filthy café and restaurant of yours? It’ll be mine. I’ll turn it into the most luxurious salon this town has ever seen,’ she said, her lips curling into a cruel smile.

A fire sparked inside me, my anger rising to the surface. I had worked too hard to build my business, and I wasn’t about to let her take that away from me, no matter what. I stepped forward, my voice steady but full of defiance. ‘You cannot have my café. It’s mine. I built it from the ground up, and I’m not going to let you or anyone else take that away from me.’

Her eyes narrowed, but I didn’t back down. I was done letting her and Trevor make me feel powerless. This was my life, and I wasn’t going to stand by while they tried to take everything from me.

~~~•~~~•~~~

'Mommy! We’re going on a field trip this weekend at daycare!’ My son’s voice was filled with excitement as he came running toward me, clutching a brightly colored paper in his tiny hands. His eyes sparkled as he added, ‘I’m excited because we’ll get to see animals!’

I smiled at his enthusiasm, my heart warming at how happy he was. ‘Oh wow, that’s amazing!’ I said, taking the paper from his hands. I skimmed through the details, reading about the field trip and making a mental note of everything he would need. His joy was contagious, and I knew I wanted to make the day special for him in every way I could.

Later that evening, I got to work, preparing a big lunch box he could share with his classmates. I carefully packed his favorite fruits—juicy apple slices and sweet berries—knowing they’d put a smile on his face. I made sure to add some sandwiches, cut into fun shapes to keep things exciting for him and his friends. But the real highlight of his lunch was the small animal-shaped pancakes I made, each one resembling the animals he was so excited to see on the trip. I knew he’d love them, and I could already picture him showing them off to his classmates.

As I carefully packed everything, I felt a sense of pride and happiness. Seeing him so thrilled about the field trip reminded me of how precious these little moments were. I wanted him to know, in the smallest of ways, just how much I cared and how much joy it brought me to see him so happy. This was his special day, and I was determined to make sure he felt that from the moment he opened his lunch box."

"Daddy, can you come with me on my field trip?" My son’s little voice was full of hope as he stood in front of Trevor, his eyes wide with excitement. He held onto the edge of Trevor’s pants, looking up with that innocent smile that could melt anyone’s heart. "Mommy said if I asked you, you might want to come."