SOPHIA’S POV
I woke up the next day to a notification on my phone.
I opened it.
The first thing I saw was a video. Ashley’s face filled the screen. She looked excited. She was wearing a sundress I didn’t recognize - something new that Tiffany must have bought her.
"Daddy! Daddy, look at all the stars!" Her voice was pure joy, the kind of happiness I hadn’t heard from her in years.
The camera moved up to show a night sky absolutely covered in stars. The kind of view you could only get far from the city lights. Then it shifted, and Damien and Tiffany, standing close together on a beach. Ashley was between them holding both their hands.
My daughter was jumping up and down, pointing at the sky. Tiffany was laughing and Damien... Damien was smiling. He was really smiling.
"This is the best night ever!" Ashley said. "Can we stay here forever?"
"We have to go home eventually, sweetheart," Damien said. “But we can come back. Would you like that?"
"Yes! And next time we can bring-" Ashley paused, and for one stupid, hopeful moment, I thought she might say my name, might remember that she had a mother who would love to stargaze with her.
But she didn’t.
"Next time we can bring a telescope!" she finished instead. "Miss Tiffany says she knows where to get a really good one!"
The video ended. I stared at the black screen, waiting to feel something. Anger, maybe, or the pain that usually came when I saw them together like this.
But there was nothing. I felt empty.
I scrolled down and saw the comments from the pack members. There were dozens of them, all gushing about how beautiful the family looked together.
No one mentioned me. Not once.
It was like I didn’t exist.
Downstairs, I could hear voices in the dining room. it sounded like George and Helen. My stomach sank.
The last thing I needed this morning was another confrontation with my mother-in-law. But I’d promised George I’d have breakfast with him, and I wasn’t going to disappoint the old man.
I walked into the dining room with my head high.
George sat at the head of the table, Helen to his right. There was a place set for me on his left, and another beside mine that was empty.
"Sophia, dear!" George’s face lit up when he saw me. "Come, sit. I was just telling Helen how grateful I am that you brought Declan home safely."
"It was nothing, sir.” I took my seat. I could feel Helene’s eyes on me.

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