The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 206

A smile plastered on her face, Margaret tried to defuse the awkward tension in the air.

“I just kicked him accidentally,” she said, her voice a forced imitation of gentleness. “Stewart, you’re a guest here, so watch your mouth. Look at all this wonderful food. Let’s just eat.”

Stewart shot his mother a resentful glare. “But Jamie was the one who asked me…”

Before he could finish, Margaret snapped. She picked up her knife and fork and rapped him sharply on the head with the handles. “Just eat your dinner,” she hissed.

Beside them, Suzie watched and listened, her expression calm.

In the Sterling family, Stewart was undoubtedly the most guileless. He had no filter, which was one of his defining traits. For Suzie, however, his thoughtless words were just the tip of the iceberg of suffering she had endured. The past was a collection of wounds that had never healed.

As her thoughts drifted, a hand suddenly covered hers on the table.

It was Jamie. He gave her hand a firm squeeze before letting go just as quickly. A moment later, he began filling her plate with food.

“Eat up,” he said softly. “These are all your favorites.”

Suzie glanced at him, assuming this was just another performance for their audience. She offered a faint, grateful smile and began to eat in small bites, her eyes occasionally flicking toward the silent Ruby. The girl seemed genuinely infatuated with Jamie; every time Suzie looked over, Ruby’s gaze was fixed on him.

Suddenly, Jamie’s voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. “Stewart, was Suzie your family’s maid?”

With that, she turned to her daughter. “Isn’t that right, Suzie? I’m telling the truth, aren’t I?”

Suzie dabbed her mouth with a napkin and slowly lifted her head to meet Margaret’s gaze. “If you think it’s right, Mom, then it must be,” she said, her voice even and unhurried. “It wasn’t easy for you to raise me. A little hardship is nothing. I’ll just consider it repayment for your kindness.”

The bland words, delivered with a piercing look, made Margaret squirm. So now that she had Jamie backing her, she was getting passive-aggressive.

Margaret’s mind raced. At first, she’d thought Suzie was just lashing out because she was upset about the divorce. But she was slowly realizing that Suzie’s entire personality had changed.

Before, Margaret could hit her, scream at her, treat her as harshly as she wanted, and Suzie would never dare talk back or resist. The girl had been meek and easy to control. For years, the only reason Margaret had tolerated her was because she was so pliable.