Flora’s POV

I waited.

The sound of Stanley’s footsteps echoed through the hallway as he left the house. I stayed perfectly still in my bedroom, cradling Aurora close to my chest, listening intently for the sound of the front door closing.

A few moments later, I heard the unmistakable roar of his car engine as he drove away.

Only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding.

I had been avoiding him since last night. His words still stung like fresh wounds, reopening the pain I had desperately tried to bury. I knew Stanley hated me, but to call my daughter a bastard? That was a level of...