The Life We Share

Chapter 6

I stand in the living room looking at all of the people that showed up for Jared's kids birthday party. I was in a long sleeve blue floral dress that touched my knees and had a keyhole cut out. I wasn't hiding the marks he left this time, but honestly no one was even looking my direction. I sip my drink a few times just looking at the people I didn't even know existed, and frankly didn't give a damn about. Sighing I go up the stairs and into the kids room where they play and eat cupcakes.

"Fi! Fi come play with us!" Claire invites me in.

"No sweetie. Are you having fun?"

"Yes, thank you Fi."

"Is mommy here yet?" Chris asks.

"I don't believe so." I answer honestly. I couldn't help but feel empty. I'm so attached that I forgot that they aren't really my kids.

"Well she just got here." I didn't want to turn around to see who the soft voice was coming from, but I was curious. Claire was Jared's twin, blue eyes brown hair, his face structure, his skin tone, with her mothers nose and mouth shape. Chris was his mothers twin, blue eyes, dirty blonde hair, a small nose, with his father's face structure and mouth shape.

Victoria D'angelo was a heavenly bitch with her dirty blonde hair and stormy blue eyes. She was clearly a model by the way she stood in her summer full length dress and pumps. Her body was the perfect hourglass shape, dipped in just after her ribs and arched back out at her hips. Her hair was curled into tight ringlet curls, her makeup was perfectly done and her stiletto acrylics we perfectly maintained. There wasn't a hair out of place. Her face stooped in at all the right angles, with high cheekbones and an untouchable jaw line. She held two expensive clothes brand bags in her hand.

"Mom!" The twins yip running toward her. She moves the bag out of the way, gently patting each of their heads like they were pomeranian puppies.

"Here, it's something little, but my children deserved something for their fifth birthdays." She says handing them the bags she carried in her hands. Claire looks up at her with a confused look before turning toward Chris who was already kneeling on the floor tearing into the bag. Slowly Claire sets the bag on the floor and starts to do the same, but she didn't look excited. When Chris pulls out a rhinestone encrusted blazer his smile drops, Claire pulls out a pleated skirt with the same design on the bottom. "I expect you to go get changed into them." They look at eachother then at me before turning their attention back to their mother.

"Say thank you." I reprimand.

"Thank you." They say mechanically.

"Go get changed." She says straight faced. The nod and leave the room, their friends. "So who are you?" She turns her cold gaze on me now.

"Fiora. I'm their nanny."

"Of course you are." She sits down on one of the chairs crossing her left leg over her right eyeing me from head to toe. "And how often does Jared bend you over his desk?" I glare at her, looking over my shoulder at the other children in the room that pay us no mind. "I'm guessing quite often if those marks are as fresh as they look." Her eyes fall to my chest briefly. "He's more dangerous than any kind of drug Fiora." I don't say anything as I look at her. "You seem to have your shit together, don't fall to your knees for that dickwad."

"How could you leave them?"

"How can you stay?" She asks her eyes turning softer.

"I can't leave them. They deserve to have some love and affection."

"You think it was easy for me to walk away from them?"

"Yes." I clench my jaw. "But here, now, isn't time to talk about it."