When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 294

“Shut up.” Nelly grabbed Sheila by the collar, her voice sharp. “You’re trying to turn Carrie against me just to get Brody? Seriously, Sheila, we’re both women. How can you be this low?”

Sheila barely reacted. She pried Nelly’s hand off and straightened her blouse. “You’ve got it all wrong. That’s not what I’m after.” She let out a soft sigh. “Brody was always mine.”

Nelly’s eyes burned with anger, but her words came out steady and clear. “If he’s yours, then why are you working so hard to get rid of me? It almost feels like you think he still cares about me.”

Sheila’s smile froze for a second, then she quickly recovered. “You’re mistaken. Brody loves me. No matter what, I matter more to him than you. You should know that by now.” She stepped closer and dropped her voice. “He’s just too softhearted. Every time he sees Carrie missing you, he starts to second-guess everything.”

She paused, her tone turning cold. “So I have to make sure he lets go of you for good. And let’s be honest, you want out of this mess, too. In a way, I’m actually helping you.”

Nelly almost laughed, the disbelief flashing in her eyes. “So you’re using a five-year-old kid? Don’t you claim to love Carrie too?”

She never wanted to go head-to-head with another woman, but the world seemed full of shameless people like Sheila.

“This isn’t using her,” Sheila replied, sounding a little too pleased with herself. “Relax. Once Carrie truly sees me as her mom, I’ll make her happier than you ever could.”

“Don’t bother. Brody’s still recovering at the hospital. Alan will take Carrie back to her grandmother’s place. There’ll be someone there for her, so she won’t be upset for long. But if you show up and start another fight with her grandmother, you’ll just make things worse for Carrie. You know that, right?”

Everything tonight had unfolded exactly how Sheila planned. She brought Carrie to see Nelly late at night, knowing Tina would call Alan to pick her up. Sheila texted Alan, told him to wait outside Nelly’s building. The moment Carrie ran off, Sheila stalled Nelly just long enough for Alan to drive away, leaving Nelly with no way to catch up.

By the time Tina and Brody found out Carrie was hurt, all the blame would fall on Nelly, making everyone just a little more disappointed in her.

Nelly’s whole body shook with frustration, but she knew Sheila was right. Going after them now would only make things even worse.