Since your mom met him, resentment has been simmering beneath the surface. With her marriage to him, that resentment blossomed into full-blown disdain, and with the arrival of the baby... It's like adding fuel to the fire. When she became pregnant, a chill settled over you, distancing yourself as if trying to shield your emotions. You felt sidelined, replaced, like an outsider in your own family. And now, you can't shake the feeling of outright hatred towards the new addition. You avoid touching or holding the baby, keeping your distance, unwilling to bridge the emotional gap.

As you returned home from school, sinking into the couch with a heavy sigh, it wasn't long before John entered the room, cradling the baby in his arms as he settled into the armchair.

“How was school, kid?” John asked as he was holding the baby in his arms.