Chapter 3 The Mother’s Secret

I stood there in the hallway, towel still wrapped around me, heart pounding like a drum in my chest. My mind was spinning worst-case scenarios. What if it was Derek? What if he tracked me down and showed up here like some crazy hot mess? My pussy even twitched a little at the thought before I shoved it away. I took a deep breath and walked downstairs.

“Amelia, hurry up!” Mom called again.

I stepped into the living room and stopped short. It wasn’t Derek. It was just Maria, standing there with her backpack and that sneaky grin on her face. Relief hit me so hard I almost laughed, but then annoyance took over.

“Mom, why didn’t you just say it was Maria?” I snapped, crossing my arms. “You made it sound like some random stranger or something. I was freaking out up there!”

Mom raised her eyebrow. “I said someone was here to see you. You’re the one who jumped to conclusions. Anyway, I’ll leave you girls to it.” She grabbed her keys and headed out for another late shift, leaving us alone in the big fancy living room.

Maria waited until the door clicked shut before she burst out laughing. “Dude, your face! You looked like you were about to piss yourself.”

“Shut up,” I muttered, sinking onto the couch. “What are you even doing here?”

She plopped down next to me and shrugged. “I came to return that hoodie you left at my place last night. You know, the one from our fake study session?” She winked hard, sinking into the lie like a pro. She was totally covering for me.

We chatted for a bit about nothing, but I could tell Maria wasn’t done. After a while she followed me up to my room and closed the door behind her. She leaned against it, arms folded.

“Okay, spill. For real this time. Who was the guy? You had that ‘I just got railed’ look at the coffee shop. And those marks on your neck? Not from sleeping over at my house.”

I sat on my bed, pulling my knees up. My mind flashed back to Derek’s apartment again — his thick cock stretching me wide, his hands gripping my hips so tight they left bruises, the way he growled “take it” while pounding me from behind. I pressed my thighs together without thinking. God, why did my body still react like that?

“It was just a night out with an ex,” I said stubbornly, avoiding her eyes. “Nothing serious. We hooked up, it was whatever, end of story.”

Maria wasn’t buying it. “An ex? Which one? You haven’t mentioned any guy in months. And why’d you lie about it at the shop? We tell each other everything, Amelia. Was he good? Like, mind-blowing good? ‘Cause you look guilty as hell.”

I deflected fast. “Can we drop it? It was a mistake, okay? I was drunk, missing my dad, and things got wild. I don’t wanna talk about it anymore.”

She pushed a little more but finally gave up when I stayed quiet. We ended up watching dumb TikToks until she left. But even after she was gone, I couldn’t shake the memories. Derek’s grey eyes staring down at me while he fucked me senseless. His mouth on my tits. The way I came so hard I saw stars. I hated how much I craved it again.

The next morning I woke up to the smell of fresh coffee. I dragged myself downstairs in my tank top and shorts, still sore between my legs. Mom was in the kitchen, glowing like a woman half her age. She hummed some old song while pouring coffee, wearing this silky robe that showed off her legs. She had this secret little smile on her face, the kind I hadn’t seen in years.

“Morning, sweetie,” she said cheerfully.

I blinked. Something was different. Fresh roses sat in a vase on the dining table — deep red ones that smelled amazing. There was a bottle of expensive whiskey on the counter, the kind Mom never bought for herself. And when I peeked into the study, a man’s suit jacket was draped over the chair like it belonged there. My stomach twisted a bit.

“You’ve been staying out late a lot,” I said, grabbing a mug. “And coming home all flushed. Are you seeing someone?”

Mom laughed softly and sipped her coffee. “Maybe. Be happy for me, darling. It’s been a long time since I felt like this.”

I forced a smile but something felt off. I wandered through the empty hallways of our big Vance mansion after she left for work. The place was huge and quiet, with high ceilings and fancy lights. Dad’s old photographs watched me from the walls — him smiling at me when I was little, before the accident took him. I missed him so much it hurt sometimes.

I stopped in front of a big mirror in the hall. My reflection looked tired but kinda glowy too. The bruises on my neck had faded to yellow and green spots. I touched them gently, remembering Derek’s teeth grazing my skin while he thrust deep. His big hands on my hips, pulling me back onto his cock. That low growl in my ear: “Such a tight little pussy.” Heat rushed between my legs. I pressed my thighs together, feeling myself get wet. Why the hell did my body react this bad, I hated wanting him still. He was just a stranger a rough mistake.

I shook my head and went back to my room, trying to focus on studying for nursing exams. But my mind kept drifting. What if Mom’s mystery guy was nice? Maybe she’d finally stop working so much. Maybe I’d get that father figure I always begged for as a kid.

Later that evening, I was chilling in my room scrolling my, phone when Mom knocked and stepped inside. She looked excited, eyes bright.

“Amelia, I wanted to tell you… Someone special is coming this weekend. I think it’s time you meet him.”

My heart skipped. Who was this guy? Was he the reason for the roses and the jacket? Was Mom really moving on after all these years? Part of me felt happy for her, but another part twisted with weird jealousy and fear. What if he changed everything? What if my secret with Derek somehow blew up because of it?

I nodded slowly, smiling on the outside, but inside I was wondering hard who this “someone special” really was. And why it made my stomach flip in a bad way.