Part 3From Scorned Wife to Ship's Queen

I stared at the raw, red marks on my arm, thin lines of blood blooming against my fair skin. Tim would spot them instantly. Given how fiercely protective he was, I worried what might happen.

But the next moment, Andrew stepped in front of me, his face contorted in anger. He helped a sobbing Tiffany to her feet, then turned on me, his voice a harsh command. "Eleanor, apologize!"

A shiver ran through me, instantly dragging me back to the past. Once, I'd added too much salt to a dish, and Tiffany, who was eating it, had immediately burst into tears, claiming I was jealous of her figure and trying to make her fat. Without a word, Andrew had shoved me to the ground, leaving me to grovel like a dog with no dignity. The memory was vivid, burning. My fingernails bit into my palms.

But that was then, and this was now. I wouldn't stand by and let myself be slandered like some cheap floozy. So I scoffed, a single, disdainful word escaping my lips: "Dream on."

Jack, mid-wipe of Tiffany's tears, paused. He turned to me, his voice sharp with manufactured disappointment: "You're so wicked, and you don't even care! I wish I didn't have a mother like you!"

He'd uttered that exact line more times than I could count. Giving birth to him had been a struggle, which was why I'd always doted on him, always indulged him. Even his most outrageous demands were quietly met. But if he thought that tactic still worked on me, he was sorely mistaken. I met his defiant, almost smug gaze, my voice flat. "Doesn't matter. You've got plenty of mothers, don't you?"

Jack froze, his bravado crumbling instantly. He opened his mouth, a panicked stutter, and I saw a flicker of tears in his eyes. Then, he exploded. He ripped the small charm from around his neck—and hurled it into the ocean. Then he burst into a fresh torrent of tears. "I hate you! I never want you again! You're a horrible woman!"

For a moment, I was disoriented. I'd gotten him that lucky charm when he was six. He used to complain it was "uncool" and "old-fashioned," always leaving it lying around the house. Now he was wearing it close to his skin?

Tiffany pulled him into a hug, stroking his hair with feigned solicitude. "Jack, darling, I'm your mommy now. That... that woman doesn't deserve to be your mother." She turned to me, a cruel glint in her eyes, her voice a low, venomous hiss: "Eleanor, you don't have an entrance badge. You must have snuck in with a scalped ticket. I was going to let it slide, but since you're so shameless, don't blame me." With that, she raised a hand, signaling for security.

I didn't flinch. A joke. This entire cruise ship was mine, a gift from Tim. Let's see who dared lay a hand on me.

But before she could, a hand shot out, firm and quick, pressing her arm down. Andrew looked at me with a complicated expression, then muttered something to Tiffany. Tiffany stared at him, incredulous, her face a mask of bitter resentment. Finally, she gave a grudging nod.

Andrew's expression softened. He started to turn, about to speak to me, but Tiffany threw her arms around his neck, her crimson lips pressing against his. Andrew stiffened for a beat, his eyes instinctively flicking to me. I remained utterly impassive. His eyes darkened, and he leaned in, kissing her with an exaggerated fervor.

Just then, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. Before I could even answer, Andrew's eyes lit up, a sudden, almost desperate hope in them. His voice was thick with barely suppressed excitement. "You still listen to that song?"

I blinked, about to ask what he meant, then it dawned on me, a slow, dawning realization. It was our song. The one from when we first fell in love. I'd completely forgotten. I just liked the melody and set it as my ringtone on a whim. But Andrew had clearly misconstrued it. His eyes shone, as if he was about to confess something profound.

I ignored him, answering the call instead. Tim's deep, resonant voice filled my ear. "Elle, where are you? The show's about to start. We need to go on stage for the opening remarks."

A smile bloomed involuntarily on my face. "Coming right away," I murmured. "I'll be right there. Gotta go!"