[Holly's POV]
The prepaid phone feels heavy in my hand as I scroll through my contacts. Mom's number sits there, unchanged since before everything went to hell. My thumb hovers over it, trembling slightly. She doesn't even have my new number, how could she? After what happened with Daniel, after being thrown out like yesterday's trash, communication wasn't exactly a priority.
Fuck it.
I press the call button before I can talk myself out of it again. Each ring sends a jolt through my chest. One. Two. Three.
"Hello?" Her voice sounds exactly the same—curious, slightly cautious. It makes my throat tighten.
"Hello, mother." I try to sound detached, but the word 'mother' comes out sharper than intended.
A pause. The line crackles with tension so thick I could cut it with a knife.
"Holly." Her voice drops several degrees, turning from cautious to glacial in an instant. I can practically see her spine straightening.
"Listen, Mother, I'm…" I let my voice crack, injecting just the right amount of vulnerability. I've rehearsed this in the mirror for days, perfecting the trembling lower lip, the slight catch in my breath. Method acting at its finest. "I've been doing a lot of thinking."
My free hand drifts to my stomach, still flat but harboring the key to everything I want. This baby changes all the equations. This baby is my ticket back into their lives, and eventually, my way to have Daniel all to myself.
"I want to apologize," I continue, making my voice small. "To you and to Daniel. For everything that happened between us."
"I think you've done quite enough, don't you?" The ice in her tone could freeze hell itself. Behind her coldness, I detect something else, fear. She knows I'm dangerous. Good.
"Please, Mom." I pour desperation into the word, letting it hang between us. "Can't we just get together? I need to see you both face to face, to give you a proper apology. I've changed. I've grown."
Another pause. I hold my breath, waiting. The whole plan hinges on getting through that door, on being in the same room with them both.
"I suppose..." Emily's voice trails off, and I hear her sigh. "Okay."
My eyes widen so much they practically bug out of my head. That's it? After everything that happened between us, after I tried to steal her husband, after she had me beaten to a pulp, all it takes is one fake-vulnerable phone call?
I almost laugh out loud, pressing my hand against my mouth to stifle the sound. This is almost too easy.
"Actually," Emily continues, her voice taking on a casual tone that feels calculated, "Danny and I were planning to have a picnic today at the Oakenbridge state park. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."
I can't believe what I'm hearing. A picnic? Like we're some happy little family? The absurdity of it makes me want to scream, but instead, I force my voice to sound grateful and slightly choked up.
"That would be perfect," I manage, injecting a quiver into my words. "Thank you so much, Mom. You don't know how much this means to me."
"Do you want me to pick you up?" Emily asks.
I nearly laugh out loud at the suggestion. The thought of sitting in a car with her, pretending we're just mother and daughter having a normal day together, is almost too absurd to contemplate. As if she didn't have me beaten within an inch of my life. As if I didn't fuck her husband.
"No, no," I say quickly, keeping the manufactured vulnerability in my voice. "I'll meet you there. I could use a nice walk, actually."
The truth is I need time to prepare myself, to get my story straight, to make sure every expression, every gesture screams remorse and growth. I need to be perfect if this is going to work.
"Alright then," Emily says, sounding relieved. "We can meet by the picnic tables near the east entrance. The ones overlooking the lake."
"That sounds lovely," I reply, trying not to let the sarcasm seep through. Picnic tables by a lake. How fucking quaint.
"Around noon?" she suggests.
"Perfect. I'll see you both then."
I end the call before she can say anything else, before my mask slips. My hand trembles as I set the phone down on my desk. This is really happening. I'm finally going to see them. See Daniel.
A smile spreads across my face as I toss the phone onto my bed.
I stand up and walk to the mirror, examining my reflection. I look... normal. Innocent, even. I practice my expression, eyebrows slightly raised, lips parted in gentle contrition, eyes wide and vulnerable. The perfect picture of a daughter seeking forgiveness.
"Oh, Mom," I whisper to my reflection, letting my hand drift to my still-flat stomach. "You're going to feel so betrayed when you find out about this little one."
I rub small circles over my belly, imagining the tiny cluster of cells growing inside me. Daniel's cells. Our baby.
"But there's no way you'll pass up the opportunity to help raise your precious husband's child, right?" I tilt my head, watching my expression shift from vulnerable to calculating. "Your maternal instincts will kick in, and you'll have no choice but to keep me close."
A laugh bubbles up from deep in my chest, low and triumphant. The sound fills my small dorm room, bouncing off the walls like it wants to escape. I don't try to contain it. This feeling of power, of having the perfect leverage, is too delicious to suppress.