Chapter 11: Guilt Trip

The past few days have been a whirlwind of preparation. I’m wrapping things up at work, telling my students that I’m going on an academic hiatus and that a replacement lecturer will be stepping in. The looks on their faces range from confusion to outright disappointment, but I can’t exactly tell them that I’m about to become the lone female inmate in a prison full of the most dangerous men in the country.

Then there’s Mr. Mittens. Sweet, lovable Mr. Mittens, who’s blissfully unaware of the chaos that’s about to unfold. I’ve asked Mrs. Greene, my sweet elderly neighbor, to look after him while I’m away. She practically squeals with delight when I ask her, and I can see the glint in her eyes—this is the closest thing she’ll have to her own pet, and she’s already envisioning herself as the doting cat grandma.

“Oh, Liberty, it’ll be like heaven having Mr. Mittens here with me,” she says, clasping her hands together. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. He’ll be spoiled rotten!”

“Thanks, Mrs. Greene,” I reply, genuinely relieved. “I know he’ll be in good hands.”

But even with all the arrangements in place, there’s something gnawing at me, something I can’t shake. It’s the looming baby shower - Joe and Anne’s baby shower. I wasn’t planning to go. I mean, why would I? The last thing I want is to stand in a room full of people cooing over the woman who stole my husband.

But then, of course, Aunt Karen calls.

“Liberty, dear,” she begins, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “I’m so glad you finally picked up. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”

“I’m not avoiding you, Aunt Karen,” I say, already bracing myself for whatever guilt trip she’s about to lay on me.

“Well, isn’t that just a relief,” she says, her tone cold. “Because you know, your cousin Anne is expecting you at the baby shower. She’s been so stressed, poor thing. It’s not easy, carrying twins, and the last thing she needs is the added worry that her own cousin—who, might I remind you, she loves like a sister—isn’t going to show up.”

“I wasn’t planning on going,” I admit, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in my chest. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Oh, really?” Aunt Karen says, her voice rising an octave. “And why is that, Liberty? Because you’re too busy with your precious career? Too busy to support the family that took you in when you were left all alone in this world?”

Here we go.

“Aunt Karen, that’s not—”

“No, no, let me finish,” she interrupts, her voice growing more venomous by the second. “I raised you, Liberty. I took you in, fed you, clothed you, gave you a home when your parents shuffled off their mortal coils. And this is how you repay me? By turning your back on the family that saved you?”

“That’s not fair,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m grateful for everything you did for me, but this... this is different.”

“Oh, I see,” she says, her voice dripping with disdain. “You’re too good for us now, is that it? You’re too wrapped up in your little world of academia to even consider the feelings of your own cousin, who is carrying twins, I might add. Twins, Liberty. It’s a miracle, and you can’t even be bothered to show up for one afternoon to celebrate with us.”

I want to scream, to tell her that the last thing I want is to be anywhere near Joe and Anne, but I know it would only make things worse. Aunt Karen has a way of twisting things, of making me feel like the villain no matter what I say.

“I’ll think about it,” I finally mutter, just to get her off the phone.

“You do that,” she says, her tone sharp. “And remember, Liberty, family is everything. Don’t forget who was there for you when no one else was.”

The call ends, leaving me feeling raw and exposed, like a wound that has been ripped open. I have no intention of going to that baby shower, but now, thanks to Aunt Karen’s manipulation, the guilt is gnawing at me.

I try to push it out of my mind, focusing on my work, on the preparations for the experiment, but it’s like a splinter in my brain, impossible to ignore.

And then, just when I think I can finally let it go, I get the text from Anne.

“Liberty, I expect you to be at the baby shower on Saturday. Don’t disappoint us. After everything we’ve been through, the least you can do is show up and be supportive. Remember, we’re family. – Anne”

I stare at the message, the audacity of it sending a shock of anger through me. Family? She has the nerve to talk about family? The same cousin who slept with my husband, who had the gall to flaunt their relationship in front of everyone, now wants to play the family card?

That’s it.

“Fuck it,” I mutter to myself, feeling a surge of determination rise within me. If Anne and Joe want me at their precious baby shower, then fine—I’ll go. But I won’t just be another smiling face in the crowd, cooing over their twin boys and pretending everything is just fine. No, I’m going to tell everyone exactly what kind of people they are. I’m going to expose the truth, and I’m going to do it in front of all their friends, family, and coworkers.

I’ll ruin their perfect little day, and I’ll do it with a smile on my face.

The decision made, I spend the next couple of days preparing for the showdown. I wrap up my lectures, hand over my notes to the replacement lecturer, and make sure everything is in place for the experiment. But in the back of my mind, I’m rehearsing the words I’ll say at the baby shower, picturing the looks on their faces when I finally drop the bombshell.