As Ava drove, memories of Liam, her boyfriend—or was it ex-boyfriend now?—kept flooding back. The constant bickering of Marco, the young boy in the backseat, was beginning to grate on her nerves, but she reminded herself he was just a kid.

After dropping Marco off at her sister's house, Ava decided to go in and check on her sister, Emily. The sight that met her eyes was shocking.

The room was dimly lit by the flickering light of the television. The sound of laughter from the TV contrasted sharply with the sobs coming from the figure on the couch. Emily sat there, her makeup a mess, eyeliner streaked down her face as though she had been crying for hours. Despite the disheveled appearance, the family resemblance was clear—Emily looked much like Ava, but with their mother's blonde hair.

They were only a few years apart, three at most. Though they hadn't been particularly close growing up, there was an unspoken bond and love between them.

Ava quickly motioned for Marco to give them some privacy. The boy, sensing the gravity of the situation, looked worried and a bit guilty, as if he thought he might be the cause of his mother's tears.

After Marco left the room, Ava approached Emily gently, trying to make sense of her sobbing explanations. "Emily, calm down, okay? Tell me what happened," she said, handing her sister a tissue.

"David... He wants a divorce. He found someone prettier than me. I don't know what I did wrong," Emily managed to choke out between sobs.

Ava's reaction was immediate and intense. "WHAT?! DAVID LEFT YOU?! THAT JERK!" Her voice was so loud that Marco peeked down the stairs to see what was going on.

"What happened? Why are you yelling? And why is Mommy crying?" Marco called out, concern evident in his young voice.

Realizing her mistake, Ava quickly composed herself. Emily forced a smile and replied, "Nothing, sweetie. I just hurt my knee, and it really hurts. Mommy can't stop crying because of it."

Marco, still innocent at nine years old, seemed to accept this explanation. "Mommy, you'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah, I will be, honey," Emily responded, trying to keep her voice steady despite the tears streaming down her face.

Once Marco was back in his room, Ava turned back to Emily for more details. "What really happened? I know you guys fight, but I never thought it would come to this."

"I found out he was cheating on me... My whole marriage feels like a lie. I was such a fool to believe him," Emily cried, collapsing into Ava's arms.

Ava held her sister tightly as Emily cried on her shoulder. After a while, Emily pulled herself together and tried to change the subject. "So, enough about my drama. How was babysitting Marco? Did he drive you crazy?"

Ava knew Emily was trying to shift the focus to feel better, and she played along. "Well, we went to McDonald's, and yes, your kid is more annoying than you ever were. And... I saw Liam."

Emily's eyes widened in shock. "Liam? THE Liam?"

"Yeah, THE Liam."

"But I thought he left the country with his fiancée!"

Ava took a deep breath, feeling old wounds reopening. The things she had tried so hard to forget were now rushing back.