At least from now on, Ivy wouldn't have to worry about her family dumping their messes on her to clean up.
Sometimes, Ivy wondered if she was even their real daughter or if they’d found her by a dumpster as a baby. Why else would they detest her so?
To her family, Ivy only existed when there was a problem to fix. During the good times, they seemed to forget they had a second daughter at all.
The mere thought of them soured Ivy's mood. She couldn't simply forget everything that had happened in that household. After all, she had grown up there and spent twenty years of her life within its walls.
The tension between the Balfour and Ivy was palpable when suddenly, there was a knock on the lounge door.
Balfour scowled towards the entrance.
Who could be so clueless as to interrupt them now, during their private moment? Couldn't it wait?
Ivy, oblivious to Balfour's irritation, called for the person to come in, only to be surprised by the sight of Nolan Harris.
"Nolan, what brings you here?" she exclaimed, momentarily forgetting her injured left foot and standing up too quickly. "Ouch!" she winced, collapsing into the chair.
Both Balfour and Nolan rushed to her side.
"What are you doing? Have you forgotten about your injury? Are you out of your mind?" Balfour's tone was harsh, but his touch was gentle as he carefully cradled her foot.
Nolan eyed her foot with concern. "Are you sure you're alright? Should we have the doctors take another look?"
Balfour's hands remained on her foot, gently pressing around the wound. The doctor had advised that this could help promote blood flow and speed healing, and Balfour had taken the advice to heart, always massaging Ivy’s leg since they’d returned home.
The warmth from his touch eased Ivy's discomfort. She had grown accustomed to his care, so the gesture didn't bother her much now.
But to Nolan, the intimacy of the scene was slightly jarring.
"Don't worry, Nolan, my foot's nearly healed. I wouldn't be back on set if it weren't," Ivy reassured him.
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