Chapter 7 - THE RETURN

Three months passed. Mai grew into a bright, happy baby — crawling, babbling, lighting up every corner of the house. Linda regained her smile. She began to walk outside without trembling. And Khai began to believe that perhaps peace really was possible.

He was mistaken.

It was late evening. A soft knock sounded at the gate. When Khai opened it, he found Mrs. Lisa standing there — thinner, older, her hair streaked with gray, her clothing worn and stained. She looked up at him with red, swollen eyes.

"I have nowhere to go," she said weakly. "The temple cannot keep me forever. I am old... and I am ill. I have thought about everything. I was wrong, Khai. I was cruel. Please... let me come home. I will not interfere. I will not touch the child. I will accept your wife. I will do anything. Just do not leave me alone."

Khai stood in silence. Part of him wanted to reach out, to help, to forgive. She was still his mother. But then he remembered Linda falling over the cliff edge. He remembered the foot raised above his daughter. He remembered the lies she had spread.

"I will speak with my wife," Khai said finally. "Wait here."

He went inside and told Linda. She paled instantly, clutching Mai tighter.

"She will hurt us again," Linda whispered. "I know she will. She is pretending."

"I know," Khai said gently. "But if we refuse her... the village will say we abandoned a sick old woman. She has trapped us, Linda. We cannot win by force. We must be careful. We let her return — but under strict rules. She stays in the small cottage at the back of the yard. She does not enter our rooms. She does not touch Mai. If she breaks a single rule... she leaves immediately. Agreed?"

Linda hesitated, fear warring in her eyes. Then she nodded slowly. "If you are watching us... I will try."

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Khai brought his mother inside. He laid down his rules clearly, firmly, without room for argument. Mrs. Lisa agreed to every one. She bowed her head. She wept. She promised complete obedience.

But as Khai turned away, a cold, hard look passed across Mrs. Lisa ’s face — gone so quickly he did not see it. She was home. And she had not returned to surrender. She had returned to wait. And to plan.