Chapter 200
Candice’s fingers trembled as she twisted the doorknob. The hinges creaked–loud and mocking–as she stepped into the living room for the first time in weeks. Her hair was tangled, her face pale from being locked up for so long. But her eyes… her eyes were burning with the fire of revenge.
Nathan sat quietly on the rug, stacking blocks, his tiny fingers focused. His innocence hadn’t changed. But his heart had. “Mommy’s home,” she whispered, trying to sound cheerful, dropping to her knees with open arms. “Nathan, baby, come here…”
The boy paused, glanced at her… and frowned.
He stood, blocks falling to the floor, and ran–not to her–but to Jackson.
“Daddy,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around his father’s legs.
Candice’s face fell. “Nathan? Baby, it’s Mommy.”
“No,” Nathan mumbled, hiding behind Jackson. “I don’t want you.”
Her heart cracked in pieces, each syllable slicing deeper than any blade. “What… what are you saying?”
Jackson remained quiet.
“Did you tell him to hate me?” she screamed.
Jackson knelt, brushing Nathan’s hair back gently. “Nathan just remembers. You tried to hurt Samantha. He saw you. He’s scared of you, Candice.”
“That’s not true!” she snapped, voice rising. “You told him lies! You poisoned him against me!“}
“No,” Jackson replied coldly. “You did that all on your own.””
Tears clouded her vision as she staggered back. “I was locked away, like a prisoner! I want my son back! I deserve to be his mother!”
“You don’t deserve anything,” Jackson said, jaw clenched. “Not after what you did to Samantha. Not after you tried to kill her.“”
“And what about me?” she barked. “What am I supposed to do now, huh? Just watch you and Samantha be happy while I rot alone?“”
“You did this, Candice. You broke everything.”
Her voice cracked. “Then kill me. That’s what you really want, isn’t it?”
Jackson’s eyes narrowed. “Then do it. Go ahead.”
Silence fell. The weight of his words settled like a guillotine in the air. Candice’s knees buckled as the last shred of hope disintegrated.\
it was over.”
Jackson didn’t love her. Her son feared her. Her world had collapsed.
And still–it wasn’t Samantha who had destroyed her.
It was Candice herself. But even in ruin, her mind clawed for something to hold onto. Something to destroy.
Her fingers gripped the side table to steady herself, but her eyes burned with a new goal. If she couldn’t have happiness, then neither could Samantha.
That evening, while storm clouds gathered over the city, Candice scrolled through her burner phone, fingers shaking not from fear–but rage.
There it was. A post. A photo. Samantha. Smiling. Dressed in a soft cream dress, a flower crown on her head, standing beside Inigo with a caption that read: “Engagement shoot sneak peek!”
The comments were filled with joy. Hearts. Roses. Congratulations.}
Candice’s thumb hovered over the image. Engaged.”
The word made her vision blur.”
“She’s really going through with it,” she whispered. “She’s marrying him.”
She threw the phone against the wall, the screen shattering into pieces.
Samantha had everything now. The flower shop. The peace. The ring. The man. Even Jackson still stared at her like she was his entire world. It didn’t matter how many times he denied it–Candice had seen it in his eyes.
It was always her. Always Samantha. And she couldn’t let that happen.
Candice picked up the phone and dialed an old number–the kind of number no one should ever call twice.
“Hello?” a gruff voice answered.
“I have a job,” she said, steadying her breath. “And it needs to be clean.“@
11:03 AM
Meanwhile, Samantha was glowing.
Inigo had been discharged that morning, and to celebrate, she surprised him with a small dinner on the flower shop’s rooftop garden. The staff had helped string up fairy lights, petals scattered along the table, and soft music hummed from the speakers.N
“Look at you,” Inigo teased, adjusting his blazer. “Planning weddings and romantic dinners. Who are you?”
Samantha smiled, reaching for his hand. “Someone who finally knows what love looks like.“}
The way he looked at her–the warmth in his eyes–calmed every storm she once held in her chest. No lies. No manipulation. Just the comfort of being chosen and cherished.N
“This time,” she whispered, “I don’t want anything ruining us. Not Jackson. Not Candice. No more ghosts.”
Inigo nodded, leaning in for a kiss. “Then let’s make sure nothing ever does.“}
They clinked glasses and laughed beneath the stars.
But far across the city… someone was already planning their ruin.”
The next morning, Jackson stood alone in his office, staring at the dozens of gifts he had sent–all returned. Each bouquet. Each letter. Each gift box–untouched, unopened, rejected.N
And still, he sent more.
He hadn’t stopped thinking of Samantha since that day he saw her cradling Inigo in the hospital. The way m
him. The gentle way she touched his hair. She used to do that to him.”
Once upon a time.
she whispered to
He remembered the day he got the flu and couldn’t get out of bed. Samantha had stayed beside him the entire weekend,
making soup, placing cool cloths on his head, feeding him slowly. She had laughed at his groans but kissed his head
every hour.
“I love you even when you’re snotty,” she joked once.
And he had laughed. Because back then… he was still hers.
“Damn it,” he muttered, pressing his palms to his eyes.
How had he let it go this far?
His phone buzzed with Nathan’s messages.
“Daddy can we play now?“}
He picked it up and typed:”
“Be there soon.“”
Then stared again at the engagement post someone had sent him.§
She was wearing white again. But not for him. And as much as he wanted to stop it, to tear her away from Inigo’s arms, he couldn’t even blame her.”
He had lost her the moment he believed Candice’s lies.\
Maybe this was karma For the child they lost. For the nights he left her bleeding and alone.
And still…”
He whispered to himself.”
“I’ll make it right. Even if it’s the last thing I do.“”
11:03 AM
