CHAPTER 9

Alicia leaned down, picked the phone from the floor, and held it tightly. Her eyes closed as she let out a shaky breath. Maybe she didn’t see it right, maybe the drugs were messing with her vision, maybe it was all in her head.

She opened her eyes again, slowly.

But it was still there.

The photo, the ring. Becky’s hand stretched toward the camera, the diamond catching the light. The caption read:

“The love of my life asked politely, and I said yes. Road to becoming Mrs. David.”

Right below, another picture. Her sister and Lucas, side by side, smiling like everything was perfect, and they were living in their fairytale..

She kept scrolling back and forth, hoping it would vanish. But the post was still there, and with every glance, her chest grew heavier. Lucas had never posted her, never made their marriage public. He said he didn’t like the spotlight on his family, that privacy was safer. And she had agreed, for love and peace.

Most people didn’t even know she was ever Mrs. David. She was always the woman in the shadows.

Now her sister had taken her place, publicly. Same spot Lucas has always hidden..

Was this always the plan? Did they plan to get rid of her? Were they already in something before it all happened? So many thoughts clashed inside her head. And yet, not a single tear came.

The man she gave her heart to, her kidney, her trust, has kicked her deeply that she couldn’t stand up from the blow..

***********************************

Back in San Fransico, Bryan was wrapped under a heavy duvet, one arm lazily thrown across the woman lying next to him. Last night’s chaos was still scattered on the floor, clothes, heels, and a broken necklace.

Only the bedside lamp was on, casting soft light over the room.

Suddenly, the main switch flicked up. Full light flooded the room.

Bryan blinked fast. “Mum?”

Mrs. Judge, hands on her hips, didn’t even answer. She walked straight to the bed and emptied a glass of water on the strange woman’s face.

The girl shrieked and woke up, scrambled to grab her dress off the floor, and ran out the door, still trying to zip it.

Mrs. Judge turned to her son.

“When will you get tired of this rubbish?” she said. “You’re twenty-eight. You run one of the biggest companies in the country, yet you live like a college boy, ain’t you tired son?”

Bryan sat up, hair messy. “I’m doing well. Business is great, everyone’s proud. Let me enjoy my freedom. I don’t ever want to get married, that is being caged, you know.”

“Freedom won’t keep you warm when you’re old.”

He stood, stretched, then did a little spin. “Come on, Mum. It’ll be wicked to tie all this handsomeness to one woman. Look at me, fresh, wealthy, wanted. The CEO of King’s Company. The nation’s most eligible bachelor.”

He walked over and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry, I’m your son. That’s enough legacy.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the tiny smile.

**************************8

Amaya’s phone rang loud enough to pull her out of deep sleep. She reached over, fumbled a little, and answered.

The voice on the line was fast, nervous.

“Check your phone.”

She squinted at the screen and tapped open the message.

One photo, one caption, and two names.

Her eyes shot open. “No way. No… no, this can’t be real.”

Amaya shot out of bed, brushing her teeth like her hands were on fire. She threw on jeans and a top, grabbed her car keys, and flew out the door.

When she got to Lucas’s house, the maids were already setting the breakfast table.

She didn’t wait.

She stormed in. Maya, sitting at the table, spotted her first.

“Aunty Amaya!” she shouted and ran to hug her. “I missed you! Are you with Mum?”

Amaya bent and kissed her forehead. “Go with the maid, sweetheart. Eat upstairs, okay?”

The maid nodded and led Maya away.

Amaya turned to Lucas, pulled out her phone, and shoved it in his face.

“This real?”

Lucas didn’t speak. He just looked away.

Becky answered instead, still chewing her pancake. “Yes, it’s real. Maya needs a new mum. Someone who will love her. I’m that person.”

Amaya’s face turned red. “You two are disgusting. She’s not even cold in her grave, and you’re parading like peacocks. What kind of people are you?”

Lucas shifted in his seat but didn’t argue.

“I hope karma wears heels,” she muttered before walking out.

*************************

Evening came quietly.

Alicia was sitting up again, a light scarf wrapped around her shoulders. She had taken another long look at her face earlier and still didn’t feel used to it. A soft knock came.

It was Captain Smith, holding a basket filled with fruits.

“I’m sorry for not coming earlier,” he said, settling beside her. Today’s my wife’s memorial. I always stay in on days like this.”

She looked at him and nodded. “I’m sorry… I wasn’t aware of that, sorry might not be enough to take off the pain, but I pray you find peace.”

He gave a kind smile. “You said enough.”

Then he paused. “What about your family?”

She looked down. Her hand slowly curled into her robe.

There was a pause.

Then she said softly, “They are all dead.”

Captain Smith didn’t press. He simply nodded once and leaned back in his seat. The silence between them was gentle, not awkward. Alicia’s eyes stayed on her lap. She had said it aloud for the first time. Maybe not in exact detail, but it was enough for now.

“I’m not trying to be nosy,” he said after a while, “but if you ever want to talk about what happened, I’ll be here.”

Alicia gave him a slight nod. “I know.”

He looked at her again. “Do you want me to stay?”

She shook her head. “No. I think I need to be alone for a little.”

He stood. “Alright. But I’ll be back in the morning. The doctor said you’ll be ready to start moving around soon. We’ll get you stronger.”

She looked up at him, and for the first time in days, there was something faint behind her eyes, as if he were still nursing after his wife’s death.

After he left, Alicia leaned back against the pillow. She looked at the mirror again. Her reflection still felt foreign. Like wearing someone else’s face. Her fingers traced the shape of her new nose, the curve of her chin.

She picked up the phone again, opened Becky’s page. The photos were still there, still mocking her. The level of pain she feels in her heart cuts sharper than a sword.

Her mind wandered back to Maya. She missed her daughter’s little giggles, the way she’d sneak into their bed early in the morning. The tiny hands that always reached for her.

Lucas’s laugh echoed in her head. Once sweet, now bitter.

She wanted answers; she wanted her daughter. She wanted her life back, but not as the naive lover girl.

But first, she needed strength.

Alicia reached over to the bedside tray and picked a piece of apple from the fruit basket Captain Smith brought. She took a small bite and stared at the ceiling.

A plan was forming in the back of her mind. She wouldn’t rush.

She would come back, not as Alicia King, the naive girl who got married for love, but as the woman no one would see coming.

And this time, she would not forgive so easily.”