Chapter 4

On the third afternoon, I was too worried to stay away, so I went home to check on them.

The moment I pushed open the door, I saw the living room in shambles.

My most treasured possession, the blue-and-white porcelain vase, lay shattered across the floor.

It was the only keepsake my grandmother had left me.

Candy stood in the middle of the wreckage, holding a baseball bat, looking entirely unbothered.

Derek sat on the couch smoking, his brow furrowed.

I rushed in like a woman possessed, dropped to my knees, and tried to piece the fragments back together.

"Who did this? Who did this!"

Tears streamed down my face.

Candy pouted and tossed the baseball bat aside.

"I did.

"I was practicing my swing in the living room, and the bat slipped out of my hands. Oops.

"Lady, don't be so petty. It's just a vase. What's it even worth?"

I shot to my feet, charged at her, and slapped her hard across the face.

"Shut up! That was my grandmother's!"

The crack of the slap rang through the room. Everything went silent.

Candy clutched her cheek, staring at me in shock.

"You hit me?"

Derek jumped up and shoved me away.

"Natalie, you've lost it! You actually hit Candy!"

I stumbled backward and fell onto the shattered porcelain. A shard cut my palm, and blood streamed out.

But I felt nothing.

I locked eyes with Derek.

"She destroyed my grandmother's keepsake, and you're protecting her?"

Derek didn't even glance at my bleeding hands. All he saw was Candy.

"Candy didn't do it on purpose! Did you really have to hit her that hard?

"It's just a vase. It's broken. I'll buy you a new one!"

I turned to Crystal.

"Crystal, you just stood there and watched her destroy something your great-grandmother left us?"

Crystal avoided my gaze and muttered under her breath.

"Mom, Candy really didn't mean to.

"Besides, that vase was in the way. It's broken. So what."

I looked at the three of them, and in that moment, they felt like total strangers.

They were the family. I was just the outsider.

Whatever small hope I had left crumbled to nothing.

I slowly got to my feet and looked at Derek with cold, steady eyes.

"Derek, let's get a divorce."

Derek blinked, then gave a scornful laugh.

"Divorce? Fine by me. You're the one asking for it.

"But let me be clear. Since you're the one who wants this, you'll walk away with nothing."

My eyes went wide.

"Are you serious? You gave all our money to this woman, and now you want me to walk away with nothing?"

Derek walked over to Candy and draped his arm around her shoulders.

"On what grounds? The apartment is premarital property. It's mine.

"As for the savings, I invested every last dollar. There's nothing left in the account.

"If you want a divorce, then get out. Don't think for a second you're taking a dime."

Candy looked at me, triumphant, a mocking curl at the corner of her lips.

"Hear that, lady? Derek says you have to walk away with nothing.

"Better sign those papers and get out of here. You're an eyesore."

I stared at their smug faces, and suddenly, it all clicked.

"You planned this.

"You provoked me on purpose to make me ask for the divorce so I'd walk away with nothing."

Derek said nothing. He just looked at me with cold indifference.

"Natalie, by the time you figured it out, it was already too late."