Return to Sender: Heart Not Included

I sent a message to my parents, telling them that I would be home in three days. I also told them I was going to return all the pain Yale Salvatore had caused me.

That means vanishing from his world, so that he can never find me again.

After sending the message, my tears kept falling uncontrollably. My mind was filled with memories of the time when Yale and I were preparing for our wedding.

He told me he wanted to give me a wedding I would never forget. So, he booked a venue by the seaside. Then, he personally took part in planning the entire setup. He even helped to decorate the venue—from the flowers on stage to the wedding poster design.

I was filled with joy and anticipation while waiting for my wedding day to arrive. However, what came instead was the stage collapsing, followed by a fire that destroyed everything on site. All I had left was a charred engagement ring. My child wasn't even born yet, but he had already lost his father.

When I learned the news, I was so heartbroken I couldn't eat. I even attempted to end my life a few times. However, the people around me urged me to live for the sake of the child I was carrying.

Yet, I never imagined that this death was just a meticulously planned trap. It was all because Yale wanted to play the role of a savior for another woman.

Since he disregarded my sorrow and pain, I would make him pay. I would show him just how broken down and devastated I was out of love for him. Then, I would pay him back everything he had given me in the exact same form.

That means vanishing from his world, so that he can never find me again.

My mother-in-law, Helen Whitmore, angrily spoke up for me.

"But don't you know you faking your death has made Sasha very miserable? She's even tried to end her life a few times because of you! You're being unfair to her! She would resent and despise you if she knew the truth! Maybe even leave you!" she said.

"No. Sasha loves me deeply. She'll never hate me, and she'll never leave me. When this is all over, I'll make amends. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to her!" Yale stated resolutely.

I'd never leave him? And he'd spend the rest of his life making it up to me?

No, Yale. I'd never give you that chance!

I heartbrokenly returned to my room.

My phone rang. It was my mother.

"What happened, Sasha? What do you mean about Yale?" she asked.

"Yale isn't dead, Mom. He faked his death for Gwen King. And now, he's pretending to be his older twin brother. He stood by her side and did nothing but watch as I cried and grieved him," I answered.

There was a long silence on the other end. Then, Mom's serious voice came through the receiver.

"Don't be sad. In three days, I'll do as you've instructed. I'll help you carry out your plan. You can count on me."

Mom didn't ask any more questions. She knew how heartbroken I was and how much I had poured into my relationship with Yale. So, she knew that my heart had completely shattered in the face of this betrayal.

I sat quietly, allowing my tears to fall as the sound of Yale's voice echoed in my mind. His excuses had been so full of lies. I was in so much pain that I found it hard to breathe.

A few minutes later, Yale knocked on the door. He stood at the doorway holding a glass of milk. His expression was gentle and concerned as he looked at me.

There he was—the man I had cried for, felt heartbroken over, and utterly mourned. He was standing calmly in front of me, still playing the role of my brother-in-law as though nothing had happened.

"You're crying again, Sasha? Are you missing Yale?" he asked.

Yale had been pretending to be his older brother, Quinn Salvatore, for over a week now. Every night before bed, he would bring me a glass of milk, just like he used to. He claimed that now that his younger brother had passed, it was his duty as my brother-in-law to take care of me.

Putting on a sorrowful face, Yale sank into grief with me. He acted as though he had really lost his brother and that he wasn't the reason I was so heartbroken.

I quickly deleted my chat history with Mom and slid my phone under my pillow. Then, I gave Yale a faint smile.

"Yes, a little. Mainly, the morning sickness is upsetting my stomach a little. And Yale isn't here with me, so I'm feeling a bit down," I said.

Yale sighed and gently patted my shoulder in comfort.

I studied him quietly. In three days, his face would be filled with anguish. His heart would twist in grief and heartbreak at the memorial service. He definitely wouldn't be this calm and composed.

"Drink some milk. It's rich in calcium. That baby of yours is being too naughty. Once he's born, I'll give him a scolding on Yale's behalf," Yale said as he handed me the glass of milk.

Once the baby was born? What a joke. Yale would never see the baby.

"There's honey in the milk, so it suits your tastes better. Drink it and rest early. If Yale were still alive, he wouldn't want you to be this sad," he added.

Yale? How could he say that name so easily? And without even an ounce of guilt for the lie he was telling?

It was as though Yale really believed he was Quinn and had forgotten his true identity.

My heart broke again. As I stared into his blue eyes, I saw a flicker of unease. However, it quickly vanished.

Still, I had caught it. So, I decided to test him.

Slowly, I asked, "Are you really not Yale?"