Chapter Forty

The next morning, everyone was present in the Sanders mansion's grand living room. Grandma Janet, Kelvin, Alice and Daniel.

Grandma Janet was seated poised in her favourite chair. Her silver hair was neatly pinned, her hands folded on her lap, her eyes cold, unreadable. Gone was the warmth, the soft grandmotherly glow. In its place sat a woman of steel — a matriarch prepared to deliver judgment.

She had called for them urgently. And both Alice and Daniel had wondered what the urgent matter was, unlike Kelvin, who was fully aware of what was about to happen.

Alice had no idea what awaited her. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she took in the brief silence in the room after everyone was seated.

Grandma Janet’s expression had told her that something was very, very wrong.

Grandma Janet didn't go through the long speech way. She instantly demanded for Kelvin's phone, and when he had given it to her, she raised the phone to both Alice and Daniel revealing the picture of both of them kissing.

Alice’s face drained of color.

Daniel closed his eyes briefly his heart bleeding. What he had sworn to protect Alice from was the same thing he had dragged her into.

He thought of the perfect explanation to give Grandma Janet to salvage the situation but none came to him.

Kelvin sat back, arms folded, watching it all unfold with quiet satisfaction.

“Alice,” Grandma Janet began, her voice trembling with both rage and pain. “Is this how you repay me? After all I’ve done for you? Is this who you truly are? I brought you to my house and my family. I got you married to my son and gave you a life of luxury so many girls dream of. Yet, you decide to stab me in the back and defame my family's name”

Alice said nothing. Her heart was thumping. She looked at Kevin and saw the victorious smirk on his face. He had finally won. He had found a way to get her out of his life without meeting to her demands. He had succeeded in deceiving her into marriage and tossing her aside like some trash. Tears welled in her eyes but she blinked them away. She made up her mind not to say a word in her defence. Let Kelvin win that moment. She was probably cursed to go through an ordeal. So she saw no use in trying to fight against it.

“Grandma,” It was Daniel that spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. “It isn't what it looks like....”

“Then help me understand what I’m looking at,” the old woman said sharply. “Help me understand how a married woman ends up in another man’s arms. Help me understand how the girl I thought was raised with morals—my pride—has done the one thing I feared she never would. And help me understand how you, Daniel, whom I had taken in as my second grandson could so such a thing to me?”

Daniel's heart broke. “It was a mistake,” he whispered. “It wasn’t planned.....”

"Wasn't planned? Do you take me for a fool? Both of you" Grandma Janet raised her voice. Her body trembling.

"Grandma.... please, calm down and Alice and I will explain everything to you" Daniel said.

"Then, explain it to me" Grandma Janet demanded. "I want to know what is happening under my roof"

"Kelvin is the....." Daniel started to explain, startling Kelvin a little on hearing his name.

But Alice interrupted; "There's no need Daniel." She held his gaze. "This was inevitable. I was never meant to stay married in this family for long. Though we expected this marriage to last longer but I think it's for the best it ends this way....sooner"

Daniel help his peace. And Alice faced Grandma Janet.

"I'm sorry Grandma I betrayed your love and trust. Please forgive me." Alice simply said.

Daniel was impatient. Why was Alice not defending herself? Did she want to take the blame for everything while Kelvin got off the hook without a scratch? The thought infuriated him. She wasn’t alone in this, and he wouldn’t sit there and let her bear it all.

“Grandma,” Daniel began, “it’s all my fault. Alice and I are not having any affair whatsoever. She simply called me for help, and I was the one who kissed her before she pushed me away. Whoever took the picture only caught the part of the kiss and not when she shoved me aside and slapped me.”

His words lingered in the room like smoke — heavy, unsettling. Daniel meant every word, prepared to shoulder the entire blame just to protect her.

Grandma Janet sat still, her expression unreadable, but there was a flicker of hope in her eyes, a possibility that maybe, just maybe, Alice hadn’t truly betrayed her.

But before she could dwell on that hope, Alice finally spoke.

“That’s not true, Grandma. Daniel’s only trying to protect me.” All heads turned to her. Her voice was soft but firm. “Whatever happened was.... mutual.”

Kelvin stiffened where he stood, staring at her in disbelief. Why wasn’t she fighting back? Why would she admit that — of all things?

Daniel turned to her in quiet desperation. “Alice, don’t do this.”

Alice met his gaze with weary eyes. “I’m tired, Daniel. I am tired of everything. And if this is the path to my freedom, I’d rather let it happen now.”

Daniel fell silent, seeing beyond her words—seeing the exhaustion, the quiet yearning for peace, and the need to finally breathe. He understood.

And no one else said a word.

Grandma Janet stood, slowly and deliberately, looking at each of them with stern disappointment.

“I will not have my family name dragged in the mud because of a scandal. I will not have rumors spreading about affairs and immorality in my household.”

Her eyes locked on Alice.

“You have brought shame to this family, Alice. Whether you intended to or not, you have broken the trust I gave you. As of today, you are to leave this house. I will have my lawyer quickly prepare for the divorce between you and Kelvin. The shares I had given you as a daughter-in-law of this family will be taken from you.”

A smile crept onto Kelvin's face. Finally, he was victorious.

Then grandma Janet turned to Daniel. “And you, you are no longer welcome in my company and my family.”

Daniel simply lowered his head. His heart shattered. He didn't mean for things to unfold that way.

"Both of you get out of my sight at once!" she ordered.

Immediately Alice made her way to her bedroom to gather her things while Daniel found his way out of the mansion.

Finally, Grandma Janet exhaled. Then she turned and slowly walked away, leaving Kelvin in silence.

_____

Alice quickly gathered her things—what little she had brought with her to the Sanders mansion—and without sparing a final glance at Kelvin, she stepped out. Her chest was tight, but her face remained stoic. There was no use looking back at a man who had never truly looked at her, never truly seen her. Her mind was a storm, heavy with the weight of everything that had unraveled so quickly.

She walked through the grand hallway, down the familiar marble steps, and into the open air. As she passed the silent, perfectly trimmed hedges, the mansion behind her loomed like a cold reminder of the life she was leaving behind. The grand gate ahead now seemed a passageway into uncertainty.

As she walked closer, a wave of fear crept in. Where would she go now? She had no answers. Going back to her family in the village wasn’t even an option. They wouldn’t understand. They would judge her. Mock her. Scorn her. In their eyes, a married woman was bound to her husband for life—regardless of betrayal, hurt, or neglect. They would blame her. Not him.

She made up her mind in that moment: she wouldn't contact them. Not now. Not ever again.

The heavy gates opened, and she stepped out into the unfamiliar freedom. She didn’t expect to see anyone. But there he was—Daniel.

He was leaning against the brick wall just beside the gate, waiting like he had all the time in the world. His eyes locked onto hers the moment she turned.

"I thought you'd left," Alice said weakly, her voice barely a whisper.

"I can never bring myself to leave you," Daniel replied gently.

Without a word, he moved toward her and reached for her bag.

"You don’t have to..." Alice protested, her hand trying to hold on.

But Daniel had already taken it. "I have to," he said with quiet finality.

Their eyes met and lingered. The silence between them said more than words ever could.

"This is all my fault," Daniel said, his voice cracking. "I broke my promise to you. I made you seem characterless before Grandma Janet, and I made Kelvin get the upper hand over you."

"It's not your fault. Maybe this was destined to happen," Alice sighed, trying to muster the strength she barely had.

Daniel clenched his jaw, emotion tightening in his throat. "Alice, I should have protected you and not exposed you. I should not have kissed you. I... I should have been more disciplined."

He was unraveling, punishing himself for every step that led them here.

"Hey," Alice called softly, reaching out and placing her hand on his shoulder. Her touch was warm, grounding. "It’s fine. It had happened. Grandma Janet has made her decision. All we need to do... all I need to do now is to find what to do next."

Daniel swallowed. "And what do you want to do now?"

Alice looked down, hesitating. “I don’t know…”

The weight of her own admission caused her voice to falter. Tears brimmed in her eyes before she quickly turned away, attempting to blink them back before they spilled.

Daniel saw the shimmer of pain in her. He set her bag down slowly, then stepped close, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.

“I’m here, Alice. You don’t have to bear it all alone. And you also don’t have to be strong always. I’m not Kelvin. I’ll be a shoulder for you to lean on, to cry on. I love you, Alice.”

The words hit her chest like a wave. Alice, no longer able to hold back, let herself fall into him — her head against his chest, the tears finally breaking free. She sobbed softly, feeling the warmth of his arms as they wrapped around her, strong and reassuring.

“It’s going to be alright,” Daniel whispered into her hair.

Alice didn’t respond, but her silence was full. Full of trust. Full of grief. Full of hope she hadn’t yet dared to speak aloud.

They stood like that for what felt like forever—just the two of them, holding each other in a world that had fallen apart.

Finally, Daniel took her hand and led her away. They walked quietly to his car, parked a few blocks from the grand Sanders gate, and without a word more, they drove off into the uncertainty—together.

____

The drive was quiet. Alice stared out the window, lost in thought. Daniel glanced at her from time to time, but said nothing, giving her the space she needed.

Finally, they pulled up in front of his apartment complex in the parking lot. Alice recognized the place.

"You brought me to your house?" Alice asked.

He turned off the car's ignition and turned to her. “Yes, Alice. I want to make sure that you'll be okay. And I know that you can't go back home to your family just yet”

Alice looked out the window at it, then turned back to Daniel. “I don't think I'd be comfortable staying with you here when we're not married” she said softly.

"I know. And don't worry, nothing will ever happen between us, unless you know, you want it to happen" He teased, smirking.

Alice blushed slightly and playfully punched him, "That not helping" she flashed a smile.

"But you smiled and so it's worth it" Daniel said, smiling.

"Thank you" Alice said softly.

"You don't need to thank me. I love you, Alice" Daniel said.

There was a moment's silence.

Then, Daniel stepped out, retrieved her bag, and opened the door for her. Then, she followed him into the high building to his apartment.