Masuk“You manipulated me, Mom. You fed me lie after lie. You made me believe Dad and Stacey were lovers, that they were destroying our family. You even cried fake tears just to make it all look real. You knew I would do anything for you, anything to protect you. And so you turned me against them—against an innocent woman and her innocent daughter. You planned every single detail perfectly. You made me do the dirty work, the unforgivable thing… and I did it. And believe me when I say… I hate myself
“You manipulated me, Mom. You fed me lie after lie. You made me believe Dad and Stacey were lovers, that they were destroying our family. You even cried fake tears just to make it all look real. You knew I would do anything for you, anything to protect you. And so you turned me against them—against an innocent woman and her innocent daughter. You planned every single detail perfectly. You made me do the dirty work, the unforgivable thing… and I did it. And believe me when I say… I hate myself for it.” “For ten years I’ve lived with the knowledge that I ruined a young girl’s life, destroyed her innocence, broke her heart, and caused her death. You have no idea how much I hate you for using me… and how much I despise myself for letting you.” When I finished speaking, she was already sobbing, but I felt no pity. The air in the room felt suffocating, heavy with all the secrets and pain. I turned and walked out, leaving her there, and headed stra
PRESENT TIME The last thing I ever heard about Racheal was that she had died. I never asked how, or why, or where. I couldn’t. I was already drowning in guilt and shame for what I had done, and after that night, my father sent me away from the island. I took the easy way out—I fled to the United States to study, running from my sins, running from the memory of her face. But seeing that exact birthmark on Emily’s arm… it changed everything. What if my parents lied about everything? What if she didn’t die? What if she is alive… and standing right in front of me? I had to know the truth. And the only person who knew every secret, every lie, every crime… was my mother. I found her in her room, relaxed in a chair, listening to an old song. I walked over and turned off the music. She looked up, startled. “What brings you here, my dear?” She asked, smiling that fake, sweet smile. “I cam
I walked back to the big house, my chest tight and heavy. This is what I wanted, right? Revenge. Justice for my mother. I should be happy… But I wasn’t. Instead, I felt sick, angry at myself, and hollow inside. I went straight to my mother’s room, needing to tell her what I had done. “Why are you back so early? Why aren’t you at the festival?” She asked, looking up from her chair. “Mom… I… I did something,” I stammered, my voice shaking. “What? What happened, Cade?” She stood up, walking toward me, concerned. “I… I did it to get back at Stacey for what I thought she was doing to you… I… I raped Racheal,” I whispered, the words tasting like poison. Her eyes went wide, her face draining of color. “You did WHAT?!” “I forced myself on her. I… I took her innocence… I raped her,” I repeated, tears stinging my eyes.
— The Festival Night FLASHBACK BEGINS This was the night everything changed—the night my misery and pain began, the night I turned into something dark and cruel. It was the annual island festival. As the heir to the resort and the Callaghan fortune, I was expected to attend, to smile, to play the part of the perfect son. And I did. But inside, I was burning with hatred. For a week, I had been planning this. I was happy—happy because I knew that tonight, I would finally get my revenge on Racheal and her mother for what they had done to my family. Every single night for the past seven days, I watched my mother cry herself to sleep. Every night, I saw my father slip out of the main house and walk down the path to that tiny, miserable cottage at the back of the estate—their house. We both knew exactly why he went there. We both knew he was seeing her. My mother screamed at him, begged him, cried… and I just stood
I walked aimlessly out of the main house, my feet carrying me automatically toward the back of the estate, stopping right in front of the tiny, run-down cottage hidden away in the trees. Why did I come here? I stared at the weather-beaten walls, my chest tightening with pain and guilt. “Still feeling guilty about them, are you?” my mother’s voice came from behind me. She walked up and stood beside me, looking at the old house. “How can I not feel guilty, Mom? Do you honestly think I could feel good knowing that if I hadn’t been a coward and a fool, if I hadn’t listened to you… Racheal and her mother would still be alive, happy, and safe right here?” I asked bitterly. “It’s all in the past, Cade. Just move on already,” she said dismissively. “I can’t move on! No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, I just can’t stop thinking about her,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “You know… I saw som
It struck me then: Emily had been living here with me for months, yet I’d never once heard her laugh this loud, this freely, this happily before. Have I done nothing but cause her pain and misery all this time? Is that why she barely ever smiles? I thought, watching her. She was talking animatedly with Michael and Gracie, her face lit up with the brightest, most genuine smile I’d ever seen. It seems that’s exactly what I’ve done, I realized, feeling lower than dirt. I really am the worst kind of scum. “Are you absolutely sure you won’t regret your decision bringing them here?” Stephanie asked, sitting down beside me, following my gaze toward them. “What do you mean?” I frowned. “Just look at them! Do you honestly think Michael is only interested in working on the resort?” She nodded toward them. “He is doing everything he possibly can to get Emily’s attention. He’s flirting with her, making her laugh, leaning







