Chapter 3

With those words, all the blood in my veins ran cold.

Trembling, I turned toward my parents and asked again, "Why?"

They met my tear-filled gaze, but neither of them spoke. Neil walked in right behind them, his brows drawn together in disapproval.

"Violet, face it. The baby is already gone. Keeping a prayer candle for them isn't going to change anything. While you were in a coma for three years, Cheryl stepped up and took care of Mom and Dad as though they were her own parents. Is it really such a big deal that we set up a prayer candle and wished her well?"

He paused, and his voice turned colder. "She did everything you would have done as a daughter for three whole years. Instead of being grateful, you want to destroy the blessing we gave her? Don't you think you're taking this too far?"

His words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. I stared at the younger brother I had spoiled and cherished since childhood, seeing him as a stranger for the first time.

I forced the words through clenched teeth. "If it weren't for her, do you think I'd have ended up in that wreck in the first place?"

A rustle came from the doorway as Thea stepped inside, her arm wrapped protectively around Cheryl's.

"Violet, the accident wasn't intentional," Thea grumbled, almost as though she were talking me down from a tantrum. "Besides, Cheryl has spent the last few years doing everything she could to make up for what happened. You really need to stop clinging to the past."

The way she rushed to defend Cheryl made my stomach twist. It was painfully familiar, almost exactly how she used to shield me whenever bullies picked on me in high school.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned to Donovan. "Tell them. Was it really an accident?"

He shifted uneasily and refused to meet my eyes. That was all the answer I needed. He had never told them the truth.

I let out a bitter laugh, ready to expose Cheryl, but Donovan suddenly grabbed me by the wrist and yanked me out of the room.

I fought against his grip, raised my free hand, and slapped him across the face with every ounce of strength I had. The sharp crack rang through the quiet hallway and finally brought him to a stop.

His eyes glinted with coldness, his hands clenching tightly at his sides.

"You figured it out, didn't you?" he asked.

Instead of answering, I just stared at him in grim silence. His grip on my wrist tightened until it felt as though he might crush my bones.

"You can't tell them. If you expose her, Cheryl's life will be ruined," he pleaded, desperation choking his voice. "Your parents, Neil, Thea... None of them will ever forgive her."

I shot back, my voice quivering with disbelief. "And what about me?"

His face blurred through the tears streaming down my cheeks. I swallowed the sob rising in my chest and forced the words out anyway.

"She stole three years of my life. She killed our child. Is she really supposed to walk away from all of that without facing any consequences?"

I screamed at him, nearly hysterical, only for Donovan to pull me tightly into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Violet. I'm so sorry," he murmured brokenly, and I felt something hot fall against the back of my neck.

My breathing caught, and he continued, "It's not as though Cheryl hasn't suffered. She's been dealing with severe insomnia for the past three years, tormented by guilt every single day. Isn't that punishment enough?"

My fingers clawed into the fabric of my sweater. It felt as though a vast hole had been ripped open in my chest, allowing an icy wind to howl straight through my heart.

"Enough?" I muttered in disbelief.

What kind of sick, twisted logic was that? I had lost my unborn child and three years of my youth, while Cheryl had supposedly paid the price by losing a few nights of sleep.

I wanted to laugh, but the expression twisting my face looked uglier than tears. Donovan gently pulled me out of his embrace. His eyes were filled with tenderness and pain as he reached up to wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes.

"Stop making a scene, honey," he cooed. "Just... pretend you never found out about any of this."

Every ounce of strength drained from my body. I drew in a long, slow breath. "Donovan, we're done. It's over."

The color drained from his face, and his breathing broke into short, ragged gasps. "No... Violet, no. I'm not breaking up with you."

I looked at him, eerily calm. "If we don't break up, then what happens to Cheryl?"

He swayed slightly where he stood. After an agonizing silence, he shut his eyes and rasped, "I'll send her away."