Chapter 5

I lay on the cold stairs, watching him. He was a frantic mess, his composure completely gone, all for her.

A dry, humorless laugh escaped my lips.

His love was a fickle thing. And I didn't want it anymore.

I picked myself up, ignoring the throbbing pain in my back, and went to my room. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

A few minutes later, Kameron came in. He was trying to look calm, but his eyes darted around nervously.

"Hailey," he began, "it's not what you think. She-"

"I don't think anything," I said, my back still to him. My voice was flat. "You should go be with her. She needs you."

He was silent for a moment. I could feel his indecision hanging in the air.

"I'll just go check on her," he said finally, and left.

He didn't come back.

The hours ticked by. The house was silent. I was truly alone.

A wet nose nudged my hand. I looked down. Shadow, my golden retriever, was looking up at me with his big, soulful eyes. He was the last gift my mother gave me before she died.

I buried my face in his soft fur, and finally, the tears I'd been holding back came. I cried until I had nothing left, my arms wrapped tightly around my only friend.

Later that night, I went downstairs for a glass of water, Shadow padding along beside me.

A figure stepped out of the darkness of the living room.

It was Carleen.

The weak, sickly woman was gone. In her place was a predator, her eyes cold and hard.

"He's not coming back tonight," she said, a smug smile on her face. "He's with me."

She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know, your mother was a fighter. She held on for a long time."

My blood ran cold. "What are you talking about?"

"The day she had her stroke," Carleen said, her smile widening. "I was there. She was begging me to call an ambulance. But I was busy." She examined her nails, a picture of casual cruelty. "I was doing a manicure. Couldn't possibly smudge it, you know."

The world stopped. A roar filled my ears. My mother...

"You..." I couldn't get the words out. My breath hitched in my chest.

"Yes, me," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "I watched her die, Hailey. And I enjoyed every second of it."

A blind, white-hot rage erupted inside me. I lunged at her, my hands finding her throat. We tumbled to the ground, a tangle of limbs and fury.

Shadow, sensing my distress, launched himself at Carleen, his teeth sinking into her arm.

She shrieked, a high-pitched sound of terror, and scrambled away from me, tumbling down the short flight of stairs into the foyer.

Just then, Kameron burst out of the study. He had been here the whole time. He hadn't gone to her. He had been hiding, listening.

He took in the scene in an instant: me at the top of the stairs, breathing heavily, and Carleen at the bottom, crumpled and crying, blood streaming from the bite on her arm.

_He_ was the one she had been talking to, not me. He had been in on her sick games, every step of the way.

He ran past me, not even sparing me a glance, and scooped Carleen into his arms.

He turned to look at me then, and the look in his eyes was one of utter disappointment. It was cold, sharp, and it cut me deeper than any knife.

"I can't believe you, Hailey," he said, his voice laced with disgust. "You can't even tolerate her presence in this house?"

"She killed my mother!" I screamed, my voice raw with pain and hatred. "She stood there and watched my mother die! I'm going to send her to prison for the rest of her miserable life!"

Kameron just stared at me as if I were a stranger. He shook his head slowly, a deep frown creasing his forehead.

"She would never do something like that," he said, his voice firm. "You're letting your jealousy cloud your judgment. She's a good person."

My heart, which I thought couldn't break any further, shattered.

He didn't believe me. After everything, he still chose her.

"We're going to the hospital," he said, his voice hard and commanding. "Both of you."

I wanted to fight, to scream, to claw his eyes out. But a chilling calm washed over me. This was my chance. My only chance.

I had to play along. I had to get out.

"Fine," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I followed him out of the house, leaving the last vestiges of my old life behind.

At the hospital, while Carleen was being treated, Kameron's mother arrived. She stormed up to me, her face contorted with rage, and slapped me hard across the face.

"You vicious little bitch!" she shrieked. "How dare you hurt Carleen! And that mutt of yours! It needs to be put down!"

Kameron stepped between us. "Mother, that's enough. Shadow is Hailey's dog. We're not getting rid of him."

He looked at me, his eyes softening for a moment. "I'll compensate the Rocha family for this. It will be fine."

Just then, a doctor came out of the emergency room, his face grim.

"Ms. Rocha's condition is critical," he said. "She's lost a lot of blood, and... she's had a miscarriage."