A Bloody Gingerbread for Christmas

My husband, Liam Caldwell, took our daughter Sophie and his on-again, off-again high school sweetheart, Chloe Vance, to the Rocky Mountains for Christmas.

For Chloe's sake, he abandoned our little girl along the way.

While I feared a bear was mauling her, I couldn't reach him.

When I arrived, the car window was shattered—all that remained was a single gingerbread man, stained with blood.

As I drowned in grief, Liam finally answered his phone. "It's Christmas Eve. Stop being such a killjoy."

I sneered internally. Happy holidays.

I should send you a bloody gingerbread man.

Maybe then you'll feel some real “holiday spirit.”

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1

I pushed open the door to our home.

An agonizing scene greeted me. A fire crackled in the living room hearth, and joyous laughter filled the air.

A sumptuous Christmas Eve feast covered the table, the air rich with the aroma of spices and mulled wine.

My heart sank.

A chill shot through my body.

My husband, Liam Caldwell, and his high school first love, Chloe Vance, sat side-by-side on the rug before the fireplace.

They were nestled together intimately, content smiles on their faces.

My mother-in-law, Eleanor Caldwell, sat on the sofa across from them, cradling Chloe’s son, Mason.

She fed him Christmas pudding with a silver spoon, and he giggled, his small face smeared with cream.

He looked exactly like Sophie did at that age.

My gaze locked onto the pudding, and my heart clenched at the thought of my own daughter, Sophie.

My vision began to blur, and I could barely stay on my feet.

"Well, if it isn't Olivia! Why the long face on such a glorious day?" Chloe spotted me from the doorway, her voice dripping with mockery.

She leaned even closer into Liam’s arms, as if staking her claim.

Liam glanced up, and when his eyes met mine, a look of annoyance crossed his face.

"It's Christmas Eve. Can't you at least try to look happy? And for God's sake, Olivia, how many times do I have to tell you to look presentable? Just try to be more like Chloe for once."

My disheveled, snow-and-mud-splattered clothes were a stark contrast to the cozy scene.

He didn't care.

His eyes held only irritation and disgust.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the storm of emotions raging inside me.

I stared at them, my voice like ice.

"Liam, where is Sophie?"

At my question, Eleanor patted Mason, who was nestled in her arms.

"You have the nerve to ask? That daughter of yours is just like you—wild and ill-mannered, running off on Christmas of all days! Nothing like our sweet Mason here…"

"Say that again!" I snapped, glaring at Eleanor.

The sound of my own voice was sharp and unfamiliar, stunning everyone into silence.

They had never seen me so completely unhinged.

Liam was the first to react. He scrambled up from the rug, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

"Olivia! Have you lost your mind? What the hell is wrong with you?"

I ignored him and strode toward Eleanor, my eyes locked on the child in her arms.

"You don't have the right to say her name! None of you do!" I shouted, my voice rising with every word.

Rage coiled in my gut, threatening to swallow me whole.

Liam was startled by my outburst.

He stared at me in disbelief, his eyes flashing with disgust and anger.

He said coldly, "Olivia, what do you think you're doing? Look at the state of you. Is this how a wife and mother is supposed to act?"

My lips trembled. "A mother? Do you even have a clue what happened to Sophie…"

But Chloe's soft voice cut me off. She looked at Liam, tears welling in her eyes.

"Liam, please don't be angry. Olivia's probably just upset to see me here. Maybe I should take Mason and go, so she doesn't get more upset…"

"Chloe, you're not going anywhere. She's the one who should leave."

Liam stopped her without a moment's hesitation.

He then turned to me, his face a mask of fury.

"Olivia, are you done making a scene? Go find a corner and think about your behavior. I'll deal with you later!"

"I…" I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

I stared at Liam, my hope draining away.

This man, who had once sworn his undying love to me, was now a cold, heartless stranger.

Without another thought, I turned and dragged my heavy feet upstairs toward Sophie’s room.

"See, Liam? I told you from the start you never should have married her! Look at her, acting like a madwoman and disgracing the Caldwell name!"

"Mom, don't be angry. Let's just enjoy our holiday with Chloe and forget about her."

Listening to their conversation, my heart fractured.

I stumbled into Sophie’s room and collapsed onto her bed.

Tears streamed silently down my face, soaking into her pink bedsheets.

The agony was a physical pain, cutting deep into my bones.

The room still held Sophie's sweet, candy-like scent.

But my world had lost all its sweetness.

I hated myself for being so weak.

If I had only insisted on going with Sophie, if I hadn't so foolishly trusted Liam, Sophie wouldn't have…

I covered my face and wept, the pain too raw to contain.

Regret and self-loathing coiled around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs.

A faint clatter broke the silence as something slipped from my coat pocket and fell to the floor.

I looked down to see Sophie’s favorite teddy bear lying there, its button eyes a silent accusation.

My hands trembling, I picked up the toy and hugged it tightly to my chest.

As if holding it could bring back the warmth Sophie had left behind.

"What in God's name is your problem?" Liam’s impatient voice cut through the silence from the doorway.