I stepped into the house, still numb from the funeral, only to freeze at the sight before me.
Karylle. Sitting comfortably on my couch.
Will stood beside her, arms crossed. “Karylle’s here to offer her condolences.”
I stared at him. Then at her. A slow, mocking smile crept onto my lips. “Condolences?” My voice dripped with bitterness. “I buried our daughter alone, Will. You weren’t even there. So don’t insult me by pretending you care now.”
Will’s face darkened. “What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?”
I let out a hollow laugh. “Acting like what? Like a grieving mother? Like a woman whose husband didn’t even bother showing up to his daughter’s funeral?” My voice rose, sharp and unforgiving. “Tell me, Will, where were you? Oh, wait—I already know. With her.”
His jaw tightened. “You were the one driving the car, Helena.”
The words sliced through me like a blade.
I sucked in a sharp breath. “You’re blaming me?”
He didn’t even hesitate. “If you had been more careful, Hayley would still be alive.”
My stomach twisted. My hands shook. My heart cracked open all over again. “You coward,” I whispered, rage shaking through my body. “You know the truth, but you can’t even face it. It was an accident I never wanted to happen!”
Karylle stepped forward, her face carefully composed, but I saw right through it. The fake concern, the practiced sorrow—it made my skin crawl.
“Enough,” she said softly, tilting her head as if she were the reasonable one here. “You shouldn’t be fighting like this. Hayley just—”
“Stay away from me, from us!” I cut her off, my voice shaking with fury. “You ruined our family!”
Her lips parted, feigning shock, but I saw it. The flicker of something else. Satisfaction? Triumph? Whatever it was, it made my stomach churn.
Will moved instantly, stepping in front of her, shielding her like she was something fragile, something precious. His hand gripped her arm, his jaw tight with anger. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
I let out a cold, bitter laugh. “Of course. Of course, you’d defend her.” I shook my head, my chest heaving. “She’s the one who tore this family apart, and you stand there protecting her? While our daughter—” My voice broke, the weight of my grief pressing down like a crushing force.
Will’s eyes darkened. “This isn’t about Karylle. It’s about you. You’re the one who can’t let go of the past.”
My blood ran cold. “The past?” I echoed, my hands clenching into fists. “Hayley is dead. She is not the past. She was our daughter, and you—” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You weren’t even there.”
Karylle placed a hand on Will’s chest, as if calming him. “She’s grieving,” she murmured, glancing up at him like she was the victim in all of this. “She doesn’t mean it.”
I saw red.
“I don’t mean it?” My voice came out quiet, deadly. “I meant every damn word.” I turned my gaze to Will. “She took everything from me, and you let her. You chose her over me. Over Hayley.”
“What are you saying?” He acted innocent.
I was done. I turned and walked away, ignoring Will’s voice calling after me. I made it to my room, locking the door behind me before my legs gave out beneath me.
And then I broke.
I buried my face in my hands, sobs racking my body. Pain clawed at my throat, my chest, my soul. The weight of everything crashed down on me—Hayley, Will, the betrayal, the loss.
But I couldn’t stay like this.
It was time.
I wiped my tears and grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling as I dialed.
“Hello?”
“I want to file for divorce.”
The words came out steady, final. There was no turning back.
The lawyer sighed. “Understood. We’ll begin the process immediately.”
I ended the call, my heart hammering.
This was it. I was leaving.
I pulled out my suitcase and started packing. Clothes. Essentials. But my hands hesitated when I reached Hayley’s things. Her favorite dress. The stuffed bunny she never slept without. Her tiny shoes.
I held them close, inhaling the faint scent that still lingered. Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to fall apart again.
I would carry her with me. Always.
As I zipped up the suitcase, voices from outside caught my attention.
I stepped closer to the window.
It was Karylle.
Her voice was low, but I heard every word.
“Make sure no one finds out that I was the one who caused the accident of Helena and Hayley.”
