The doorbell rang sooner than Malakai promised—ten minutes early, with an air of urgency. When I opened the door, Thea Guzman was there, her face familiar from TV, forever composed and smiling. Flanking her were two men in suits, clearly attorneys representing Malakai's family.
"Hi, Camille."
Thea spoke first, her voice smooth yet unsettling, like honey laced with a sting. She didn't project superiority; rather, she inspected me with sympathetic eyes, taking in every detail.
"It must have been challenging for you these past five years. Honestly, you were more convincing than I anticipated. You really did play your role well."
With that, she swept past me into the living room, appraising it like she owned the place.
"Louie, Mommy Thea is here."
Louie, busy with his robot toy, dropped it immediately and flew into her arms.
"Mommy Thea! You’re here!"
Thea deftly produced a box of imported chocolates from her Chanel purse, unwrapping one and popping it into Louie's mouth.
"Of course, I promised you that once Daddy's 'work' was finished, I'd take you home. How about a trip to Disneyland this weekend?"
"That’s awesome! Mommy Thea is the best!"
Their warm exchange made me feel invisible, like they were the true family while I was just an understudy whose performance had ended.
Holding Louie, Thea surveyed the room, her gaze landing on my thrift-store sofa. She wrinkled her nose as though encountering something distasteful.
"Really, Malakai? To have you living in such conditions, with this worn-out furniture? We can't have these things in the house."
Turning to the lawyer behind her, she instructed, "Stephen, make a note to arrange for the removal of all this furniture. Malakai’s home should have nothing less than quality."
"Understood, Ms. Guzman."
Each sentence she uttered buried my five years of frugal living in the dust. I had scrimped and saved for a stable future, yet to her, these possessions simply tarnished her fiancé’s reputation.
The lawyer, Stephen, approached with a blank expression, extending a pen.
"Camille, please sign here. Five hundred thousand dollars is a very generous compensation for five years of 'contractual agreement.' Mr. Sanders and Ms. Guzman are being quite considerate."
"Generous compensation?"
I echoed the phrase quietly, finding it bitterly ironic. My whole life reduced to a business deal.
"That's correct." Stephen adjusted his glasses. "Moreover, Ms. Guzman kindly advises against any attempts at entanglement. You understand that the consequences won't be pleasant."
His warning was blunt and unmistakable.
Thea moved closer with Louie, her face a picture of courteous satisfaction.
"Camille, don’t overthink this. We’re not threatening you. You’re smart; you know what the best choice is, right?"
She bent down, speaking tenderly to Louie:
"Sweetheart, say goodbye to this... lady. She’ll be leaving soon."
Louie peered out from her embrace to look at me. Those eyes, once filled with trust, were now cold and indifferent.
"Mommy Thea, let's go already. I don't want to stay here. Daddy says her... poor smell will bring me bad luck."
Poor smell.
Those words sliced away the last fragment of hope from my heart.
I looked at them and suddenly smiled.
