Chapter 5

Even though Sylvia hadn't suffered so much as a scratch, once they returned from the hospital, she was treated like royalty. Everyone in the family tiptoed around her, catering to her every whim. And no one was more attentive than Cameron, who practically worshipped her. Whatever Sylvia wanted, he found a way to get it for her. Even if she woke up in the middle of the night craving a strawberry milkshake, Cameron would get out of bed and rush to buy one without hesitation. "Mona, don't you get it?" Cameron said, offering yet another excuse. "The only reason I'm doing all this for Sylvia is because of you." He spoke like he had the moral high ground. "I'm trying to make up for what you did. Caleb died saving me. We owe her everything. And now, after you nearly ran her over and almost made her lose the baby, we owe her even more! "I didn't defend you that day because I didn't want the whole family turning on you. I'm doing my best to fix this. So please, stop acting out. I'm already carrying this burden for both of us. Can you stop going after Sylvia and just let it go?" Simone gave a quiet laugh and nodded slowly. Her voice was calm as she said, "Don't worry. I won't cause any more trouble." "And I won't shed another tear for you either," she thought. "Really?" Cameron lit up, pulling her into a hug. "That's great. I'm so glad you finally understand. There's really nothing between me and Sylvia. I'm just doing what Caleb would've wanted. If there was something going on, don't you think he'd be haunting me by now?" Maybe men were just that blind. They never realized that when a woman truly gave up, she didn't scream or fight. She simply stayed quiet, and then she left. Anger meant she still cared. Yelling meant she still had hope. But once the fire was gone and the tears dried up, it was over. Simone stopped reacting. She watched as everyone in the house doted on Sylvia like she was some kind of queen. Meanwhile, she quietly prepared her documents for her overseas assignment. She was leaving soon. All she wanted was to get through these final days in peace. But Sylvia had other plans. She came to Simone with a smug expression, like the victor of a long and dirty war. "Simone, you've probably figured it out by now," she said. Her voice was laced with pride. "The baby I'm carrying is Cameron's. "I hope you're smart enough to walk away on your own. Divorce him and give him to me. Do that, and I might be kind enough to let you off easy." Simone almost laughed out loud. She kept her tone steady. "Sylvia, are you really that confident? Do you honestly believe that if I divorced Cameron, he'd marry you? "You're his brother's wife. If he married you, it wouldn't just be a scandal. It'd be sick." Sylvia's face darkened. She grabbed Simone by the collar and snarled, "You think you're better than me just because your husband's still alive and mine's dead? "What do you have to be proud of? You've never been better than me. Not when we were kids, and not now. And you think Cameron actually loves you? "Let me tell you the truth. He doesn't love you at all. Ever since I got pregnant, he's been sneaking into my room. He told me I'm passionate in bed, unlike you. He said sleeping with you was like lying next to a corpse. No fun at all!" Simone didn't even blink. She calmly replied, "Prostitutes can be wild in bed too, but no one's marrying them." That one line cut deep. Sylvia's eyes flared with rage, and she raised her hand to slap Simone. But just before the slap landed, she paused. Instead, her lips curved into a strange smile. It was sweet on the surface but twisted underneath. "Do you remember that game we used to play when we were little?" she asked softly. Simone froze. Something in Sylvia's voice sent a chill down her spine. She instinctively reached out, trying to stop her. But it was too late. Sylvia kept smiling that same eerie smile. Then, she suddenly threw herself backward and toppled down the stairs.