"Did you know about this all along?" Kayla asked, her voice sharp.

Lionel tossed the phone on the bed, his tone softening. "Stephanie didn’t mean it. She’s young, she didn’t understand. It’s over now."

‘Over?’ Kayla’s heart pounded. ‘Skippy was my family for five years!’ She stared at him, her anger and pain rising in her chest like a tidal wave.

"Whose side are you on, Lionel? You knew I was wronged, but you didn’t even care to hear me out. Is everything for her?" Her voice cracked as he turned and walked out, leaving her alone with the mess of emotions swirling in her mind.

She sank back into the past, her memories crashing into her like a storm.

Back in college, Kayla was something of a legend. Smart, beautiful—everyone thought she was untouchable. She could’ve had anyone, but she wasn’t interested in the rich, entitled boys trying to impress her.

She had bigger dreams. Even with offers to study abroad, she stayed. Kayla had promised her mother she would join her company and she did. She created something that made waves in her industry.

People said someone like her would never settle down, but then she posted her engagement photos. She had it all—except, apparently, someone who truly had her back.

And then there was Lionel. He wasn’t just the guy who saved her life after that car crash.

He was the guy who pulled her from the wreckage, just before the car exploded. After that, they really got to know each other.

Turned out, they had more in common than she realized—he had been a student at her school too.

Lionel was always there, showing up every morning with breakfast for Kayla, no matter how cold or stale it was.

He knew exactly what she liked and made sure to be by her side, day and night. Slowly, they fell for each other and decided to build a life together. But five years later, he wasn’t the same person anymore.

On the morning of her mother’s death anniversary, the rain drizzled outside the mansion.

“Who bought this white lily? It’s bad luck!” Stephanie sneered, tossing it aside.

Kayla walked downstairs, expressionless, giving it a quick glance. “It’s mine.”

Ferris appeared from the side, frowning. “What? Are you hoping I’ll die or something?”

Kayla shrugged. “You forgot today’s my mom’s death anniversary.” She didn’t feel like saying more and turned to head back to her room.

Just as she was about to leave, Stephanie was already packed and ready. “I’ll go with you to see your mom. Can I come?”

Kayla shot her a quick look. “No need.”

Lionel, though, ignored Kayla’s words and took the bag from Stephanie’s hand. “Let’s go then. We’ll go together,” he said, not caring at all about Kayla’s refusal.

It wasn’t surprising to her—he knew how much today meant to her, but still treated it like it was no big deal.

The drive wasn’t long, just half an hour.

When they got to the cemetery, Kayla immediately noticed her mother’s grave. It was covered in dust, with weeds growing all around it.

Compared to the others, it looked abandoned, like no one had been here while she was away.

Before Kayla could say anything, Stephanie started crying. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t take care of Kayla. She ended up in jail and we haven’t visited you in five years. You always taught us to be good people and even though Kayla’s made mistakes, we won’t forget her. Don’t worry.”

Stephanie kept going on about her mistakes and Kayla, pissed off, yanked a bunch of weeds from the grave and tossed them at her feet.

Her eyes went icy, glaring right at Stephanie. “This is my mom, not yours! Stop pretending to be the perfect daughter. You haven’t been here in five years. You don’t even know how I ended up in prison!”

Stephanie’s face flickered with panic and she grabbed Lionel’s sleeve without thinking. Lionel stepped in front of her, but Kayla couldn’t believe it—there he was, standing in her way.

“Kayla, how can you talk to your sister like that? She’s just speaking the truth! You broke the law, that’s on you, not her!” Lionel said, his voice firm.

Kayla just sneered, her eyes still locked on the tombstone. “Is that so?”

She had known for a while now that her family didn’t have her back. The first thing she did after getting out of prison was track down the person in charge of the security footage.

Since Lionel wouldn’t help her, she would do it herself. She’d learned the hard way that trusting anyone but herself wasn’t an option.

She had spent a lot of money to get the contact details of the fired employees—money her mom had secretly saved for her, money most people would never see in a lifetime.

She was going to meet them and this was the first time she would step out since being released.

She dressed quickly, determined to get things done on her own. But just as she was about to leave, Lionel stopped her. “Kayla, where are you going?”

Kayla slowed down, trying to hide what she was up to. “Just going out to pick up a few things.”

"I'll drive you," Lionel offered.

"No need," Kayla replied flatly.

He hesitated, then grabbed a jacket from the couch and handed it to her. "It’s cold outside. Put this on."

Kayla paused, looking at him, trying to make sense of his actions. But she couldn’t figure it out. "I’m fine," she said, but Lionel didn’t let it go, pulling the jacket over her shoulders.

She didn’t argue, too worn out to care anymore.

As she drove, Kayla replayed the earlier scene in her mind. Nothing could change what had happened, but it didn’t stop the anger from bubbling up.

She had finally gotten her hands on the surveillance footage, she’d seen Stephanie steal the account books with her own eyes.

Kayla gripped her fists. Five years of waiting and now she wanted revenge. She wanted Stephanie to feel what she had felt—pain, loss, betrayal. She wasn’t going to let this go.

Just as she was about to leave, she saw something that stopped her in her tracks. Stephanie was sitting at a table, sipping tea like she had all the time in the world.

But it was the man sitting across from her that made Kayla's heart drop—he was from the rival company, the one who had tried to steal her mother’s tech.

Kayla watched as Stephanie handed him a stack of documents. It all clicked. They were planning to take everything, the company, the money, everything her mother had left behind.

She never thought Stephanie would go this far.

Later, when she got back home, Stephanie was there waiting. "Where are you off to this time?" she asked, her voice too sweet. "Looking for a job?"

She smiled a little too knowingly. "I heard from Lionel you're job hunting. I’m the financial director now. You can just work for me. No need to go out and look elsewhere."

"Who would want to hire someone who's been to prison?" Stephanie laughed, looking at Kayla like she was beneath her.

As soon as Kayla left for prison, Stephanie stepped right into the spot she had always wanted.

Kayla’s eyes stayed cold, her expression unreadable. "Really? What about you? Going out to meet a guy?"

Stephanie’s face went bright red. "What are you talking about?"

Kayla smirked, her gaze never leaving Stephanie. "Why the flush then? Have you been doing something you shouldn’t?"

Stephanie snapped. "Mind your own business! Even if I did, what could you do about it?"

She tried to walk away, but Kayla grabbed her arm. "No, you’re explaining this before you leave."

Suddenly, Stephanie collapsed, crying like she couldn’t control it. "Why did you push me? I was just trying to help you get a job! I know you have big pride, but you're not the same as before!"

Her crying was enough to get Lionel’s attention. He rushed over, picking her up without asking a word. He glared at Kayla, furious.

"Kayla! This is too much! Stephanie is just trying to help, but you’re treating her like this? I’m seriously disappointed in you."

Without another word, he carried Stephanie back to their room. Kayla watched them go, her heart sinking. It was clear as ever now—Lionel was no longer on her side.

She stayed there, still, as the pain hit her all at once. It felt like a needle prick, sharp and unexpected.

After a while, she finally went back upstairs, the cold air still making her skin prickle. Standing outside Stephanie’s room, it hit her. This wasn’t her place anymore.

Through the crack in the door, Kayla caught sight of Lionel massaging Stephanie’s feet, his hands working their way up her calves with oil.

It hit her like a slap in the face and she stood there, frozen for a moment, the sight making her stomach twist. A bitter smile formed on her lips as she turned to leave, but then she heard voices inside.

"Lionel, she’s starting to figure out that I’m framing her. What should I do?" Stephanie’s voice wavered, full of fear.

Kayla stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t believe it. This was the first time she had heard Stephanie admit it out loud.

"She’s been asking about the account books. Someone mentioned it to me today. What if she finds out? I’m scared," Stephanie said, sounding weak.

Lionel just pulled her into his arms. "What’s the problem? The evidence is solid. It’s not on us. If she’s gonna blame someone, let her blame her own bad luck. She should’ve stayed longer in prison."

His words hit Kayla hard, like a punch in the chest.

So, he knew all along. He and Stephanie were in this together, after her money and her position.

All the love he had promised her was all a lie. "Forever"? "Never parting"? Ridiculous. He knew exactly what she had gone through and not once did he care.

Soon, the sound of laughter filled the room. Kayla turned, walking back to her own space, the tears coming before she could stop them, her laughter bitter and empty.

That night, sleep didn’t come. She lay staring at the ceiling, the glow from the streetlights forming a dim, starry sky.

For the first time, she felt something shift inside her—like the emptiness she had been carrying was being filled with something new, something faintly hopeful.