de her window. The morning sun was just beginning to filter thr
eaceful. But then she turned to her bedside table and saw t
envelope, her heart pounded in her chest. Her breath caught when
erything it represented. The end of her marriage, the end of
s, and she began to sob, he
to me?" she whispered
r sorrow tur
r voice. "That snake. She slithered int
d come into their lives like a hurricane. She wa
ated her
A fresh wave of tears came over her, and she collap
ed up her phone and dialed the one person s
, her voice as bubbly as ever. "Ma
rough her tears. "Bella, he'
d of the line, then Bella's tone s
e dropped the divorce papers before leaving this morn
through the problem like it was a tricky puzzle. "Well,
ped. "Sign them? H
filled with the kind of practical
ike holding onto a cactus-you're only hurting yourself. And besides, you
eath. "I just never thoug
ng, Mandy. And you're not alone. Why don't you go back h
lace where she'd grown up, surrounded by her family, yet it's still the place where she'd always fe
n whose marriage had failed? I
ella," Mandy said
our home. And besides, maybe you'll find some of Grandma's old recipes s
ears. Bella always had a way of finding the
y said finall
t a thing. I'll be back soon enough, and we'll fac
t the pit in her stomach remained. Signing the pa
-
g her suitcase in one hand and the divorce papers in the other. The mansion loomed over her, j
ed by her cousin, Elsa, who eyed her up and down with a look of pure
tered under Elsa's harsh gaze. "H
ered, turning on her heel and
ered. As she entered, the conversation fell silent, and all eyes turned to her. Her cous
said, her voice dripping with sarcas
r cheeks burn with shame. Her grandfather, sitting in hi
ey than you. But your wicked soul would not let your cousin have what she deserved. Now l
by her family, feeling smaller and smaller until she could barely hold back the
e. "Ain't nobody got my back!?" she y
tely alone. But then, from somewhere in the shadows, she h
t you,