Chapter 4

Cayla Rollins POV:

My hand, the good one, trembled as I fumbled with the clasp of my purse. The laughter from within the room, Jesse' s innocent joy mingled with Dereck' s triumphant chuckle, was a physical blow. My vision swam, and my leg, still weak, buckled. I stumbled forward, my momentum carrying me into the door.

It burst open.

Dereck, Kacey, Jesse, and two other men-likely the "adoption specialists" or Potter family cronies-all whipped their heads towards me. Dereck' s eyes, already wide with alarm, flashed with pure panic.

"Cayla! What are you doing here?" he blurted out, a desperate attempt to regain control. "I thought you were in the car, getting your medication!"

Kacey, ever the picture of composure, offered me a cool, practiced smile. "Hello, Cayla. Dereck was just telling me about your... unfortunate accident."

My mind raced. I needed to escape. Not just from this room, but from this entire miserable charade. I forced a weak smile, my lips feeling like they might crack. "I... I just needed some air. I' ll just... be going now."

I turned, my legs suddenly heavy, each step a monumental effort. My bandaged hand throbbed, a constant reminder of their cruelty.

Dereck was behind me in an instant, his hand on my arm. "Cayla, wait. I can explain. Kacey was just... discussing things with me about Jesse. She' s been so helpful, a true friend."

I could feel his anxiety radiating off him, a frantic scramble to piece his lies back together. He was sweating. He was afraid. He was afraid of me.

"It' s fine, Dereck," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I understand. You don' t need to explain anything. Just... let me go."

His grip loosened, his relief evident. He truly believed I was too broken, too blind to grasp the full extent of his betrayal. His self-importance was astounding.

As I moved past the open door, I felt the sharp, disdainful stares of the other men in the room. I heard their whispers now, no longer hushed.

"Pathetic," one scoffed.

"Barely clinging to life," another added, pity and contempt mingling in his tone. "And her inner strength... completely gone."

I ignored them. Their words were just background noise now, fading into the relentless rhythm of my own resolve. I walked to the front desk, my movements slow but deliberate.

"I need to finalize my departure registration," I told the startled receptionist. My voice was calm, steady.

Through the large bay window near the entrance, I saw them. Dereck, Kacey, and Jesse. Dereck had scooped Jesse into his arms, Kacey leaning against his shoulder, her hand resting on his chest. The picture of a perfect, loving family. The family he had built on my shattered dreams.

Days later, Dereck threw a lavish celebration for Jesse' s official adoption. It was a spectacle, designed to impress, to solidify his new image as the devoted father and partner. I watched from a shadowy corner of the grand hall, a ghost at my own funeral.

The whispers followed me, sharp little barbs designed to wound.

"Look at her," someone snickered. "Still hanging around, even after everything."

"A pity. She used to be so vibrant."

I saw Dereck, beaming, as he presented Jesse with a small, ceremonial dagger, a symbol of his place in the clan. Kacey stood beside him, her hand linked with his, her eyes shining with pride.

"He' s going to be a strong leader, just like his father," Kacey cooed, her voice carrying across the hushed hall. "Our son."

Dereck nodded, his chest puffed out. "The strongest. He will carry on the Potter name, my legacy."

Something snapped inside me. The pain, the betrayal, the humiliation of being cast aside for this... this carefully orchestrated farce. It was too much.

I retreated from the hall, seeking refuge in a quiet alcove. My left hand fumbled for the small pouch I carried. Inside, a handful of letters. Dereck' s letters. Love letters, filled with promises and dreams. Promises he had so easily broken.

With trembling fingers, I took out a lighter. The flame, small and flickering, seemed to roar in my ears. I watched as the elegant script curled and blackened, the paper turning to ash. Let it all burn.

Suddenly, a presence behind me. A familiar, cloying scent. Kacey.

Before I could turn, a sharp, clawed hand raked across my bandaged right arm, tearing through the gauze, reopening the wound. A gasp of pain tore from my lips.

"Still clinging to him, are we, Cayla?" Kacey' s voice was a venomous whisper, her eyes glittering with malice. "It' s over. You' re broken. Useless. He doesn' t want you. Not with that pathetic scar. Not with your... diminished talent."

She laughed, a low, cruel sound. "You lost everything, didn' t you? Your career, your man, your future. All gone."

Then, with an almost imperceptible shift, Kacey pushed herself away from me, her eyes wide with feigned terror. She let out a piercing shriek, stumbling backward, then dramatically toppled into the ornamental pond nearby.

"She pushed me!" Kacey screamed, splashing wildly. "She attacked me!"

A collective gasp swept through the hall. Dereck, hearing the commotion, turned, his eyes locking onto Kacey struggling in the water. Without a moment' s hesitation, he plunged into the pond, pulling her into his arms.

He carried her to the edge, his face contorted with rage. "What have you done, Cayla? Are you insane? How dare you lay a hand on her!"