Page 159 of Love Notes & Lifelines
“Wasn’t it? Tell me, does this sound familiar? ‘But Caleb.’” Danica’s voice changes, it’s quieter, more fragile sounding. “‘He’s going to ruin everything I’ve worked for. He’s going todestroy me. I won’t be able to carry on if that happens. I can’t. You have to help me.’”
Silence.
“You see.” Danica’s voice is back to her normal tone of hatred. “You really were a means to an end, and you’re no better than fucking Stella—so desperate to be loved you fell for every line I fed you. You did my dirty work. You got me into his company, you made my plan possible, and if I crash and burn, guess where the fingers will point?”
Oh my God.
“While Becker was busy building aluxurybrand, I diversified into other opportunities. I expanded on what my father had built. I made it better. He stole from our investors for years, but I took it to the next level. Hundreds of millions of dollars sit with my name on it and now, with your help, I’m not only going to tear Becker’s company down while leading the blame straight to his doorstep before I disappear, but I’ll get those girls too and ruin every last remaining heir to the Hayes line—young, impressionable minds are so easy to poison. Don’t you agree?”
She’s fucking insane.
“Was the bullshit about your father all a lie too? How he groomed you to be this vile version of yourself that no one could love?” Caleb sneers.
The sound of a slap reverberates against the walls, and my head snaps to the side as though I were the one struck.
“Don’t speak about my father. Ever. You’re lucky I gave you as much time as I did. You really are a useless piece of shit, but fuck it. You scratched an itch.”
She’s disgusting.
“You have no regrets? You’re ruining lives, and none of that matters to you?” Caleb asks.
“The only regret I have is not making you beg more?—”
“That’s enough.” Caleb’s voice doesn’t waver, but it carries a tone I’ve never heard from him before.
“Are you going to cry?” Danica hisses. Her tone makes my stomach turn. “You know how much I love it when you cry. Do you want to talk about your wife some more? Will that make this easier for you to swallow?”
“You’re sick,” Caleb snaps. His tone is lethal. “But you’re also wrong about where the fingers will point. I may have screwed up accounts in Becker’s office, but I never did more. I’ll take a hit to my reputation, they’ll say I’ve lost my touch, or possibly had intent to do more, but I didn’t. You, on the other hand? Your downfall will be brutal. Maybe, if I’m lucky, someone will make you their bitch in prison. I hear they also like to see people cry.”
The door opens to loud voices, and it drowns out anything else Danica and Caleb might say.
I stand frozen for a long time until the room falls silent again.
“You can come out now.”
I suck in an audible breath, and after my shock wears off, I count to ten, then slowly slide along the wall. When I exit my hiding spot, I jump in surprise.
Caleb leans against the opposing wall, waiting for me. All the fears Silas instilled in me come rushing back, and my gaze darts between him and the door. He seems to sense my fear and slowly walks to the side, so there’s a clear path to the exit. I can do this. He will not intimidate me like Silas did.
“You knew I was in here?” I glance down at the phone in my hand. Should I keep recording?
You will no longer do what makes things easy for others at the expense of yourself.The voice I hear in my head is my own. It’s not entwined with Silas or my childhood bullies. It doesn’t sound like my mother or a father I never knew—it’s just me, strong and taking up all the space in my mind. It’s a reminder to take up space wherever I am.
My shoulders roll back, my head lifts, and I face Caleb head-on with my phone still recording.
“I saw you enter. Hopefully you have half a brain cell and recorded all of that.”
My jaw hangs open. Why would he let me witness this kind of encounter?
He shakes his head. “Don’t tell me you panicked and didn’t record that.”
His words feel cruel, but his tone betrays his pain. “Is Danica why you lash out at people?”
Caleb’s lip curls into a snarl, but it’s lacking its usual bite. “No, sweetheart. That’s just my DNA.”
“Why? Why did you do this?”
“For fuck’s sake. Be more specific,” he barks.
