Chapter 6
73%
Tobias was still processing the shock when Mandy picked up the little girl and asked softly, “Did you listen to Daddy while Mommy was away?”
“Of course, I was a good girl,” the little girl replied, her voice as sweet as honey, glancing up at Simon for confirmation.
Simon smiled and nodded. “She was an absolute angel,” he said, playing along.
Then, he leaned in closer to Mandy, covering his mouth with his hand and whispering, “Last night, Emma washed two pairs of socks and a pair of panties for Fiona just to get some cake. She didn’t want you to know. You know, a secret.”
Tobias couldn’t catch their conversation, but the way they interacted–their smiles, the way Emma nestled into Mandy’s arms–it was clear they were a family. And seeing them together, so happy and carefree, felt like a knife twisting in Tobias’s gut.
His face turned cold, and his eyes hardened. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice flat and emotionless.
Yaxley didn’t need to be told twice. He started the car, and they pulled away, leaving the “happy family” behind.
The car slipped away into the distance, and Mandy found herself looking back almost involuntarily.
Simon noticed and nudged her gently. “Hey, what’s on your mind?” he asked.
Mandy shook her head, pulling herself back to the present. “Nothing,” she said with a small smile, then turned to Emma, who was perched on a stool nearby. “Did you behave for Daddy and Aunt Fiona while I was out yesterday?”
Emma nodded vigorously, her voice as innocent as could be. “Of course, Mommy. I was the best girl ever!”
Mandy ruffled Emma’s hair affectionately. “I knew you would be,” she said.
But before she could say more, Emma’s eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. “Mommy, you were staring at that car. Do you want it? When I grow up, I’ll get it for you.”
Mandy laughed softly, her heart melting. She reached out and gently touched Emma’s soft cheek. “I don’t need a car, sweetheart. I just want you to grow up happy and free.”
Fiona walked back in with a tray of bubble tea, catching the tail end of their conversation. “Well, if Mommy doesn’t want it, I’ll take it.” She grinned and winked at Emma, who giggled in response.
Emma’s eyes sparkled with a playful idea. “Aunt Fiona, you can find a rich husband to buy it for you.”
Simon and Mandy exchanged amused glances, but Fiona, feeling a bit left out, put on a mock–offended face. “Hey, Emma Reed, you better watch it!” she teased.
Emma’s eyes widened, and she quickly slid off the stool, darting into the house with a playful sway in her step.
As soon as she was out of sight, Fiona turned to Mandy, her expression souring a bit. “I’ve been just as good to her as you have, but look. Blood really does run thicker, doesn’t it?”
Mandy sighed, her gaze drifting to the large windows where she could see Emma playing with her toys.
Three years ago, Mandy was trapped in a nightmare. Howard and the Jones family had cooked up a twisted plan to force her into marrying the late Tobias. They’d framed her mother, Lauren, and sent Lauren to jail.
Desperate to save her mom, Mandy had no choice but to agree. But the Jones family was ruthless. Even after they got her mother out of jail, they hid her, using her as leverage. Mandy was fuming, but she felt utterly helpless.
1/4
13:26 Sat, 8 Mar
Chapter 6
73%
Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, Mandy discovered she was pregnant. Panic set in. She knew the Jones and the Lambert families would destroy her if they found out. Her first instinct was to terminate the pregnancy.
But as she lay on the operating table, she had a moment of clarity. She remembered how her own father had abandoned her and her mother. She couldn’t do the same to her own child,
Then it hit her–she wasn’t even gonna abandon her baby; she’s gonna kill it. The thought sent a chill down her spine. She couldn’t go through with it. This baby was her only family now.
But how could she have the baby without the two families finding out? And what would she do once the baby was born? These questions bothered Mandy, and she turned to her closest friends, Simon and Fiona, for help.
Fiona gave her a reassuring smile. “Let’s worry about one thing at a time. First, we need to have this baby. We’ll figure out the rest as we go. We always do.”
Simon nodded. “Look, I’m not going to get married. I’ll help raise her.”
Fiona laughed, “Yeah, Simon can be the dad, and I’ll be the mom. No, wait–I’m the aunt, and you’re the first mom. We’ll be a team, Mandy. We’ll figure it out together.”
Mandy knew she had to make a move once she decided to keep the baby. She couldn’t stay in the house Richard had bought for them–it was too quiet and too far from her job. Richard agreed.
Their studio was barely hanging on back then. It was just the three of them–Fiona, Simon, and Mandy–crammed into a tiny apartment that doubled as their workspace.
Fiona and Simon had already graduated, but Mandy was still trudging through her eight–year doctoral program, with three
more years to go.
She needed to focus on her studies, so she kept her pregnancy a secret. Her thin frame helped hide the baby bump, but it also meant she was often running on empty. Fiona and Simon stepped up, cooking up nutritious meals to keep her going.
As her pregnancy progressed, they worried about her taking the crowded subway, so they found an old, beat–up car to drive her to and from her classes.
When Emma was born, Mandy was buried in a research project with her professor. She was rarely home. Fiona and Simon practically raised Emma themselves, spending way more time with her than Mandy ever did.
To Mandy, without Fiona and Simon, she and Emma wouldn’t have made it this far.
Mandy was lost in thought, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over her.
Fiona noticed and nudged her playfully. “What are you daydreaming about?”
Mandy grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “If she won’t buy it for you, I’ll get it for you.”
Fiona laughed, “Yeah, right. With all those odd jobs you do, you can barely scrape by. And you think you can afford a luxury car? I’ll be waiting for that in another lifetime.”
Mandy chuckled. “Well, then find a rich husband to buy it for you.”
Fiona playfully pushed her away. “Yeah, right. Get lost.”
The laughter died away, and Mandy’s mind flicked back to reality. She stretched her neck, peering into the shop. Empty. “Is my father–in–law’s friend here yet?” she asked, her voice tinged with impatience.
Fiona shook her head, frustration evident. “I’ve been here since before eight, too nervous to even use the bathroom. And there was still no one at eight. I finally went to the restroom and grabbed a coffee, and then you showed up.”
2/4
13:27 Sat, 8 Mar
Chapter 6
She handed the coffee to Mandy, who took it with a glance at her watch. 8:15. Typical. Guests were always late.
“Let’s wait inside Mandy suggested, slipping off her helmet and hanging it on the bike.
Fiona’s eyes caught a glimpse of a bandage on Mandy’s cheek. Her expression softened with concern. “What happened to your face!” she asked, her voice gentle.
Mandy laughed it off. “Just a little mishap, she said, trying to sound casual.
But Fiona wasn’t buying it. Her eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer. “Who did this? Who had the nerve to hurt you? Was it that jerk director of yours, Spencer? I’ll go find him right now.”
She started toward her bike, her posture tense and ready for a confrontation.
But Mandy grabbed her arm, holding her back. “Fiona, it really was Spencer, but he’s not at the hospital. He’s in jail.”
“Jail?” Fiona’s eyes widened in shock. “How did he end up there?”
Simon, who had been listening in, looked just as bewildered.
Mandy sighed, “It’s a long story. Let’s go inside and talk.”
Mandy spilled the whole story to Simon and Fiona–how she got roped into checking on “Nelson” by her teacher, and all the crazy twists that followed. Then they got all this.
Fiona’s eyes lit up. This Nelson guy sounds intriguing. Is he single?”
Before Mandy could answer, Simon snorted, “Even if he is, you’re not exactly his type. Let’s be realistic here.”
Fiona rolled her eyes. “Just because he’s out of my league doesn’t mean I can’t fantasize, does it?”
Simon grinned. “Alright, Mandy, if you see Nelson again, snap a quick photo. Print it out and let Fiona drool over it.”
Mandy shook her head, but her mind was already wandering back to Nelson’s face–sharp, intense, and hauntingly familiar. He looked just like her late husband, Tobias, except for the glasses.
Even though she’d seen Tobias’s funeral with her own eyes three years ago, seeing someone who looked so identical was jarring. If it weren’t for the name, she’d swear he was the same person.
“Mandy, what’s going through your head?” Fiona asked, snapping her back to reality.
Mandy shook her head. “Just thinking. It’s nothing.”
Fiona groaned. “It’s already nine. Is your father–in–law’s friend even coming? I’m starving. Can’t you call and check? If he’s not coming, let’s just grab something to eat.”
Mandy hated waiting, especially in the Emergency Department where every second counted. She called Richard. “Richard, your friend still isn’t here. Did something come up?”
Richard had used the excuse of his friend needing clothes to get Mandy back to the studio. He’d wanted Tobias to see her, but Tobias hadn’t picked up his phone. Richard couldn’t keep Mandy waiting any longer.
He put on a surprised tone. “He’s still not there? What’s Kevin up to? Let me call him right now. It’s outrageous to make you wait for an hour. What the hell?”
After hanging up with Mandy, Richard tried Tobias’s number again, but still no answer. He called Mandy back, keeping his voice serious. “Penny, it looks like Kevin’s family had an emergency. He forgot to let me know. He’ll come another day.”
Mandy didn’t question it and hung up the call without a second thought.
13:27 Sat, 8 Mar 05
Chapter 6
73%
Then Fiona was practically bouncing with enthusiasm. She couldn’t stop talking about how they needed to grab some late- night eats, especially since a super–popular private dining spot had just opened up nearby–one of those trendy places everyone was raving about.
None of them had eaten yet, and with their stomachs growling, they decided to head straight over there, bringing Emma along.
Once they were seated, Fiona wasted no time in striking poses and urging Simon to take photos of her. But Mandy wasn’t in the mood for pictures. She just wanted to take a quick break and headed straight for the restroom.
On her way back, Mandy overheard a heated conversation from one of the private rooms. “What? She cheated and had a kid?”
The voice was too familiar. She peeked through the crack in the door and saw Tobias and Barry inside. Tobias looked like he was drowning his sorrows in drink, while Barry stood there, completely stunned.
Before Tobias could say anything, he spotted Mandy through the door. Their eyes met, and Mandy felt her heart race. She was frozen, unsure of what to do next.
Then, Tobias’s voice cut through the silence, dripping with sarcasm. “Well, well, Dr. Jones. What a coincidence.”
AD
