Until Betrayal Do Us Part

Evelyn stood at the corner of the dining room, head bowed, hands clasped at her back, just like a maid awaiting orders. At the table, her father, stepmother, and stepsister ate dinner, their laughter and clinking silverware filling the air. Her stomach clenched at the smell of roasted chicken, but she didn't dare sit unless invited. She knew better. “Why aren't you eating, Evelyn?” Her father's voice cut through the room. “I’m not—” “She cannot eat,” her stepmother interrupted, her tone dripping with contempt. “Not until she’s done with all her chores.” “I wasn’t talking to you,” her father snapped, his gaze flickering to her stepmother in annoyance before settling back on her. “Come sit, Evelyn.” She forced a small smile. “It’s alright, Dad. I’m not hungry. I’ll eat when I am.” “See? She’s fine,” her stepmother added with a smirk. “No need to coddle her.” “That reminds me, Evelyn,” Tessa, her stepsister, finally spoke, barely glancing up from her nails. “I have some dirty clothes for you to wash. Can you grab them from my room later?” “Why can’t you do your own laundry?” Her father asked, irritation creeping into his voice. Tessa sighed dramatically. “Dad, I’m getting married tomorrow. This will be the ‘last’ thing I ask her to do for me. Besides, I don’t want to ruin my nails.” Evelyn caught the warning look in my stepmother’s eyes. She already knew her answer. “It’s fine, Dad,” She murmured. “I’ll do the laundry.” Tessa beamed. “Thanks, sis.” ‘Sis.’ That word felt wrong coming from her. This was Evelyn’s life. Ever since her mother’s death, she’d been reduced to a servant in her own home. Her stepmother and stepsister made sure she never forgot her place. And her father? He just… watched. He never stopped them. Sometimes, she wondered if she was truly his biological daughter. But Evelyn couldn’t complain. Complaints only led to more punishments. And she wasn’t prepared to go another week without food. After dinner, she made her way to Tessa’s room to collect the laundry. As always, she raised her hand to knock—Tessa hated it when she entered unannounced—but before her knuckles touched the door, she heard voices. She froze. Tessa was on the phone. And Evelyn wasn’t about to let history repeat itself. She remembered the last time she walked into Tessa’s room during a call. The outcome hadn’t been pleasant. She decided to wait, ears perked, hoping the conversation would end soon. But instead, what she heard made her heart race. “Babe, when are you coming to get me?” Tessa whispered urgently. ‘Babe?’ Evelyn frowned. She assumed at first it must be Caleb—Tessa’s soon-to-be husband—but then the man’s voice came through the speaker. “Soon, baby,” the deep voice responded. “I’ll come get you soon.” Evelyn’s stomach twisted. That voice didn’t belong to Caleb. Then came the confirmation. Tessa giggled. “When is soon, Asher? You know tomorrow’s my wedding, and I can’t get married to Caleb. It’s you I love. And besides… I’m pregnant.” Evelyn’s breath hitched. Tessa continued her voice barely above a whimper. “Are you really going to let the mother of your child marry someone else?” Asher exhaled. “Baby, I know you're pregnant. And I’m not denying it’s mine. But things aren’t stable yet. I still haven’t gotten the inheritance money from my father. Once I do, I promise, we’ll be on the first flight to Hawaii. Just the three of us. You, me, and our baby. There, we'll get married and enjoy life to the fullest, but first, you need to exercise patience, Tessa.” “No, I don't want that! Just come get me out of here.” Tessa groaned. “I can’t marry Caleb, Asher. I won’t.” “I know, sweetheart,” Asher replied. “Relax. You’re pregnant, you should control your emotions.” He continued, “Okay. Here's what we are going to do; tomorrow morning, before anyone wakes up, I’ll come get you. But we can’t leave for Hawaii just yet. You’ll stay with me for a few days, and as soon as the money lands, we’re gone. Forever.” Tessa giggled excitedly, “That's why I love you, Asher.” “I love you too and don't fret, babe. By tomorrow, everything will be fine. Just get your bags packed and ready to go. We'll talk more when I see you.” Asher said and hung up. When the call ended, Evelyn stood frozen outside the door, her palm flat against her chest, as she struggled to calm her racing heart. ‘Tessa’s cheating on Caleb. She’s pregnant for a man named Asher. And she’s planning to run away on her wedding day.’ What. The. Actual. Hell. How had Tessa hidden this so well? More importantly, what was Evelyn supposed to do with this information? She couldn’t tell her stepmother. She’d never be believed. Worse, she’d be punished for making such a claim about her perfect daughter. Her father? He barely acknowledged her existence. He wouldn’t believe her either. Trapped in silence, the reality of Evelyn's life hit her like a dodgeball, snapping her out of her thoughts. No one will believe her. No one ever did. Evelyn was alone in this. As always. Taking a shaky breath, she wiped her sweaty palms against her dress. The best option was to stay quiet. Stay out of trouble. After all, this wasn’t her problem. So she knocked A few seconds later, Tessa opened the door, her expression unreadable. “I’m here for the laundry,” Evelyn said, her voice steady. Tessa pointed toward a pile of clothes. “There. Make sure they’re spotless before you bring them back.” Evelyn nodded, gathered the clothes, and walked out without another word. Still, as she scrubbed Tessa’s dresses later that night, the conversation she overheard echoed in her mind. By morning, Tessa would be gone. And no one would see it coming. But what Evelyn didn’t know was that Tessa’s actions were about to change her life forever. **** *7:05a.m., January 27th, 2019* Evelyn had woken up as early as six and started her usual household chores. As the unpaid domestic help, her days were filled with never-ending chores, ranging from cooking to cleaning to serving—often for up to fifteen hours without rest. It was a life she'd grown accustomed to, but one that still felt new each day. Today, however, was different. It was Tessa's wedding day, and she'd been explicitly barred from attending by my stepmother. Evelyn had long since accepted my exclusion, and so she went about her chores as usual, trying not to dwell on the festivities she was missing. As Evelyn tidied up the living room, her stepmother, Mrs. Hayes, descended the stairs, her face etched with worry. She greeted her and as usual, there was no response. Rather, Mrs. Hayes posed a question. “Have you seen Tessa this morning?” She asked, her voice laced with urgency. “We need to leave for the church soon.” Evelyn shook her head. “I haven't seen her, ma'am. Maybe she's still in her room.” “Very well then, continue with your work, I'll go check on her.” Mrs. Hayes said and went upstairs to Tessa's room. Seeing Mrs. Hayes hurry upstairs, Evelyn was left wondering if Tessa was indeed still in her room. She knew better, though. She had overheard her conversation with Asher, her lover and the father of her child, the previous night. They had planned her escape, and she was certain, Tessa was long gone. Evelyn wasn’t surprised when minutes later, her stepmother’s frantic screams shattered the morning peace. “Edward, Edward!” Mrs. Hayes screamed frantically, her eyes brimming with tears as she ran down the stairs. “Tessa's… gone! She's… run away!” Her father, Mr. Hayes, rushed downstairs, his face a mask of confusion. “What are you talking about? Speak clearly, woman.” Evelyn's stepmother quickly composed herself, her voice shaking. “Tessa's ran away on her wedding day. Oh God! What are we going to do?” Mr. Hayes' expression crumbled. “What do you mean Tessa ran away? This can't be happening. Is this some kind of prank?” “I'm not kidding, Edward, Tessa really did run away on her wedding day!” Mrs. Hayes exclaimed, pacing frantically with her hair disheveled and a crazed look on her face. While Evelyn's father's face was frozen in shock, struggling to process the news. “You don't believe me, do you?” Her stepmother asked, handing her father a piece of paper. “Here, read this letter she left behind.” Mr. Hayes took the paper and read the content aloud: “Mom, Dad, by the time you find this letter, I'll be gone. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this sooner but I can't get married to Caleb. I'm pregnant and in love with the child's father and together we have planned to leave for Hawaii with his inheritance money. I hope you find a place in your heart to forgive this prodigal daughter of yours and I want you to know that I love you both so much. Thank you for all the love and support you have given to me. I will forever be grateful. Love, Tessa.” As he finished reading, his face turned pale. His eyes widened in shock, and he struggled to breathe. Mr. Hayes collapsed into tears. “She's pregnant and ran away! What do we tell the Reeds family?” Evelyn's father lamented worry lines etched on his face. “That our daughter is pregnant and eloped with the child's father? Or that she cheated on their son?” He continued, “Oh! I'm finished! My reputation has been tarnished by this stupid child of mine!” But her stepmother wasn't having it. She shot back at her father, aggressively. “Our daughter's missing and you're worried about your reputation, not Tessa's safety?” “We have to fix this, Camilla. I won't have my hard-earned reputation ruined by this… this disgrace.” Mr. Hayes said, his voice tight with control. “Let me think of something. We'll definitely find a way out of this mess.” Mrs. Hayes said as she bit her fingers to show her nervousness. The room fell silent, save for Evelyn's stepmother's clicking heels as she paced and her father's deep and erratic breathing. It felt to Evelyn like they were stuck in a time loop but not until her stepmother's gaze locked onto her with an unsettling intensity. “That's it!” Mrs. Hayes suddenly exclaimed. “I know how we can fix this, Edward.” “What?” Mr. Hayes asked, his face clouded with confusion. Evelyn's stepmother's eyes were still locked onto hers and a creepy smile was spreading across her face. “I've found the perfect solution. We need not worry anymore.” Whereas, her father's curiosity got the better of him. “Stop teasing us, what is it?” He demanded. Mrs. Hayes took a step closer to Evelyn, her lips parted, and the words that followed made Evelyn's blood freeze. “Evelyn…yes. Evelyn. You… you will get married to Caleb in Tessa's place until we can locate her.” Evelyn froze. Blood drained from her face. Fear surged through her body like ice water. She looked at her father, but his face mirrored her horror. ‘Who would be marrying who?!’ “You've got to be joking!” Evelyn exclaimed, her face etched with horror. But the look on her stepmother’s face told her she wasn't. And that was when Evelyn knew… Her nightmare was just beginning.