Until Betrayal Do Us Part

"Evelyn is back, Mom."

Tessa, who was just returning from the hospital, stormed into her family house, her face contorted with fury and her thoughts spiraling out of control. As she made her way to the grand staircase close to the living room, her mind went back to the encounter she had with her stepsister at her in-laws.

Although she had put on a brave front in front of Evelyn earlier, she couldn’t deny the truth—her stepsister’s return sent a shiver of fear down her spine. Even as she sat in the doctor’s office, she hadn't been able to focus on anything else. The thought of Evelyn and of what she might be planning consumed her.

Her threats earlier had been nothing more than an act, a desperate attempt to mask her own terror.

From the hospital, she had quickly bid Caleb farewell, promising to be home soon, and took a cab straight to her family house. She needed to see her mother—immediately.

Taking the stairs two at a time, her aggressive footsteps echoed through the hallways, sending the newly hired maids shrinking into the shadows. No one dared to cross her path.

Reaching the master bedroom, she pounded on the door impatiently. But waiting wasn’t an option. Without hesitation, she twisted the handle and barged in.

Inside the lavishly decorated room, Mrs. Hayes sat in front of her dressing table, applying the final touches to her already impeccable makeup. Clad in a designer outfit, she looked every bit the wealthy and refined woman she prided herself on being.

Tessa barely took a breath before speaking.

“Mom,” she blurted, her voice urgent. “Do you have any idea what’s happening?”

Mrs. Hayes turned to face her daughter, a look of mild irritation flashing across her face.

“You didn’t even bother to greet me or ask how I’m doing,” she remarked coolly. “The first thing you do is—”

“I don’t have time for that, Mom!” Tessa cut in, exasperated. “We have a big problem.”

In frustration, she flung her bag onto the bed, standing akimbo, expecting her mother to take her seriously. Instead, Mrs. Hayes arched an unimpressed brow.

“And what might that be?” she asked, still seated.

Tessa let out a sharp, bitter laugh, as she stared at her mother. Truly, ignorance is a disease, because if her mother knew what was going on, she wouldn't remain calm.

“Evelyn is back, Mom,” she finally said, her voice laced with fear. “She’s back for real.”

Mrs. Hayes’ eyes narrowed slightly.

“What?” she asked, her tone unreadable.

Tessa stepped closer, her voice rising. “I mean Evelyn—your stepdaughter—is back! I saw her today at Caleb’s parents’ house. And guess what? She’s engaged to Ethan, Caleb’s brother.”

Mrs. Hayes scoffed, the disbelief clear on her face.

“That’s impossible! I told her to leave and never return. I also made sure she left and for the past four months, we’ve neither seen nor heard from her.”

“Well, she disobeyed you,” Tessa shot back. "And I’m scared, Mom. I don’t know what she’s planning.”

Mrs. Hayes studied her daughter carefully. “Why are you so afraid?”

Tessa’s body trembled slightly. “Because I feel like she’s back for revenge. She’s marrying Ethan just to ruin my marriage. She hates me, Mom. And after everything we did to her… there’s no way she doesn’t despise us.”

Mrs. Hayes remained eerily calm. “There’s nothing to fear, Tessa. We just have to make her leave—just like before. Remember, I still have control over her.”

But Tessa wasn’t convinced. Running a hand through her hair, she began pacing.

“You don’t get it, Mom. Things could go terribly wrong if we try to force her to leave.”

Mrs. Hayes tilted her head slightly. “And what exactly could go wrong?”

Tessa stopped and turned to face her.

“What if she exposes us?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “She could tell the Reeds family everything. She could tell them the real reason I ran away on my wedding day. She knows the truth, Mom. She knows everything.”

A chilling silence settled over the room.

Mrs. Hayes’ eyes darkened with rage. “She wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, but she might,” Tessa countered. “And then Caleb will know the truth about my disappearance. He'll figure out that everything I've told was all a big fat lie. Caleb will come to know that I wasn’t kidn*pped—that it was all just an act to fool him. He’ll also find out I cheated and got pregnant. And when he does, he’ll leave me. He’ll divorce me, Mom!”

Her voice cracked, panic filling her insides.

And then, as if the realization had just hit her, she whispered, “And what about Dad? What do we tell him when he finds out we’ve been lying? That Evelyn wasn’t with Aunt Linda but was, in fact, forced to flee by us? He’ll be furious, Mom! He’ll kick us out. Everything will spiral out of control.”

Tessa clutched her stomach, dread washing over her. “We can’t let that happen, Mom. We just can’t.”

Mrs. Hayes stood up and walked toward her daughter. “Calm down, Tessa. Panicking isn’t good for the baby.”

Tessa stared at her, wide-eyed. How was her mother still so composed?

“I can’t help it, Mom! Evelyn needs to leave—permanently. That’s the only way I can be at peace.”

Mrs. Hayes nodded slowly. “You’re right. Which is why we need to act now before she has the chance to ruin everything.”

Tessa’s eyes lit up with desperation. “Do you have a plan?”

A smirk tugged at Mrs. Hayes’ lips. “First thing tomorrow, I’ll visit the Reeds mansion for breakfast. You and Caleb must be there. Then, I’ll speak to Evelyn in private and offer her six million dollars to leave peacefully.”

Tessa hesitated. “Are you sure she’ll take it?”

Mrs. Hayes let out a confident laugh. “Of course, she will. After her divorce from Caleb, I offered her three million dollars to disappear, and she took it. Now, I’m doubling the amount. She won’t refuse.”

“But… what if she does?”

Mrs. Hayes’ expression turned cold, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

“Then it’ll be such a tragedy if the eldest son of the Reeds family loses his soon-to-be wife. Because, I’ll have no choice but to silence her… forever.”

A chill ran down Tessa’s spine.

She swallowed hard. “And… how will you do that, Mom?”

Mrs. Hayes’ smile was nothing short of wicked. “Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. Just trust your mother. I’ve done it before. I can do it again.”

Mrs. Hayes walked towards her bed, picking up the handbag her daughter had flung earlier and handing it to her. She began patting Tessa’s back reassuringly.

“Relax, my dear,” she said softly. “Go home to your husband. Trust me—I will never let you lose. Not even if I have to dirty my hands again. Mother will always protect you.”

Tessa exhaled, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. “Thank you, Mom. I knew I could count on you. You're the only one who can fix this.”

“No need to thank me, Tessa. It's my duty as your mother. I won't let that wretched girl ruin your marriage. Be a good girl and return home. I'll take care of this before your father returns from his business trip. He mustn't meet Evelyn.”

Tessa smiled lightly. “I'll go home and await a positive response, Mom.”

“That's better. And for now, just avoid Evelyn and tread carefully. I don't want anything happening to my grandchild.” Mrs. Hayes advised.

“Don't worry, Mom. Nothing will happen to my baby.”

Mrs. Hayes simply smiled. “Now go. Tell Caleb I send my regards. And have Mike drive you home.”

Tessa nodded and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, darling,” Mrs. Hayes replied.

Once Tessa left, Mrs. Hayes turned to her dressing table, grabbed an antique vase and smashed it against the floor.

Her composure had only been for her daughter’s sake. But inside, she was seething.

Evelyn’s return threatened everything. Her daughter’s marriage. Her own. Their entire reputation. She needed to fix this before things got out of hand.

Before Tessa's arrival, Mrs. Hayes had made plans with her friends to go shopping but now she had to cancel the appointment because not only had she lost all the excitement in her, she now had more pressing issues to attend to.

Mrs. Hayes sat back angrily on the chair in front of her dressing table. As she stared into the mirror, her reflection twisted with pure hatred.

“Evelyn… I will silence you. And if that means killing you, I won’t hesitate. You’ll regret ever coming back to Beverly Hills.”