He Favored Her, I Left for Good

Chapter 8

Day six of having that IV stuck in my arm, my parents finally made it back from overseas.

I smiled and told 'em I was fine, but the second I saw my mom's eyes all red, I lost it too.

The fear of the unknown. The betrayal. All of it came crashing down.

Lucky for me, the surgery went smoothly. I've always been on the weaker side though—most people would be up and walking in a week, but it took me two whole weeks just to get on my feet.

That day, I strapped on my back brace and hobbled down to the rehab room for my exercises.

Took a break, pulled out my phone, and started scrolling.

Sienna was posting non-stop. And Caleb? He liked every single one. Sometimes left a comment too, all flirty and sweet.

Never met a guy this sweet. Caleb fed me with his own hands. I'm literally crying.

He even helped me with that lawsuit. So thoughtful.

Those two crazy bitches are gonna get what's coming to 'em. Asking for 100 grand? Shameless!

And underneath, I saw Caleb's comment.

Caleb: [Don't worry, Si. Karma's a bitch.]

That "b***h" he was talking about? She'd barely made it off the operating table alive.

Then a message popped up on my phone.

Sienna: I know you're Mila Vance. Don't even think about asking for money.

Attached was a photo. A heart made of paper cranes, with a note in the center.

Happy birthday, Si.

Caleb's handwriting.

I stared at it for a long time. So long that tears started dripping onto my screen, blurring everything.

I guess I wasn't numb after all. I was just too broken to feel it anymore.

All those things I'd treasured for years, the stuff I kept like it was sacred—she got it handed to her on a silver platter.

The pure, burning love from that teenage boy? He'd given that to someone else now.