Chapter 2: The Proposal and the Reckoning

The bone-deep cold and suffocating panic of death still seemed to cling to me. My face was pale, my teeth chattered, and I stared silently at my delicate reflection in the bathroom mirror, already calculating how to destroy Caleb Monroe.

The tiled floor was chilly beneath my bare feet. My fingers gripped the sink as I steadied myself. Outside, the distant hum of a lawnmower and my family’s muffled voices floated through the window—life going on like nothing ever happened. Right then, I promised myself: this time, Caleb would pay for what he did.

I knew he’d come to propose today.

It was all over town—Facebook posts, group texts, even Mrs. Carter dropping hints over pancakes at breakfast. Mom had set out the good china, like she was expecting a holiday.

With all the bells and whistles, making sure the whole town knew.

There’d be pie from Mrs. Langston next door, the pastor dropping by, and you could bet the Monroe family’s station wagon would be out front. Silver Hollow loved a good love story.

Everyone said the new valedictorian had fallen for the mayor’s daughter at first sight—a perfect match.

In the grocery checkout line, people had been buzzing for days: “Isn’t it sweet, Natalie Parker and Caleb Monroe? Like a Hallmark movie come to life.”

But the truth was, the one he fell for at first sight was my housekeeper, Jenny Quinn.

Jenny—quiet, careful Jenny—had been in the background of my life for years. To me, Jenny was family—the kind you choose, not the kind you hire. But Silver Hollow never let her forget she was just the help.

Caleb and I are both from the Parker family, distant relatives, so when he came to Silver Hollow for college, he stayed at the mayor’s house.

My dad liked to joke about keeping things in the family, but for Caleb, it meant a real place to call home, and for us, a way to help out someone with promise.

Dad always said, “Hard work beats a fancy last name any day,” and he meant it with Caleb.

My oldest brother even mentioned him to me, saying he was sure Caleb would graduate at the top of his class.

I’d hear about Caleb in passing—his grades, his leadership, the way he helped out at the food drive. My brother admired him, and that was saying something.

Jenny got interested, pretended to be me, and approached him a few times.

She borrowed my scarves, mimicked my laugh, snuck out to the porch to meet him. Jenny, who’d always blended in, suddenly found her own spotlight.

They fell in love fast, and even had a baby on the way.

They would sneak out at dusk to walk behind the tool shed, thinking no one saw. Small-town secrets don’t last long, but love always feels invincible at first.

I didn’t have any real feelings for Caleb, but I knew this was a good match: young, smart, with my dad’s support, his future was wide open.

People would call it a power couple. The kind you see on the alumni wall, shaking hands with senators. My feelings didn’t matter—sometimes, that’s just how it goes in families like mine.

Plus, his family was poor, just an elderly mom at home. In every way, he’d have to rely on the mayor’s family, and no one would dare mistreat me.

I’d seen Caleb slip his paycheck into his mother’s purse on weekends. He worked harder than anyone, because he knew what was at stake. The Parkers, with our big house and Christmas parties, were his ticket out.

So when my parents asked, I agreed to the marriage.

I didn’t dream of a white dress or a big band. It was duty—a trade that would help both families. In towns like ours, that’s just life.

But this time, when Mrs. Carter—my mom’s trusted house manager—came to find me, she said, “Young Mr. Monroe wants to marry Jenny, your housekeeper. Your mom says you get to decide.”

Mrs. Carter’s voice was tight, and I caught a flicker of hope in her eyes. She was loyal, but she’d always had a soft spot for Jenny.

I realized right away: Caleb Monroe had come back too.

The timeline had shifted, but the key players hadn’t changed. I clenched my fists, determined not to let history repeat itself.