Chapter 3: Jenny’s Choice and the Confrontation

Jenny had taken three days off, but really, her pregnancy was unstable.

She’d called in sick, blaming the flu. But really, she’d been curled up in her tiny room, clutching a blanket and the sonogram photo she kept hidden away.

She didn’t dare overdo it, stayed in bed all day, and missed the chance to explain things to Caleb.

Every creak of the floorboards must’ve sounded like a threat. I knew she was afraid—of me, of her future, of what Caleb might think if the truth got out too late.

I took Mrs. Carter to the guest room to find her. She wasn’t visibly pregnant yet, just looked sickly.

I knocked gently before opening the door. Jenny’s skin was almost translucent, her eyes darting between me and the window like a deer caught in headlights.

I said, “The new valedictorian wants to marry you.”

I watched her reaction carefully, the words hanging heavy in the air like the humidity before a storm.

She looked shocked, then shy and flustered, not daring to meet my eyes.

Jenny twisted her hands in her lap, her knuckles white. She looked at her feet, her lips trembling as she tried to process what I’d just said.

She was terrified I’d question her about Caleb.

I could almost feel the questions building inside her—why wasn’t I angry, why was I helping?

But I didn’t ask anything.

Sometimes silence is the kindest thing you can offer, even if it’s not what people expect.

I had another housekeeper, Megan, help her get dressed and brought her to the front living room to meet our guest.

Megan fetched a cardigan from the laundry room and whispered encouraging words as she smoothed Jenny’s hair. The three of us walked down the hallway, past family photos and the old grandfather clock ticking away time like it always had.

Caleb saw her and froze for a second, then his eyes went red.

For an instant, it was as if the world fell away. Caleb’s breath caught, and I saw the years he’d lost reflected in his eyes.

He hadn’t seen her for ten years.

Ten years is a long time to carry a grudge or a love. I saw both etched on his face.

When he looked at me again, his gaze was full of hate.

I felt it, cold as the wind off Lake Michigan. There was no mistaking the blame in his eyes.

My hatred for him was just as strong.

I forced myself to stand tall, remembering everything I’d lost. The years had not dulled the pain.

I thought I could hide it, but as soon as I saw him, all the pain from my last life came rushing back.

The room spun for a moment—faces, voices, tragedies. The memory of every cold shoulder and cruel word from Caleb pressed down on me.

My dad was executed, my mom died from illness on the road, my brother lost a leg, my sister-in-law took her own life to protect herself, and my two nephews—one died, one was left disabled.

Each loss had left a scar, invisible but searing. I could feel the weight of it in my chest, heavy as stone.

My family was destroyed, all because of Caleb Monroe.

It was more than just betrayal—it was erasure. The Parkers had been a pillar of Silver Hollow, and now… nothing but ashes.

The anger in my heart boiled over, impossible to hide.

My fists clenched so tightly my nails bit into my palms. Rage threatened to choke me, but I held my ground.

Caleb was taken aback for a moment. I knew he saw through me.

His eyes narrowed, like he was seeing me for the first time.

But I didn’t care.

Let him look. Let him see the fire he started.

I wanted him to see the woman he’d burned and the ashes he’d left behind. My hands shook, but my voice stayed steady.

I said, “Jenny’s worked for us for years. If you want to marry her, and she wants you, that’s none of my business. I won’t stand in the way.”

I made sure my words carried through the room, just in case anyone was eavesdropping in the hallway. Silver Hollow had ears everywhere.

I handed Jenny her contract: “You’re free.”

The gesture felt small, but it was everything. I caught Mrs. Carter’s eye, and for once, she smiled at me—real, grateful.

Jenny was moved to tears.

Her breath hitched, and she pressed the contract to her chest like it might vanish if she let go.

Caleb’s expression was complicated. He nodded in thanks, ready to leave.

He looked like he wanted to say something—gratitude, maybe, or suspicion—but all he managed was a curt nod.

But I said, “Wait.”

I wasn’t done. Not yet.