Where We Part

After my younger sister, Zoe Reed, caused my third miscarriage, I'd finally had enough. I gathered every piece of evidence I could find, determined to expose everything she'd done. But Simon Terry, my husband, stopped me. "Don't. I'll make sure that murderer pays for what she did to our children myself." My parents, Edward and Marissa Reed, were just as adamant. They swore they'd make Zoe pay and get justice for me. In the end, Simon and my parents personally sent her to a criminal compound in Vardonia. Every year on the anniversaries of my babies' deaths, I would pull up the live surveillance feed of Zoe serving out her punishment there. Five years passed. I didn't miscarry again, and little by little, I found my way out of the grief. I even made a best friend, Caroline Boyer, who understood me in a way few people did. Then I got pregnant for the fourth time. At one of my prenatal appointments, I finished earlier than expected and accidentally overheard my parents talking. Dad sighed. "We should take Zoe to get that birthmark removed in the next few days. We can't hide this from Kyla forever." Mom's voice turned serious. "I know, but Zoe's afraid of pain. We've been sneaking her home behind Kyla's back for five years, and we even had her get plastic surgery to look like Caroline. If Kyla ever finds out, she'll fall apart." The words hit me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me ice-cold from head to toe. Caroline was my best friend. I turned stiffly toward Simon. He looked like he'd known all along. He didn't say a word. It felt as though a hole had been smashed straight through my heart, letting an icy wind tear through my chest. As I watched the three people I loved and trusted most continue plotting against me for Zoe's sake, I neither cried nor confronted them. I simply took out my phone and opened the evidence file I had compiled against Zoe three years ago. Chapter 1 The file was only thirteen pages long, but it was enough to ruin my sister, Zoe Reed's reputation for good. Now, though, their words were lodged in my mind like needles: birthmark removal, plastic surgery to look like my best friend, Caroline Boyer… Every punishment Zoe had supposedly endured over the past five years had been fake. Just yesterday, I'd been leaning against my husband, Simon Terry's shoulder when I'd finally said, "Si, let's bring Zoe home. It's been five years. I'm sure she's learned her lesson." No wonder he hadn't seemed surprised. They were the ones who had created this elaborate lie in the first place. A dull ache spread through my chest. I barely managed to hold myself together as I went to the restroom. When I came out, Zoe rushed toward me anxiously. "Kyla, where did you go? I was terrified something had happened to you!" My parents, Edward and Marissa Reed, followed behind her, looking helpless. "Carol couldn't find you and was practically losing her mind! She's closer to you than that heartless sister of yours ever was!" In the past, whenever they teased us about how close we were, I would've laughed along. Today, all I felt was a chill that seemed to seep into my bones. For five years, whenever Caroline came looking for me, Mom and Dad would compare her to Zoe. Somehow, I'd never seen through such a terrible act. Mom suddenly said with disgust, "Simon told me you want to bring Zoe back?" Dad snorted. "That disgrace deserves to spend the rest of her life in Vardonia!" They said all the right things, but they couldn't hide the delight in their eyes. I looked at them, my fingers curling into my palms. "Then she can stay another three years." Everyone froze. Simon had just returned from paying the bill. His brows drew together slightly. "Kyla, didn't you say yesterday..." "I was kidding." I forced a smile. Only then did Mom, Dad, and Simon relax. On the drive home, Zoe chattered nonstop about funny things that had happened at work, making Mom and Dad laugh until they could barely sit straight. Even Simon, who rarely smiled, laughed several times. Then I suddenly remembered what I'd seen that morning. When I arrived, Zoe had been editing a video. I'd leaned over to look, and she'd mysteriously pulled up a clip for me. "This is my new job. Look. All I have to do is make a few changes, and the person starts coughing up blood!" Right in front of me, she'd edited that familiar figure to make it look like she was writhing in agony. So all those surveillance videos from Vardonia that Simon had shown me over the past five years had been made by Zoe herself. My heart sank. I gripped my phone and sent the file to Carter Hanson, the attorney I hadn't contacted in five years. "Carter, reopen the case from five years ago." He hesitated for a long time. "Ms. Reed, didn't you say there was no longer any need to pursue legal action against Zoe?" After I briefly explained what had happened, he understood. "This still isn't enough. We'll need electronic evidence showing that Simon and your parents deliberately deceived you." As Zoe launched into another joke, I opened the social media account I'd abandoned five years ago and pulled up her profile. The moment it loaded, countless polished photos appeared. There were photos of Simon accompanying her to plastic surgery appointments, photos of them traveling abroad, and posts about him investing in her business. I kept scrolling, my fingertips going numb with cold. The man who had once stood before me with red-rimmed eyes and sworn he'd make Zoe pay for what she'd done... He hadn't punished her at all. He'd helped her build a life. My eyes burned, and it felt as though someone had closed a fist around my heart. Even breathing hurt. But I needed the evidence, so I forced down my emotions and took screenshot after screenshot. The comments were even more revealing. Chapter 2 "Looks like Simon took his wife out again. He really forgot all about me once he got married!" The comment was from Simon's younger sister, the same woman who had once brought a group of friends to beat Zoe up so badly that she'd spent three days in the ICU. "Zoe's lost weight again. If Simon ever gives you a hard time, we'll have your back!" That was from Simon's parents, the same people who had once held my hands in tears and told me I was the only daughter-in-law their family would ever accept. "Our little girl is all grown up. Seeing you two so happy together puts my mind at ease!" My own parents, who used to curse Zoe every time they mentioned her, had even added crying emojis. Relatives and friends had filled the comments with congratulations. I could barely find the end of the comments section. My breathing turned shallow, and my entire body began to shake. Everyone knew Caroline was Zoe. Everyone except me. They'd all stood by and watched as I walked straight into the trap. After a long while, Simon noticed how pale I was and asked worriedly, "Kyla, what's wrong? You didn't hear anything today, did you?" He looked so nervous, but only because he was afraid I'd discovered the truth. I logged out of the old account and said quietly, "I was just thinking about Zoe. I wonder how she's doing." Simon visibly relaxed, and disgust immediately filled his eyes. "People like her get what's coming to them. This is exactly what she deserves!" Mom and Dad joined in, cursing her just as they always had. I said nothing. My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach. It wasn't until Simon and I got together that I learned Zoe liked him too. I'd tried to explain things to her, but she'd convinced herself that I'd deliberately stolen the man she loved. I got pregnant three times, and all three times, she found a way to make me miscarry. Every time, Simon retaliated against her even more brutally. I'd thought he hated Zoe more than anyone. After my third miscarriage, he'd even cried as he swore, "That witch Zoe Reed. I'll never let her off the hook for this. Not as long as I live." I was still lost in thought when the car jolted violently. Zoe clutched her stomach with a cry. "It hurts—" I froze. Suddenly, I remembered that Zoe had found out she was pregnant a week ago. At the time, I'd assumed the father was her boyfriend. Now I held my breath and frantically searched through our messages. When I found the photo of Zoe's positive pregnancy test, I went completely still. Beside it was a man's hand, his fingers long and distinct. It was Simon's. Tears gradually blurred my vision. A tight pain seized my lower abdomen. I drew a deep breath and opened my conversation with the head of OB-GYN. "Dr. Lewis, I'll come in tomorrow for an abortion under anesthesia." 'Simon, if you don't care about having a child with the woman who killed ours, then I don't care about you anymore.' They dropped me off at home. Zoe kept complaining that her stomach hurt, so Mom and Dad took her back to the hospital. Before I'd even unlocked the door, an urgent call came through. "Kyla, are you still going to your best friend's engagement party with Simon today?" "What?" I froze. "You don't know? They're getting engaged today!" I stared at the car disappearing in the distance, trembling with cold. "I'll be there." I hung up, hailed a cab, and followed Simon's car. The engagement party was being held at Bellmere's largest wedding venue. I followed them inside, and the emotions I'd barely managed to suppress came rushing back the moment I stepped through the doors. The wedding concept I'd painstakingly designed for myself had been copied down to the last detail for Zoe's engagement party. Even the wedding dress I'd personally designed and the photography team I'd spent six months working with had been given to her. I stood frozen. Cheers from friends and family rang around me. "Wow! Zoe, Simon really spoils you. A wedding setup like this has to start at half a million!" "That's nothing. Her parents put together a million-dollar dowry too. They've got money to burn!" Zoe couldn't stop smiling. "What can I say? I told him I wanted something small and simple, but he refused to let me settle for less." Simon responded just as tenderly, agreeing with her. I stared coldly at them as they exchanged sweet words. Then someone suddenly noticed me. "Kyla Reed?" Simon whipped around. The moment he saw me, he froze. Chapter 3 Zoe's face went deathly pale. "Kyla, let me explain..." Without hesitation, Simon stepped protectively in front of her. "Didn't I tell you to stay home? Kyla, did you follow us here?" I hadn't even confronted him yet, and he was already turning it around on me. A bitter laugh escaped me as I stared at the man who suddenly felt like a stranger. "Simon, you're marrying my best friend. Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" His brows knitted together. He was about to speak when Mom suddenly grabbed my hand. Her grip was so tight I sucked in a breath. "What are you doing here? Today's Simon and Caroline's big day. You came all this way just to cause trouble!" Dad's voice was equally cold. "We didn't tell you because we were protecting you! But you just had to show up. If people start calling you the other woman in front of everyone, I won't be able to show my face!" Zoe's eyes reddened anxiously. "Kyla, there's a reason for all of this! Please don't be angry!" I stared at Simon in disbelief, my voice catching. "Simon, I'm pregnant!" He stepped forward with an exasperated look, his voice impatient. "Pregnant? Kyla, I've never had the heart to tell you this, but you've been permanently infertile for five years. "I was afraid you'd fall apart, so Caroline and I agreed that she'd carry a child for us. She's your best friend. She's someone we know and trust." He paused, then cupped my face as though soothing a child. "Besides, you'd be upset if I had a baby with some other woman. It made more sense to choose someone you trusted. Once we get married and the baby's legally registered, I'll divorce her and marry you." What an absurd lie. If I hadn't discovered Zoe's plastic surgery, I might actually have believed his righteous-sounding explanation. "Fine, Simon. Don't regret this." I turned and walked away. I'd barely left the ballroom when Zoe hurried after me. "Kyla!" I stopped and looked coldly over her carefully done bridal makeup. "Drop the act, Zoe." She blinked, then suddenly laughed. "You really are my sister; nothing gets past you. But so what? You stole the man I loved. I'm only taking back what was mine!" Stole? I almost laughed at the word. Growing up, whenever Zoe wanted the bigger bedroom, my dolls, or a job opportunity, I gave it to her. If she'd simply told me back then that she wanted Simon, I would've given him up too. But she'd still chosen to see me as her enemy. I stared at her, raised my hand, and slapped her across the face. "How dare you hit me!" Zoe gritted her teeth. The next second, she spotted Simon and immediately swallowed her anger. "Simon, I hit Kyla first!" Simon rushed over and touched her cheek with concern. "Kyla, when are you going to stop? I've already explained everything. What else do you want? Are you really going to drive all of us to the breaking point over those three dead babies?" My ears rang. My mind went blank, and all the warmth drained from my body. During each pregnancy, I went through blood draw after blood draw, fetal heart monitoring, and amniocentesis. After each miscarriage, I endured injections and medication to recover. I lived through countless nights of despair and breakdowns. And now he was saying I was the one driving him to the breaking point? A broken laugh escaped me as pain pricked through my chest. Back then, his family had pressured him to marry me because I was pregnant. Instead, he'd brought me before the family elders and faced them himself. "I'm marrying Kyla. Whether she can have children or not, she's the only woman I'll ever marry!" And when I'd suffered severe bleeding during a prenatal appointment, he'd been so terrified that he'd dropped to his knees outside the operating room and begged the doctor, "Please, doctor. Save her first! She's my whole life!" What a shame. He'd loved me so fiercely that now, when he no longer did, the difference couldn't have been more obvious. I gave a quiet laugh and turned to leave. My childhood friend and my parents hurried after me. "Kyla, you're just overthinking things. Caroline's been so good to you. She's even having a baby for you. You should be grateful!" Mom and Dad joined in. "We spoiled you too much! When your father and I were in that car accident, it was Zoe who stayed up all night taking care of us. We knew you were busy with work, so we let it go." "Then, when Simon had leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant, Caroline was a match, while you ran off somewhere." "Kyla, you can't expect anything in return when you've never given anything." Every word sliced into my heart. When I was eighteen, Mom and Dad were in a car accident. Zoe had gone on vacation. I'd been the one who stayed by their side. When I was twenty-three, Simon got sick. I donated my bone marrow. I didn't want them to feel guilty, so afterward, I went alone to a quiet coastal town to recover. Yet somehow, they all believed Zoe had done those things. I stepped backward, caught between laughter and tears. Simon's brows drew tightly together. "No one's trying to deceive you. We just know how sensitive you are and didn't want you spiraling." I took a single step toward Zoe. Everyone immediately tensed as though I were about to attack her. Simon reacted most strongly. "Kyla, this is the last time I'm putting up with one of your scenes!" I rubbed my swollen eyes, smiled, and slipped the ring from my finger. Then I placed it on Zoe's. "Congratulations, bride-to-be." 'Congratulations on your marriage, Zoe. And congratulations to my future brother-in-law.' Chapter 4 I left. When I got home, I packed all my things. Before leaving for good, I opened the nursery that had been locked for five years. After I'd lost our three babies, Simon had locked it because he was afraid I'd fall apart. The door opened, and I froze. The solid wood crib I'd personally commissioned from a carpenter was piled high with Zoe's designer bags and clothes. The photo wall I'd created for our babies was now covered with intimate pictures of Zoe and Simon. I opened a drawer. It was supposed to contain the recovery guide Simon had written for me after my miscarriages. Instead, I found something titled "Notes on Zoe." The entries began on the day of my first miscarriage. "July 20. Kyla miscarried. I fell in love with Zoe." My fingers trembled uncontrollably. So while I'd been suffering through the agony of losing my baby, he'd fallen in love with the person responsible. My legs felt impossibly heavy, but this time, I walked away without hesitation. All night, Simon and my parents sent messages asking if I was okay. I ignored them. The next morning, I put it in writing that I was cutting all ties with my parents. Then I handed the electronic evidence from Zoe's social media account over to Carter. If everything went as expected, the story would break publicly that night, but it had nothing to do with me anymore. I held my surgical paperwork and waited for my number to be called. When there were only three people ahead of me, I got ready to go to the waiting area. Suddenly, Simon appeared with a dark expression and grabbed me. "Kyla? What are you doing here? Why didn't you answer any of my messages last night? Are you really this angry? You want to break up with me? Cut me out of your life?" This time, I didn't scream or argue with him the way I used to. I simply stepped back. "Yes. Let's break up, Simon." At my firm answer, panic flashed through his eyes. "Are you trying to punish me again? Kyla, I already explained everything. Other than what happened with Caroline, I've never lied to you." I nodded distractedly. "Okay." That still wasn't enough for him. He reached for the surgical paperwork in my hand. "Why are you at the hospital?" I quickly pulled it away. "I'm getting my back checked." His expression gradually hardened. "Why would your back hurt? You weren't the one who donated bone marrow to me. Why do you keep bringing that up just to make me feel guilty?" I couldn't be bothered arguing. There were only two people left ahead of me now. Just then, Zoe walked over, beaming. "Kyla! Thank you! I thought you wouldn't agree. I can't believe you've finally moved on!" Unease stirred inside me. "What are you talking about?" Zoe looked confused. "Simon didn't tell you?" The next second, Simon said expressionlessly, "I had the three headstones you put up for those dead babies removed. I'm building Carol a postpartum recovery center on the property." The words drove through me like ice. I stared at him, so furious I could barely breathe. "Simon, they were your children too!" He looked at me impatiently. "Don't worry. I'll find somewhere suitable to relocate them." Just as I began to relax, Zoe hugged me excitedly and thanked me. Then, beside my ear, she whispered, "I actually smashed your babies' headstones a long time ago." My eyes widened. I could barely believe what I'd heard. "Why would you do this to me, Zoe? I'm your sister!" Before I could touch her, Mom and Dad rushed over. Dad grabbed me and shoved me aside so violently that I crashed into the wall and dropped to my knees. My ears rang from the impact, and a sharp pain shot through my head. "Kyla! How long are you going to keep hurting people?" "How did I raise a daughter this unreasonable?" Their cruel words barely registered. I stared at Simon as he protected Zoe. Then my name was called for surgery. I staggered to my feet and started toward the door. Zoe suddenly picked up my surgical paperwork. "Kyla, why would you do something this drastic and have your uterus removed?" I ignored her and kept walking. Simon and my parents immediately grabbed my arms. "Kyla! Are you insane? Are you trying to kill yourself?" I shook with anger. "I'm not trying to die!" But Zoe's eyes reddened as she urged them, "Hurry, Simon! It's my turn to have the baby's heartbeat checked anyway. Get her out of here!" My arms and legs were pinned so tightly I couldn't break free. Before I knew it, they'd taken me into another procedure room. The doctor Dr. Gerry Sullivan, quickly restrained my arms. "I've seen plenty of girls like you. A D&C without anesthesia will teach you a lesson. You're not pregnant, so what are you worried about?" A D&C without anesthesia? My heart seemed to stop. For someone who wasn't pregnant, the procedure itself wouldn't be dangerous, but for a pregnant woman, the pain could be unbearable. Through the door, I screamed desperately for help, "Simon! I really am pregnant! A D&C without anesthesia could kill me!" Shock crossed his face. Then Zoe said something to him, and disgust flashed through his eyes. I understood immediately. I tried to appeal to Mom and Dad, but all their attention was on Zoe. A cold needle pierced my skin. Pain swept through my entire body. I closed my eyes in despair. Three hours later, Simon returned with Zoe after her prenatal appointment. Dr. Sullivan stormed out of the procedure room, his face dark with anger. "Who's the patient's family? Don't you know a D&C on a pregnant woman could kill her?"