Chapter 100

Chapter 100
VERA’S POV
If desperation was a person, it would’ve been me the moment I stepped out of Jack’s car. My hands were stretched out in front of me, trying to feel my way around carefully so I wouldn’t trip and fall. Jack had insisted on blindfolding me, claiming he had a surprise for me. It sounded so cliché, but my heart still fluttered with excitement.
It’s been three months since that unforgettable kiss in the garden. But the weight of that man’s words, the idea that Monica might still be alive, still haunted us. Maybe it was all a scam to mess with our emotions and squeeze money out of Jack. Maybe Monica really was gone. Still, the uncertainty lingered.
Then there was Malone. His cold attitude and stubborn refusal to accept me still stung. It hurt more because I’d held onto the hope that he’d become better, not turn more into Kenneth.
And our fears about my pregnancy hadn’t gone away. I was scared. Jack was scared. Hannah and Oscar were, too. Nathan and Jessica constantly hovered, making sure I did everything the doctors recommended and took pregnancy yoga seriously. Their constant supervision added to the pressure.
But right now, I wasn’t going to let any of that spoil this moment. Jack had been trying to make us feel like a family again. Last week, he took us all to the farm for a picnic. And tonight, right in the middle of a Children’s Day dinner with the kids and their friends, he said he had a surprise for me.
Honestly, I would’ve thought he was being dramatic if he hadn’t asked everyone to come with us. So, yeah, I was excited.
“Stop. Now move a little to the left… yes! Just stand right there,” he said, guiding me gently by my arms.
“Oh, for crying out loud! Whoever planned this romantic moment clearly doesn’t understand that a woman’s patience has limits! We’ve been driving forever, and now you’ve parked in the middle of nowhere? Wait a minute… You’re not trying to sacrifice me to some old god, are you—”
I didn’t get to finish my sarcastic rant. The second Jack took off the blindfold, my breath caught in my chest. I blinked, adjusting to the light and then I saw it.
A beautiful mansion stood before me, glowing with tiny sparkling neon lights that formed one perfect sentence: “Home is where you and I will raise our kids.”
“Oh my God,” I gasped, reading the words out loud. My heart skipped several beats.
You know, people might pretend they don’t like romantic surprises, but when it comes from someone you love? It changes everything. You feel like you're floating, like a thousand angels just lifted you off the ground, and your whole body comes alive with butterflies. If anyone says they don’t want that kind of happiness, they don’t know what paradise feels like.
“You like what you see?” he whispered close to my ear.
“All of this… I love it!” I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and grabbing a handful of his hair. “And I love you more!” I kissed him hard before he could even reply.
Cheers erupted around us, making me pull away. I wanted to hold onto him a little longer, but he gently turned me to face the mansion again.
Standing right in front of the house were Timothy and Malone. They held a cardboard sign above their heads.
“We love you and will make sure he keeps his promises.”
My knees buckled. I would’ve fallen if Jack hadn’t caught me.
“How many surprises do you have in store for me, Mr. Jackson Taylor?” I asked, still trying to steady my emotions.
How did he get Malone to participate in this? Malone wasn’t smiling like Tim, but the way he looked at us, it was calm, soft, respectful.
“Don’t start counting,” Jack said. “Because I’ve only just begun. I know I made you sad three months ago. I buried myself in work and didn’t give enough attention to you or the kids. I don’t know how to make up for that, but I’ll keep trying.”
He held my hand and looked down at my finger, the same one he’d placed the engagement ring on a few months ago.
“This is beautiful,” I said quietly, admiring the way the diamond sparkled under the lights.
“Wait till you see the inside,” he said, leading me to the front steps, where our guests were waiting to go inside.
“Mummy! Tasha said we can throw a housewarming party here! And can I have my birthday party too? We can use the rooftop pool!” Tim said excitedly, grabbing my hand.
“Oh, so you already know about the rooftop?” Jack said with a teasing glare.
I looked over my shoulder and caught Hannah bending over to talk to her daughter.
“Wait a second… Hannah knows?”
“She knows everything. I got this house through her. The previous owner was her client. Oscar’s the estate manager.”
“This is betrayal!” I playfully stormed toward Hannah, who quickly disappeared into a crowd of our friends.
As guests began to explore the house, Jack went to check on his mother, and my friends dragged me into conversations, pulling me away from him. I tried to smile and play hostess, but I missed him already.
I loved our old house, but that place was built for Monica. If we moved into this one, it would mean Jack was choosing me now. It would prove that his purpose had shifted, that he had truly let go of her.
After everyone had gotten comfortable, I slipped outside to grab some more wine from the car. I looked around for Max, but he was nowhere to be found. So I decided to carry what I could and ask Nathan to help when I got back in.
The compound wasn’t as dark as our old place. The steps were well lit, and nearby houses also had lights on, so I didn’t need a flashlight. I opened the passenger side and picked up a small bucket holding a few wine bottles.
Just as I turned to shut the door, I caught a glimpse of something…someone, a shadow that moved quickly past me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.
I turned around fast and saw the back of a woman walking away.
“Hey! Who are you?” I called out.
She didn’t stop. She moved faster. I picked up my pace, trying to catch up, but she was ahead of me already. She walked toward a red car parked far off the premises. The moment she got in, the car started and began to move.
Then she did something that made my blood run cold.
She rolled down the window and stuck her head out. A wicked smile played on her lips. A cold, familiar smile.
Monica.
I stood frozen in place. My breath caught. My chest tightened. My heart felt like it had stopped beating.
My eyes widened in horror. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even scream.
She was alive.
And she’d just watched everything.