40. Jiya
JIYA
My heartbeat drummed loudly in my ears as I scanned the crowd at the party. I did not know anyone here except for his family.
What would happen if I bumped into his family first? Would they ask me to leave? Would they create a scene and drag me out in front of everyone?
After all, it was his mother who had forged the evidence against me. They would believe her over me.
But not for long.
I had proof now.
The pictures of the letter I had written. The photographs of Caleb and Caroline. The recording of me dropping the money at his parents’ house. Everything was saved on my phone. All I needed was a few minutes alone with Caleb so I could show him the truth.
As I walked toward the bar, I told myself a drink—or maybe two—would help steady my nerves before I faced Caleb.
“Good evening, ma’am. What can I get you?” the young blonde barman asked politely.
“May I please have a per—”
“—a perfect ten?” a familiar voice finished from behind me.
I froze.
Slowly, I turned around, and my breath caught in my throat.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said with a grin.
Harper.
What on earth was fate trying to do to me now?
My first boyfriend stood in front of me, looking almost the same as the last time I had seen him at his wedding, the very one I had attended with Caleb.
“Nyah Rodriguez,” he said warmly, leaning in to greet me with kisses on both cheeks.
“It’s Jiya Flores now,” I corrected softly, meeting his warm hazel eyes.
“You changed it back?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Almost four years ago.”
“Did everything finally get sorted out?”
“Finally... yes. What are you doing here?”
“Harper!” a loud voice called from behind us. “You made it!”
Both of us turned at the same time.
My stomach dropped.
Caleb and Tatiana were walking toward us.
“Tatiana.”
Harper leaned forward and kissed her on both cheeks.
“Caleb, I would like you to meet Harper Pearson, our family lawyer,” Tatiana said.
Harper extended his hand.
“Nice to see you again.”
Caleb shook his hand, a muscle ticking in his jaw as his expression hardened.
“Do you guys know each other?” Tatiana asked, frowning.
“We’ve met before,” Caleb replied with a clipped voice.
“And you are...?” Tatiana asked, turning her attention to me.
“Oh... sorry,” I said quickly. “I’m Jiya Flores.”
Tatiana’s brows drew together.
I opened my mouth to continue, but suddenly I did not know what to say. In what manner could I possibly introduce myself? Who was I to them? What role did I have here?
My mouth went dry.
“I’m... umm...”
“My date,” Harper said smoothly, finishing my sentence with a playful twinkle in his eye.
A slow smile spread across his face as I looked back at him, startled by his boldness.
Then I glanced at Tatiana and Caleb.
That did not go down well.
Caleb’s eyes hardened instantly, and he stared at me with cold, unyielding intensity.
This was not how I had imagined the evening unfolding.
Now he had the wrong idea about Harper and me.
“Glad you could make it,” Caleb said coolly. “Enjoy the party with your date.”
A lump formed in my throat as I watched him turn and walk away with Tatiana.
“What was all that about?” Harper asked, scratching his temple.
I swallowed hard before answering. “A long story filled with misapprehensions.” I shook my head. “Forget about me, how’s Daria? Where is she?”
The colour drained from his face. His shoulders slumped as he lowered his head.
“We’re no longer together,” he said softly, looking back at me. “We got divorced a year ago.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, stepping forward to hug him. “I didn’t know.”
“How could you?” he replied with a faint smile. “You disappeared completely.”
“I’m sorry about that,” I said, pulling back. “Why don’t we catch up now?”
An amethyst-purple tint invaded the late summer sky, and the pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw.
I was grateful to have an old friend beside me at the party.
Almost.
I reminded myself why I was here.
I had a mission.
My hope of speaking to Caleb tonight had already begun to fade. It was obvious the opportunity wasn't going to present itself. The misunderstanding between us needed to be cleared, but not tonight.
Might as well try to survive the evening.
“You remember the time I cooked for you at your place?” Harper chuckled.
I laughed. “Naughty Lucas directed you to the sugar jar instead of salt.”
He grinned wider. “That lasagna was unforgettable.”
“Oh gosh... don’t remind me,” I said, smiling, my hand briefly touching his chest. “It was the last time you ever cooked in my apartment.”
The memory made me smile, but another followed quietly behind it.
The story of how we ended.
Standing beside him now, years later, I felt no anger… only a distant sadness for a chapter of my life that had closed without answers.
When I realized Caleb was glaring at us from across the patio, my laughter faded. I straightened immediately, trying to regain my composure.
“Excuse me, Harper. I’ll be right back. I need to use the bathroom.”
Gulping down the last of my Perfect 10, I placed the glass on the bar and headed inside.
Just when I thought I might catch a break, I walked straight into Sophia and Catherine.
Their eyes narrowed the moment they saw me. Sophia’s mouth tightened while Catherine folded her arms across her chest, both of them staring at me as though I had no right to be standing there.
“What are you doing here?” Sophia demanded. “I don’t think Caleb or any of us invited you.”
“Are you here to scam someone else with your stories?” Cat sneered.
“You’ve got it all wrong—”
“Well, well... look who dared to show her face here,” a cold voice cut in from behind them.
My stomach clenched.
I knew that voice.
My gaze slowly lifted past Sophia and Cat.
Eleanor stood a few feet behind them, her expression hard and merciless. The woman who had destroyed my name with lies and evil deeds. The woman responsible for tearing everything apart.
“You don’t know when you’re unwanted, do you?” she said. “After stealing money from us and colluding with Jeremy, what have you come back for?”
Something inside me snapped.
“Why do you hate me so much?” I asked quietly. “What have I ever done to you?”
Eleanor’s eyes turned glacial.
“You think this is only about you?” she said coldly. “It’s not just about who you are. It’s about where you come from.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
For the briefest second, something unreadable crossed her face before her features smoothed over again.
“It means women from backgrounds like yours always leave destruction behind them.”
I stepped forward calmly, refusing to let her see fear.
“You’ve played your game well,” I said softly. “Pitting everyone against me and lying about everything.”
Her lips curled into a thin smile.
“Your lies won’t stay hidden forever,” I continued, not looking away. “The truth will come out. Trust me.”
“Are you threatening me?” she hissed, leaning closer.
“No,” I said evenly. “It’s a prediction.”
“Get out of my house!” Eleanor shouted. “You are no longer welcome here. Get out!”
The last two words echoed loudly enough for nearby guests to turn and stare.
In that moment, I understood that nothing was going to be resolved here tonight.
No truth would be heard in this room.
Not with her standing there.
Timing was crucial.
And this was not the right time.
One thing life had taught me over the years was patience.
Secrets had a way of surfacing when the moment was right.
Without another word, I turned and walked toward the front door.
As I stepped outside, I pulled out my phone and sent Harper a quick message.
Me
I’m leaving.
Then I kept walking.
The following morning, I pushed the breakfast around my plate while sitting at the dining table with Geeta and the children.
My mind was still stuck on the events of the previous night.
Harper had followed me out when he received my message and offered to drive me back to the hotel. As we pulled out of the driveway, my eyes had drifted back toward the house one last time.
That was when I saw him.
Caleb stood at the steps, rigid and still, his broad shoulders squared, his face shadowed by the porch light.
An ache strained my chest.
I wondered if he had come outside to confront me again… to unleash more anger, more accusations, just like his sisters and his mother had done.
But he hadn’t moved.
He had simply stood there, watching the car pull away.
And I hadn’t known whether that silence hurt more than the shouting.
Reaching the hotel, Harper had walked me to my room, kissed my cheek, and told me he would see me the next day.
Eleanor’s words replayed in my head.
“It’s not just about who you are. It’s about where you come from.”
The comment made no sense to me.
How would she know anything about where I came from?
Caleb knew I was an orphan, but beyond that, he knew almost nothing about my past. He didn’t even know I had met my biological mother yet because I hadn’t told him.
But something about the way Eleanor had said those words disturbed me deeply.
It hadn’t sounded like an insult thrown out in anger.
It had sounded personal.
Maybe she had been trying to humiliate me in front of her daughters or blame me somehow for everything that had happened with Jeremy and the kidnapping.
Still, the words stayed lodged uneasily in my mind.
Now, after breakfast, the children and I spent the day with Elle and her family. While the children played together, I finally told Elle what had happened at the party the night before.
“What on earth was that supposed to mean?” Elle asked, her eyebrows pinched together.
“I have no idea.”
Elle leaned back in her chair and shook her head.
“Well, it’s Eleanor. At this point, she’d probably blame you for global warming, bad weather, and the extinction of dinosaurs.”
I burst out laughing despite myself, the tension in my chest easing ever so slightly.
“Anyways, you still have time,” Elle said gently after pulling me into a hug. “One bad night doesn’t mean you give up. Try again, Jiji. Caleb deserves to know the truth.”
Her reassurance soothed me for a while, though the unease never fully disappeared.