Behind me, I could hear Sophie’s sobs, my mother’s soothing voice, and the growing whisper of gossip. Phase one was complete. Now for the real surprise.
The contractor’s boots echoed through the empty house as he showed me the progress.
“We’ve gutted the master bedroom and nursery as requested. The new fixtures arrive tomorrow.”
I ran my hand along the exposed beams, all that remained of Sophie’s dream nursery. “Perfect.”
“And the timeline? We’ll be done two days before their supposed move-in date.” He checked his clipboard. “Though I still don’t understand why we’re renovating exactly what they wanted to keep.”
“Sometimes people don’t know what they really want,” I said, stepping over a pile of vintage crown molding, “until it’s gone.”
My phone buzzed. Elelliana calling.
“Sophie’s a mess,” she said without preamble. “Jaime finally came clean about the gambling. She’s staying with your parents.”
“How much does he owe?”
“Enough that they’re selling her engagement ring, the one he gave her after… you know.”
I selected a deep charcoal paint for the master bedroom. Sophie hated dark colors.
“This isn’t funny, Ivy. She’s pregnant and has nowhere stable to go.”
“She’s at Mom and Dad’s,” I said. “Probably being told none of this is her fault.”
A crash from upstairs made me jump. The contractor shouted down, “Sorry, just removing that built-in bookcase.”
“Where are you?” Elelliana asked suspiciously.
“Working late.”
I hung up before she could ask more questions.
The next morning, I arrived at work to find Denise waiting at my desk.
“You will not believe what I just heard.”
“Try me.”
“Jaime’s been stealing from the company. Small amounts, but it adds up. He thought he could win it back before anyone noticed.”
I sat down my coffee. “How much?”
“Enough for criminal charges.” She leaned closer. “He’s cleaning out his desk right now.”
I walked to the break room, timing it perfectly to refill my cup. As Jaime packed his personal items into a cardboard box, our eyes met across the room.
“Happy now?” he asked quietly.
“Not yet.”
He stepped closer. “I know you’re behind this somehow. The house. The contractors. The audit that caught the missing money. Prove it.”
His hands clenched around the box.
“I loved you once, you know.”
“No,” I corrected him. “You loved what I could give you. Stability. Status. A future. Then Sophie offered something more exciting.” I gestured at the box. “Does she still need you now?”
Security arrived before he could respond, escorting him out. I watched from my window as he loaded the box into his car, then pulled out my phone to check the contractor’s latest update.
The Victorian was transforming daily. Gone were the vintage details Sophie had swooned over, replaced by modern fixtures and stark colors. The garden she had planned to plant was now a concrete patio.
Eric texted: Saw Jaime being walked out. You okay?
Better than okay, I replied.
Coming to see the house later. Someone should witness your descent into comic-book villain territory, he wrote back.
That evening, Eric walked through the renovation with me, shaking his head at each change.
“You’re really going scorched earth with this.”
“They wanted their dream home.” I showed him the plans for the industrial-style kitchen, replacing Sophie’s hoped-for farmhouse design. “Dreams change.”
“And what about your parents? They’re caught in the middle.”
I remembered my mother’s voice messages, all about supporting Sophie, understanding Sophie, forgiving Sophie. “They chose their side.”
My phone lit up with a text from an unknown number. It was Jaime.