Page 93 of Broken Destiny

When I returned home, I sat in front of the mirror at my dresser and stared at my left hand—the hand Cole had held when he proposed to me. The hand he had slipped the ring onto when he made me his wife.

I reached out and touched our wedding photograph, tracing the outline of his face with trembling fingers.

Memories of his illness tried to surface, but I pushed them away.

He would not want me to remember him that way.

He would want me to remember love.

I knew then what I had to do.

Slowly, carefully, I removed the rings from my finger and placed them inside a small golden box. I took his letter from beneath my pillow and set it beside them before closing the lid.

Then I walked to the closet.

One piece at a time, I began removing his clothes and shoes, folding them gently and placing them into boxes.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I worked, but with every item I packed away, the weight inside my chest began to lift.

Little by little, breath by breath, I felt lighter.

It was now Friday,the weekend before Caleb’s birthday.

Dressed in a white pantsuit paired with a navy-blue blouse, I looked prepared for the noon meeting, at least on the outside.

It was an important one with the contractor, Caleb, Liam, and me. We were discussing materials, colours, interiors, and other details that would shape the future of the project. I had spent the week preparing with Caleb, reading documents late into the night and reviewing samples until my eyes burned.

Geeta had promised to take care of the children until I returned from the city. She planned to take them grocery shopping afterward and then to the mall.

“We’re going to the farm tomorrow. Are you guys excited?” I asked while buttering Lucas’s toast.

Since the summer holidays had started, I was trying to make sure there was always something planned for the weekends.

“Are there cows, Mama?” Emma asked, gripping the edge of the table.

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“Pigs too?”

“Yes.”

“Chickens?”

“Yes, baby. Lots of animals.”

I sighed softly, smiling despite the endless questions.

Emma and Lucas had made Caleb a thank-you card for all the presents he had bought them and another for his birthday, both filled with colourful drawings and crooked letters. To thank him properly, I had bought him a wallet engraved with his initials and his favourite chocolates.

Grabbing my bag, I mentally checked for the folder, the gifts, andthe cards before kissing the children quickly as they ran through the living room. I crouched beside Milo and Oreo next, scratching behind their ears and kissing the tops of their heads while their tails wagged around me.

I stepped outside and turned to lock the door.

A sharp crack split through the house.

Then came a scream.

My heart slammed against my ribs.