Chapter 11
Niklaus‘ POV
My life has been a jumble over the last couple of months. Every corner of my existence felt hollow and grim, all because Rosalyn wasn’t in it anymore. The house seemed enormous and void, every shadow reminiscent of her presence. I could almost see her sitting by the window, the sunlight weaving through her hair, or hear her soft laughter echoing down the hall. The silence was unbearable. I craved -desperately—to catch just a glimpse of her. But no matter how much I wished, she was gone, and I was left clutching at nothing.
I was staring absently at the spot on the couch
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she used to claim when my phone beeped,
snapping me out of my daze. It was a message from my mother.
“Please just go check up on Melanie today.”
I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair. I hadn’t seen Melanie in a while. My life had been so crooked, I barely had the energy to deal with anyone. I just wanted to be alone. The thought of Melanie, still using crutches after two months, gnawed at me. She‘ d claimed Rosalyn pushed her that night, and although I hated to admit it, I had believed her. Guilt weighed heavily on me- this had all happened because of me. Rosalyn must have been upset with me, and Melanie
bore the brunt of it.
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Reluctantly, I got ready, deciding to visit
Melanie. When I arrived at her house, I hesitated at the transparent door, hand raised to knock. That’s when I saw her.
Melanie stoou in the middle of the room, yelling at one of her staff. Her crutches lay
discarded on the floor.
“Are you completely useless?” she snapped, her voice dripping with venom. “How hard is it to follow a simple instruction? Are you deaf?”
The young woman trembled, her hands clutched tightly together. “I’m sorry, ma‘ am. I’ll fix it.’
“You’ll fix it? You can’t even manage that right!” Melanie‘ s hand hovered near a
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crutch. I watched in disbelief as she raised it
as if to strike the girl.
“Melanie!” Her father‘ s voice thundered through the room, stopping her mid–swing.
She turned sharply, the crutch slipping from her hand. “Daddy, she’s incompetent! Do you see how hard I have to work because of these fools?”
“Enough!” He approached her, his expression a mix of disappointment and anger. “What is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?” she repeated, her voice shaking now. “I feel miserable! Niklaus hasn’t come to see me in ages! What am I supposed to do?”
“Complain all you want, Melanie, but this
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Chapter 11
behavior is unacceptable,” he snapped.
I couldn’t believe my ears. She had always seemed so sweet, so gentle. Yet here she was, a completely different person.
“I don‘ t care,” she muttered defiantly. Then, as if it were nothing, she confessed, “I’ve been using those crutches to keep Niklaus‘ s attention. But it’s not working anymore. What else am I supposed to do?”
Her father’s face darkened. “You‘ ve been faking this entire time?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she said, crossing her arms. “I had to do something. Don’t you get it? I even managed to frame Rosalyn for pushing me that night. It worked, didn’t it? Niklaus and Rosalyn broke up.”
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“You‘ re so vile, Melanie,” her father spat.
“I never thought you‘ d become this kind of person. You’ve grown to be more hostile.”
She huffed and stomped toward the stairs, throwing one last remark over her shoulder.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him.”
I stood frozen, my heart pounding. She‘ d been lying–fooling me all along. Rosalyn was right. She never pushed Melanie. It was all a
charade.
I turned and left without being seen. My mind raced as I drove to my family’s house. My thoughts were tangled in disbelief and anger. When I arrived, Mrs. Woods greeted me at the
door.
“You don’t look good, Niklaus,” she said,
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her brows furrowing.
“Where’s my mother?” I asked.
“She’s resting,” Mrs. Woods replied gently.
I sighed and bumped into a chair. “What happened?” she pressed, sitting across from me. “Talk to me.”
I met her gaze, unsure where to begin. Finally, I said, “Melanie has been lying.”
Mrs. Woods didn’t look as surprised as I expected. “You should expose her,” she said calmly.
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed again. It was a message from Melanie.
“My leg is aching. I think I might never get to walk again because of Rosalyn. ”
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I scoffed aloud, the sound bitter in the quiet room. “She’s unbelievable,” I muttered, putting the phone down.
Mrs. Woods eyed me. “Respond to her.
“What for?” I asked incredulously.
“Tell her you’ll meet her soon,” she suggested.
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I hesitated, her calmness catching me off guard. “Why would I do that?” I asked, looking at her closely.
She leaned back, her expression unreadable.
“I’ve got an idea, Niklaus. I want you to know everything about Melanie.”
“What do you mean?” I asked warily.
She tilted her head slightly. “She’s more
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than you think.”
I frowned, confused. “How would you know?”
“I used to work in Melanie‘ s house as her caretaker,” she said, her voice measured.
I nodded, remembering vaguely that she‘ d mentioned this in passing before. “I know,” I said, “and that’s why I’m surprised you’re saying something like this now.
Her eyes darkened, and her tone sharpened.
“Why do you think I quit?”
I stared at her. “Why? Was there an underlying reason?”
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze locking with mine. “Yes. And you‘ re about to find
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out.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy and foreboding. I swallowed hard, my mind reeling as the truth unraveled in slow, agonizing pieces. What had I gotten myself
