Judith
"I'm sorry, Judith… Mrs. Preston," she corrected herself immediately.
I saw the fear and confusion on her face. Wait a second… why did she call me Mrs. Preston? I'm still Castle, and no one is supposed to know otherwise—except me.
"Why did you call me 'Mrs.'?" I asked, letting go of her at once.
"I'm sorry, I thought you were Preston… maybe you are—"
"Cousin," someone interrupted, bursting the door open. "Well, well, Castle won't give up that easily. She's really good, but we're better. I'd say we can give her even more headaches with the plan I have right here."
My cousin Ryle turned her laptop around—the same one she hadn't stopped staring at since she walked in. When she saw me standing next to Mel, she went pale.
"I didn't know you were busy," she said, a little frightened. "I'll come back later," and she practically ran out of the office.
I turned to look at Mel, whose expression hovered somewhere between anger and disappointment.
"So it's true… you want to sink us," she said, her voice thick, barely containing her rage.
Wait… what is she thinking? Does she really believe I want to hurt her?
"Mel, I don't know what you think is going on, but whatever it is, you're wrong," I began to explain.
"Oh, really?" she replied with a crooked smile. "So the numbers in my company are wrong, and you haven't been competing aggressively just to win… but to bankrupt us." She looked at me, clenching her fists.
"No, Mel, you're misunderstanding everything," I said quickly.
She said nothing and turned away, ready to leave. I remembered Amber's words: even if it's uncomfortable or painful, you have to communicate.
"Wait, Mel," I grabbed her firmly by the arm.
She stopped in front of me, standing her ground.
"You remember I told you I didn't choose you," she began, making my stomach twist. "Well, I'll say it again: I didn't choose you. I kept my word. I gave you the divorce, I gave everything back to you just like I promised, and now you're happy with Amber. I did everything I said I would, and I don't understand why you're doing this. If this is because of what happened in Alaska… I'm sorry, Judith, but you should know I'll never say a word about it. You should also know I won't bother you or try anything with you, because I'm getting married in a couple of months…"
"What are you talking about?" I interrupted her, raising my voice, irritated.
What the hell was she talking about? Getting married?
"Yes, Judith, I'm getting married in a few months, so you don't need to worry about anything from now on," she tried to calm me down. "And if this is some kind of revenge for what happened, I'll accept it—but let it be directed at me alone. My family's company has nothing to do with this. Judith, just like you, I have to look out for the families of my employees…"
"Will you shut up?" I clenched my fists again, raising my voice. "How can you think I'm doing all this because of—?"
At that moment, Mel's phone started ringing nonstop. She hung up again and again, but finally, tired, she sighed and answered.
"Grandpa, yes… I understand, I'll be there today… no, I really don't know who you're talking about… yes, I'll review the information when it arrives. Goodbye, Grandpa." She hung up and turned to me.
"Are you going on a date?" I clenched my fists, furious.
Even though you tried to whisper what you were saying to your grandfather, I heard everything. I know it's a damn date. Where are you heading right now?
"I told you that you have nothing to worry about. If you want, I can promise you that you'll never see me again in your—" she started.
"Shut up already, Melissa!" I roared, cutting her off.
I stepped closer, my voice firm and furious.
"If you dare go on that date, I promise you'll experience my fury," I threatened.
Mel looked stunned for several seconds, then simply gave me a faint smile before adding,
"How do you think my grandfather agreed to our divorce?" she warned me, leaving me in shock.
I frowned, incredulous.
"Are you saying he accepted it because you have to remarry someone else? And you agreed to that?" I asked, unable to believe it.
"That's right," she confirmed, smiling slightly. "And I'll say it again: you don't need to worry, because, like I told you before, I would never cheat on my partner."
Of course I remembered what she always used to tell me—and there, I had something in my favor.
"So that means you'll never go on a date with someone who isn't your spouse?" I asked, locking eyes with her.
"No, I would never be involved with another person," she said firmly.
"Good to know," I smiled, triumphant.
"Because I'm going to tell you a secret," I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "You and I are still married," I whispered to her.
Mel froze for a few seconds.
"That's impossible," she denied, incredulous. "You signed the papers, remember?"
"It wasn't my real signature," I replied coldly. "And I'm surprised you didn't notice—unless you never actually reviewed the documents." I raised an eyebrow and watched her turn pale.
She didn't say a word. She literally ran out of my office, leaving me with everything I needed to say to her. I chased after her, but she was damn fast; I lost her at the company exit.
"Melissa Castle!" I shouted, frustrated.
Was this a joke? More than six months searching for her to come back, and now she was running away just as I told her we were still married. If I had known she would escape, I would never have mentioned it.
Did she not notice the ring Sheldon had given me in her place when we got married? I looked at it: the ring gleamed on my finger like a silent proof.
I spent the entire afternoon furious; my blood boiled at the thought that Mel might be at that date, perhaps convinced I had lied to her. I snapped the pencil I was holding with a dry crack.
Everyone in the boardroom watched me, worried about my reaction. Ryle, who sensed my sharp mood, requested that the meeting continue without further interruptions.
When it ended, I ordered an investigation: check for any reservations under the name Mel Castle at restaurants and hotels. Georgina and Rosaline tried to calm me, assuring me that she would never go on a date. I calmed down a little—just a little—until the report came: there was a reservation under Mel's name for the afternoon at a hotel.
"I'll kill you, Melissa," I declared, standing up, not knowing if what burned in my chest was revenge, fear, or a scream of love.
"Judith, calm down," my friends held me back. "It could be that she made the reservation but never actually went," Rosaline said eloquently.
"Yes, Jud," Georgina nodded. "Besides, remember the Peterson party tomorrow. Mel will surely be there," she reminded me, trying to soothe me.
In part, they were right, but even so, just imagining that she might have gone on that date churned my stomach and made me want to hit her.
That damned night, I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I dreamed of her at that date, waking up startled, jealous, and consumed by a sense of helplessness that left me trembling in the dark.
Even dawn brought no relief; my mind remained trapped in images of what Mel might be doing, and every second without knowing made me boil with frustration and the desire to confront her once and for all.
----------------
Mel
No, no… this must be a lie.
But why would she lie to me? —I thought, my heart racing and hands trembling as I tried to stay calm.
I arrived at the office almost breathless and called for Sheldon.
"Boss, you called me," he entered with his usual calm, though he immediately noticed my disheveled expression.
"Find the divorce papers Robert gave you," I asked anxiously, barely able to articulate the words.
"Yes, of course, they should be around here. I have a copy," he said, heading to the shelf where the files and books were kept.
"Will you tell me what's going on?" he asked while searching through the folders.
"Did you check the papers?" I replied with another question, more a whisper than an order.
"Of course," Sheldon assured me, and for a moment I felt my soul return to my body.
"Yes…" I calmed down slightly.
"Yes, all the clauses, conditions… and here they are," he announced, pulling out the documents.
He came closer and handed them to me. I took them with trembling hands, my heart pounding in my ears. Anxiously, I went straight to the end of the document, where the signatures were.
"Sheldon… did you notice that Judith's signature was the same on the papers?" I asked, my voice tense as my eyes scanned the lines.
When I looked at him, his face lost color. In that instant, he realized something was really wrong.
"It can't be…" he murmured, walking around the desk to look at the papers with me.
I also went pale. It was true. It wasn't the same signature.
"Damn it, it's not the same," Sheldon exclaimed, raising his voice with a distress that infected me.
"She didn't lie to me…" I stammered, confused, my vision blurred.
"How didn't I notice before? Neither your grandfather nor Robert…" Sheldon clenched his fists, helpless. "Damn it, you're still married to her!"
"Why didn't she sign?" I asked, feeling an emptiness in my chest, a mixture of fear and confusion.
"Mel, calm down. I'll talk to the lawyer, I'll tell him to find a solution so the divorce is valid… if she wants anything from you, she won't get it. I don't understand, how did she manage to fool all of us? I never felt she was a bad person," he said, reproaching himself as he pulled out his phone to make a call.
I, on the other hand, couldn't move. I was in shock. I didn't even understand what Sheldon was saying to the lawyer. My mind had frozen on a single, repetitive, and disbelieving thought:I was still married.
My gaze drifted into nothingness, fixed on a point in front of me. The whole world seemed to stop, and a single thought crossed my mind like a verdict:Judith, because you keep holding me by your side.
"The lawyer will move to invalidate the divorce. Then he'll start a new contentious procedure to determine the terms of the divorce," Sheldon informed me in a serious tone. "Finally, he said she will have to face the consequences for committing fraud."
"Can you ask him not to do anything for now?" I asked, jumping to my feet. My body was acting before my mind.
"Mel, have you lost your mind? Do you want me to remind you what he could do for still being married to you?" he warned, startled.
"I know, Sheldon. But I also have to remind you that for months she hasn't done anything," I replied wearily, trying to keep calm.
"That doesn't mean she won't do something soon, especially now that she knows you know," he countered, frustrated, stumbling over his words.
"I'll talk to her tomorrow morning. For now, I need to cancel the appointment my grandfather made with my new partner," I told him, gathering some documents. "I also need to review several things," I added, exhausted.
"Excuse me? Appointment? New partner?" Sheldon asked, completely bewildered.
"How do you think he allowed me to get divorced?" I said, pulling out my phone.
"You've gone crazy, Mel," he scolded me.
I ignored him and dialed the number for my appointment. I quickly apologized and managed to reschedule it for later. Fortunately, she was understanding; she knew the company was going through a difficult time, so it wasn't a problem.
"Damn it…" Sheldon muttered, staring at his phone.
Lately, both he and I had cursed more than we ever had in our lives. It was as if Judith had managed to turn our days into a minefield of shocks.
"Are you sure you don't want the lawyer to start the procedure?" he insisted. "Because right now, your dear wife just dealt another blow."
I just sighed, exhausted. I knew the night would be long.
And it was. We didn't leave the office until after two in the morning, still trying to resolve every new headache Judith caused me.
"I don't know what you said to her or what she told you, but from what she just did, she's furious with you," Sheldon said, collapsing into his chair, completely drained.
I stayed silent, mentally reviewing everything that had happened. Then I remembered her words: "If you go on that date, you'll know my fury."
But that made no sense… why would she be upset about that? Shouldn't it be a relief to her that I was marrying someone else?
"What are you thinking, Mel?" Sheldon asked, in an inquisitive tone that left no room for evasion.
"I don't understand why she would be mad that I have a date," I replied disdainfully, trying to appear calm.
Sheldon narrowed his eyes and sat down in front of me, as if his mere presence forced me to tell him every detail of what I had spoken about with her. And I did, I told him everything:
"And that's how I ran out of her office," I concluded, exhausted.
"Mel, I know you don't understand much about romance, but don't you realize she was jealous?" Sheldon almost shouted, frustration etched on his face.
He jumped up and started pacing around the office.
"Now it all makes sense," he muttered, clearly confused by his own thoughts.
"Sheldon, can you stay still?" I asked. "Remember, she's with Amber," I reminded him, trying to curb his anxiety.
"Right now, without finding out anything, I'm sure she's not with Amber," he said, stopping to look at me intently. "Mel, just think about it… you disappeared from her life."
"Because she chose Amber," I interrupted firmly.
"And if that wasn't the case… why did she never mention that she got back together with Amber?" he countered, persistent.
And then, as if a lightbulb went off in his head:
"She's in love with you," he concluded, with absolute certainty.
"Sheldon," I said, tired, "even I, who don't understand much about romance, know that's impossible."
"Mel, you're the only one who doesn't want to see it. She's been doing everything to get your attention. Your wife is brilliant, because if she couldn't communicate with you directly, she did it through the company. Yes, it was a bit excessive, but… she had no other options…" he said, moving closer to emphasize every word.
"Sheldon, you're imagining things—" I tried to interrupt him.
"No, Mel. This has to be true. Or why do you think she didn't sign the divorce papers? She was buying time. That would explain why she hasn't done anything to stay married to you. Think about it: by still being your wife, she should have at least gained something… and she hasn't. Everything remains the same. And if you don't believe me, check everything," he urged me. "We'll go over every detail again, and I'll call Sara to confirm my theory."
Without further ado, and unaware of the time, Sheldon called Sara, who was fast asleep. Of course, I heard Sara's complaints as she scolded Sheldon for waking her up so early. He ignored her and explained his entire "theory," insisting on every point with a sense of urgency that left me exhausted just listening.
During that call, I felt time stretch, the tension in the office becoming almost tangible, and my mind spinning between disbelief and a curiosity I didn't want to admit: what if Sheldon was right?
"She's on her way," was all he said, pulling me from my thoughts.
While waiting for Sara, we began reviewing everything. In that sense, Sheldon was right: Judith hadn't touched a thing. Still, I couldn't shake the possibility in my mind that she might decide to do something later.
Almost forty-five minutes later, Sara arrived, startled, still in her pajamas, asking us to repeat Sheldon's theory. Of course, he patiently went over it again, and when he finished, Sara remained thoughtful, observing all the documents we were reviewing. Every document, every detail confirmed what we already suspected: Judith had done absolutely nothing.
After long minutes of silence and suspense, Sara finally corroborated Sheldon's theory:
"Everything indicates that she did fall in love with you… and I told her not to," she half-laughed, with a hint of mockery.
"That's impossible," I murmured, my heart racing and my mind in chaos.
"It is, Mel," they both said in unison.
"Now you have to take responsibility for your wife," Sheldon teased, with a mischievous grin.
Sara remained silent for a few seconds, uncomfortable, before dropping a truth I would never have imagined:
"Mel, I also have to remind you how she fell in love with you… and it was because she cheated on Amber," she said, letting the sentence fall like a stone in the room.
Sheldon's eyes went wide with surprise, as did mine.
"I think you should think very carefully about whether you want to be with her. What the two of them did was wrong. I don't want to put ideas in your head, but if she did that to her fiancée… she might do the same to you," Sara said with concern.
"Judith wouldn't do that to her," Sheldon defended her, his voice firm.
"Sheldon, we don't know that. Nobody falls in love with their fake wife when they already claim to love someone else…" she murmured, exhausted.
Silence fell over the office like a heavy weight.
"Could she fall in love with someone else? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" I asked, a mix of disbelief and fear in my voice.
"I'm sorry, Mel, but yes. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I've seen cases like this, and unfortunately, they almost always end badly."
"Mel, you should talk to Judith," Sheldon intervened. "The only person who can answer that question is her. It's possible that her relationship with Amber was already strained…"
"Strained," I said, with irony and frustration. "It was obvious they were struggling, especially since they were about to get married," I reminded him, clenching my fists tightly.
As silence fell over us again, I felt the office transform into some kind of courtroom where my heart and mind argued endlessly.
"Mel, talk to her, listen, and analyze every word she says. And if, unfortunately, you don't like what she says, it's better to walk away," Sara concluded, with a tone of regret.
"Yes, I understand," I obeyed, lowering my gaze, trying to process her words.
"You should go rest… well, you both look terrible," she said, looking us up and down, evaluating our exhaustion.
"I need to talk to Judith first, then I'll go rest," I said weakly, feeling the tension drain me.
"You can do it at the party tonight. Also, it's better to rest so you don't look like a zombie and can understand everything she tells you," she recommended.
"Mel, I agree with Sara. We should go rest. Besides, it's only a few hours until you meet her," Sheldon reminded me, with a serious expression.
I ran my fingers over my eyes and the bridge of my nose. I was too tired; for hours I had tried to concentrate, processing every conversation and repeating in my head every word from Sheldon and Sara.
"You're right… I'll go rest," I agreed, getting up with effort.
I arrived home exhausted. I collapsed onto the bed, letting sleep envelop me, and it claimed me within seconds.
I woke around two in the afternoon, startled. I had had a nightmare: I was back with Judith, but, just as Sara had predicted, she left me for someone else. Panic gripped me until I finally realized I was in my own room. My heart was still pounding, and a cold sweat ran down my back as I tried to calm my breathing and prepare my mind for the conversation that awaited me that night. Every detail of the nightmare remained etched in my memory, reminding me of what was at stake and how much it could hurt to face the truth.