I walked past the bakery and froze.
Eva was there, and unexpectedly, Shanna was kneeling by the front window with a bucket of water, scrubbing furiously. A few bystanders lingered nearby, watching with open curiosity.
The glass and the side wall were smeared with red paint. Crude words were scrawled across them.
Homewrecker.
Cheater is not welcome here.
Go back to where you belong.
I pressed my hand against the cool glass, staring at the jagged letters. My stomach twisted. The message was unmistakable. Someone had decided I was to blame for the broken engagement.
But I had done nothing wrong. I had not cheated. I had not lied. I had not forced anyone’s heart.
Yet there it was, painted in bold accusations for the entire town to see.
Anger rose in my chest, hot and sharp, followed quickly by exhaustion. This was only the beginning. People loved gossip more than truth, and right now, I was the easiest target.
Eva stopped what she was doing the moment she noticed me.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t see this,” she said quietly. “I called Shanna to help clean it up before you came by.”
“Well,” I replied dryly, “so much for everyone moving on with their lives, like you said a few days ago.”
Eva’s expression tightened with guilt. “I’m sure it’s just a prank by some kids. Let’s not judge until we know for sure.”
“I’m not judging,” I said, my voice steady. “But this doesn’t look like a prank. It looks like a warning.”
“Hey, lady!”
The boy I had met earlier, the one looking for work, shouted from across the street. He had just arrived, pushing his bike beside him.
“I know who did it.”
Eva and I exchanged a glance. Without a word, we gestured for him to come inside, away from the curious eyes gathering outside.
The three of us sat inside while the boy explained. He told us how he and a few friends had been hanging out in the alley when a woman approached them. She was well dressed, wearing large sunglasses and carrying an expensive handbag.
“She paid them a lot,” he said. “All she wanted was for certain words to be written. She said it was just a silly prank, that no one would take it seriously. As long as they weren’t seen.”
“So your friends did this?” Shanna snapped, jumping to her feet. “And you didn’t stop them? Eva fed you her homemade pie that day. How could you do this to her?”
“I didn’t take part in it,” he shot back. “I may not be perfect, but I don’t hurt people who treat me right. I tried to talk them out of it, but the money was too good for them to refuse.”
“Give me their names,” Shanna demanded. “We’re reporting this.”
“I can’t,” he said firmly. “I’m disappointed in them, but they’re still my friends. They’re desperate.”
“He’s right,” I said quietly. “They were hired. This wasn’t their idea.”
Eva turned to him. “Do you know who ordered it?”
“Not exactly,” he hesitated. “But I think I recognize the woman who stayed in the car. I’ve seen her before, with the guy we met here the other day. Ashton, right? The rich one with the Porsche.”
My blood went cold.
Lynda.
