Chapter 8

Daniela didn’t feel the least bit sorry for her seduction attempt on Tyler. Cassidy deserved to lose Tyler and Daniela was determined to sleep with him and destroy Cassidy’s marriage, the way she destroyed her marriage. 

Daniela flashed to the night before her husband, Stefan, and her fight the night before he died when he confronted her over what Cassidy had told him about cheating on him. It was a bitter fight between them that led to a heart attack that ultimately killed him. 

It was from that moment on, that Daniela vowed revenge on Cassidy by seducing Tyler. She couldn’t believe that her best friend would rat her out about her one-night stand with an office worker. She told that secret to Cassidy in confidence. But little did Daniela know, it wasn’t Cassidy who told the secret to Daniella's husband—the person who told Stefan not to tell Daniela who told him. That’s when Stefan lied and said it was Cassidy.

In an undisclosed location, a mystery figure was calculating his revenge as Daniela was driving to the hospital to visit Cassidy.

Daniela parked her car and checked in with the front desk at the hospital. Heading to Cassidy’s room, Daniela attempted to gain Cassidy’s forgiveness before Tyler could spill the beans about her seduction attempt.

And it was a good thing Tyler had to go to the office to meet with clients about their plans for the house he was designing for them.

“Cassidy.” Daniela said, knocking on Cassidy’s door.

“Daniela?” a groggy Cassidy said upon waking from a deep-drug –induced sleep.

“Hey, I’m sorry I haven’t visited. Been busy.” 

“That’s okay.”

“So, how you been feeling.” Daniela said, breaking the ice between them.

“Lonely. I miss Tyler.” Cassidy said depressed.

“Well, I’m sure he’ll be by shortly.” Daniela encouraged her.

“Yeah.” Cassidy said unenthused after her and Tyler’s argument.

“Hey, he loves you.”

“Yeah. You think so?” Cassidy’s spirits perked up.

“Yeah. He told me so after a long discussion.”

Cassidy felt a little better after Daniela told her about Tyler. 

“So, I just wanted to apologize for any inconvenience I may have cause you and Tyler?” Daniela told her.

“That’s okay. I forgive you.” Cassidy told her, as she fell for Daniella's story.

“Friends?” Daniela said with crossed fingers behind her back.

“Friends.” Cassidy said as the two besties hugged each other.

“So when do you get to break this pop stand?”

“I don’t know. The doctor is due any time.”

“Well, when you do get out, what you say, we go for a burger and fries?” Daniela offered.

“Sounds good.” Cassidy agreed.

“Well, I’ll let you get some rest.” Daniela said as she headed for the door.

“Thanks, Dani.” Cassidy said before Daniela disappeared.

Daniela smiled knowing she had duped Cassidy into forgiving her. Cassidy was always a sucker for forgiveness. As Daniela got into her car and turned on the ignition, she was unaware that she was being followed.

Chapter 9

Daniela was driving back to Cassidy and Tyler’s home when she looked in the rear-view mirror and noticed a police car with flashing red and blue lights. Pulling over to the side of the road, hoping the cop would pass her by, Daniela waited on the shoulder, since she wasn’t doing anything illegal.

But the car didn’t pass her by but pulled up behind her car. The officer got out of the car and walked up to Daniela’s window, tapping on it as Daniela rolled it down.

“Is anything wr----“ Daniela started to say but was shocked when she realized who it was. “James?”

“Daniela, darling!” 

“You’re dead?”

“No, Daniela, I’m not!”

“But how did you survive the fire?”

“I got out before the smoke and flames consumed me.” 

“But, they found a body?”

“Well, obviously, it wasn’t mine!”

“I got to get going, James. I’m expected at a friend’s home.” 

“Well, it was nice seeing you, Daniela.”

Daniela drove off creeped out that James was alive after she was sure he had died in the fire. Daniela got back to Cassidy and Tyler’s where Cassidy was recuperating from being in the hospital. She sensed Daniela was in a frantic mood when she came in to the living room.

“Dani, are you okay? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost?”

“I have.”

“What?”

“My husband?! He’s alive!”

“What? James is alive? But you never said he died?”

“It was too hard to talk about, Cassie.” Daniela said, covering for her lie.

“How did you find out?”

“A cop pulled me over and when he walked to my car window, it was James.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Cassidy comforted Daniela, who was distraught at James’ sudden resurrection.

Meanwhile, back at a motel room, James stood in front of the bathroom mirror, laughing as he pulled off his mask, revealing an old classmate of Daniela and Cassidy’s, Jeremiah Tompkins, who was in town to seek revenge on Daniela for dissing him back in high school.