“I just didn’t expect you to go so far for Miranda,” Hansel said, his voice tight with disbelief. He hadn’t realized Miranda meant that much to Sam—enough to make him take such a reckless gamble and set up this elaborate scheme.
“A scheme?” Sam laughed lightly. “Not quite. I simply gave them a little push, a minor convenience.”
As Hansel had pointed out, the plan was full of holes. If Sam had designed it himself, it wouldn’t have been so sloppy. If it didn’t kill Hansel, it would have at least made him suffer.
“If you couldn’t avoid such a simple trap, then you’d deserve to rot in jail,” Sam sneered. It was a risk-free venture for him. If it worked, great—Hansel would be jailed or tied to Ingrid forever. If it didn’t, no problem; Sam was just happy to make Hansel’s life miserable.
“You’re despicable!” Hansel growled, clenching his teeth. “All of this, just to screw me over for a woman?”
Sam sighed. “She’s not just any woman... She was Miranda Sutton.”
Hansel scoffed. “No need to pretend you’re some lovesick fool in front of me.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Sam replied quietly.
Hansel sneered. “Oh, really? Is it that I don’t understand your selfishness or that I don’t understand your scheming? Sam, don’t paint yourself as some noble figure. If you truly liked her, why did you stand by and watch for six years while we were together?” Hansel’s voice turned cold. He had stood by while Miranda suffered, while her heart broke.
“Don’t give me the ‘bros before hoes’ excuse. You don’t have a conscience, so why would you care about something as trivial as morality? Let me tell you the truth—you did it on purpose!” Hansel’s mind had never felt clearer. “You let her get hurt and watched me push her to the edge, knowing that only then would she leave me, giving you a chance. You watched her struggle in pain, sink into despair, and finally emerge as someone you found desirable. If that’s not selfishness, what is?”
If you truly loved someone, how could you bear to see them hurt? What had Sam done? He had been a cold observer, even subtly encouraging the downfall, letting everything happen. “Your opportunity was built on her suffering. You didn’t stop me; you let me hurt her. So tell me, how are you any different from me? And now, using Lucy and Franklin to set a trap for me. Sam, what do you think Miranda would feel if she saw your true face?”
Sam’s breathing hitched. For the first time in a long while, Hansel felt he was talking to the real Sam.
"Miranda is the purest person I know. She despises deceit and manipulation, and you, Sam, are the very embodiment of those things. Admit it—Miranda will never love you. She only likes men like Paul Jefferson, someone clean and honest."
He was like that too, once. But now, neither of them deserved her.
“Shut up!” Sam exploded. “You’re out of the picture, don’t drag me down with you! Maybe Miranda and I will never be together, but she sure as hell won’t be getting back with you! You can be sure of that!”
This was the first time Hansel had ever seen Sam lose his cool. Sam was panicking.
Hansel smiled. It seemed he wasn’t the only one living in denial. Neither of them wanted to let go, and so they would keep going, keep making mistakes, until there was no turning back.
Hansel’s voice softened. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell her.” Not only would he keep it a secret, but he would even help maintain the lie.
It was because losing something when it’s just within reach is far more devastating. Wasn’t it?