**A Sin with a Nut, a Core with a Bucket**
*”He can’t possibly be acting like some lovesick boy at his age! He’s forty-six! What is he thinking? That girl could be his daughter! What kind of love can they possibly have? Hmph… fallen head over heels like a mouse into a trap. I don’t understand it, and I don’t want to!”* Rebecca fumed over her husband’s behavior as she vented to her best friend, Emily.
*”Don’t jump to conclusions, Becky. It’ll sort itself out. You’ve got the perfect family,”* Emily soothed. But deep down, even Emily—along with their coworkers and neighbors—knew the peace of Rebecca’s picture-perfect life was hanging by a thread.
Daniel, her husband, had gone off the rails. He wasn’t himself anymore.
…It had all started with the car accident. That one incident turned into a fleeting infatuation, then into what he claimed was his last great love.
It had been winter. Black ice coated the roads. Every morning, Daniel drove carefully to his office in London. That day, he’d slowed to a crawl, stopping at a zebra crossing.
Out of nowhere, a girl dashed onto the road and slammed into the bonnet of his car. For a second, Daniel thought she’d thrown herself at the car on purpose. But there was no time to think—he leapt out to help her.
The girl groaned, clutching her arm. Daniel helped her into his car and insisted on taking her to A&E, but she refused. *”I’m feeling better,”* she said. *”But I wouldn’t say no to a cuppa…”*
So Daniel took her to his office. He made her tea with some biscuits, and they got talking. Her name was Angelica. He couldn’t help but notice how striking she was—sweet, button-nosed, with curly hair and an oddly mature air. There was something mesmerizing about her voice, too. But Daniel shook himself out of it. He’d already wasted enough work time. As she left, he handed her his business card. *”Call me if you need anything.”*
By evening, he’d already forgotten the incident.
But two days later, Angelica called. She asked to meet—urgently, she said. Feeling guilty, Daniel agreed.
When he arrived at her tiny flat, she greeted him with her right arm bandaged. *”See, Daniel? I tried putting up a picture in the kitchen, but my arm’s still sore. Could you help?”*
*”Of course,”* he agreed at once.
Soon, the picture was hung. But then a bottle of wine and a fruit platter appeared on the table. *”Let’s celebrate! I’ve been meaning to hang this for ages,”* she said, flashing a smile.
Daniel couldn’t refuse. He pitied her—such a lovely girl, all alone…
The wine vanished between conversation. The fruit sat untouched. There was only one craving—to talk and talk and talk.
Daniel came home that night dazed, wandering in past midnight. His wife and daughter slept soundly, used to his late hours.
Six months later, he announced he was leaving. Rebecca and their daughter, Charlotte, thought he’d lost his mind. Rebecca had noticed changes—his forgetting her birthday (a first), the sudden plunge in their savings, his absences. There were other signs, too. She’d laughed off the saying *”There’s no fool like an old fool,”* certain of her husband’s loyalty. She’d always taken care of herself, even had admirers at work. But she’d never wavered.
Then came the blow.
Hysterical, Rebecca turned to Charlotte. *”Find out everything! Who is she? How serious is this?”*
But Charlotte had already visited her father. *”Mum, I’ll be blunt. Dad’s in love. No question. This girl’s only five years older than me—twenty-six. Her name’s Angelica. And… she looks just like you when you were young.”*
Rebecca went pale. When Charlotte showed her a photo, Rebecca reached for a sedative.
*”Good God… it can’t be. It can’t!”*
Charlotte was baffled.
…Old sins cast long shadows. *”And now that shadow’s caught up with me,”* Rebecca thought grimly.
…She’d met her first husband at seventeen, convinced he was her destiny. He’d swept her off her feet, married her before she could think twice. They’d lived with his mother, Margaret—kind, doting. Rebecca had confided in her, cried on her shoulder when things got tough.
Eventually, they had a child. Margaret, who’d always wanted a daughter, doted on the baby. They named her Angelica.
When Angelica was three, her father left for another city on business—for six months. When he didn’t return, Rebecca grew anxious.
Margaret reassured her. *”Work is work. Be patient.”*
Then Rebecca found a letter—addressed to Margaret. Her husband had written that he’d found *”real love”* and wasn’t coming back. *”You’ll find the right words to console my wife…”*
Rebecca confronted Margaret. *”You knew! Your son’s a cad! What am I supposed to do now?”*
*”Becky, I stayed quiet, hoping he’d change his mind. But now… they’ve had a child. You’re young—you’ll find someone else. Just… leave Angelica with me,”* Margaret begged.
After thinking it over, Rebecca chose a clean slate.
She met Daniel on a bus. He’d accidentally stepped on her foot, apologizing profusely. They exchanged numbers, and though Rebecca forgot about him, he didn’t forget her.
He called her on New Year’s Eve, arriving with roses and a giant teddy bear. It was freezing, but they laughed like carefree kids.
They married soon after. Rebecca never told Daniel about Angelica.
Angelica stayed with Margaret… and the teddy bear.
At first, Rebecca visited. Then, assured Angelica was happy, she stopped. Then came Charlotte. Life moved on.
Now, years later, Angelica was back—stealing Rebecca’s husband.
Desperate for answers, Rebecca visited Angelica’s flat while Daniel was at work.
*”Hello… Mother. Come to fetch your husband?”* Angelica smirked.
Rebecca stayed silent.
*”I’ve planned this since I was fifteen. I wanted to hurt you, Mummy. Good thing the orphanage gave me plenty of time to plot.”*
*”What orphanage?”* Rebecca whispered.
*”Oh yes. After Gran died—when I was eleven—I ended up there. Can you imagine? Slaps instead of kisses. I was furious. So I vowed to take your husband. But then… I fell in love with him. I won’t apologize.”*
*”Please,”* Rebecca choked out. *”Don’t tell Daniel or Charlotte. Spare them.”*
A year later, Angelica died giving birth to twins. With her last breath, she whispered to Daniel, *”Name the boy Danny… the girl Becky. Go back to your family.”*
When Rebecca heard, she went to him. Daniel stood awkwardly, empty milk bottles in hand.
*”They just fell asleep,”* he muttered.
Rebecca took charge. *”Daniel, I’m sorry. But you can’t manage alone with two babies. Come home. We’ll figure it out. They’re family, too.”*
