Denouement

Candy did not see anything of Matt for the next few weeks. She knew he was busy with the merger but she still missed him terribly, thought about him constantly, and yearned for his touch with every fiber of her being. Her mind remained conflicted, torn between its own desires and the dictates of her conscience, but her heart had no such dilemma. She loved Matt with everything she had, possibly even more now after experiencing the pain of separation and loss than she had when things had been so simple and uncomplicated between them. She wondered if he too felt any of the anguish she was undergoing, whether he missed her even a fraction of how much she missed him, wondered if he longed even for a minute to be with her as much as she did every moment of her waking hours.

Though she could not meet him, he had called and texted her almost every day, initially on the pretext of inquiring about her health and about Joshua, but even after she had recovered completely, he continued to call and text her. It was comforting to her to hear his deep voice at least on the phone and she found herself looking forward to their conversations, however brief. The only thing that bothered her was that Matt was still engaged to Olivia, and she had no indication of whether he intended to go ahead with the marriage or not.

"Sarah? Are you there?" Matt's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Y-yes, of course!" she replied, shaking herself mentally.

"I was saying how much I'm looking forward to seeing you again. I miss -" He paused. Candy's heart skipped a beat as she wondered if he had been going to tell her he missed her. Matt cleared his throat, then continued. "You'll be there at the party, won't you?"

Candy knew that the Meyers were hosting a huge party that weekend to celebrate the successful business alliance of Kane Industries with the Meyers, but she had still not decided whether or not she wanted to attend. On the one hand, it would probably be the earliest she would be able to meet Matt after all these weeks, but the sheer joy of seeing him again would be offset by the pain of watching him with Olivia, and she was not sure how much more torture she could undergo before she broke.

"Sarah? I – I would really like to see you there." Matt spoke again, sounding oddly vulnerable. "I know I haven't been really fair to you, and that we need to talk, but just seeing you there would make me really happy – it would mean a lot to me."

"Then I'll be there, Matt," she said softly. "I'll always be there for you, my love," she added silently as he hung up, promising to call her the next day.

Saturday dawned and Candy woke up, full of nervous excitement for the evening. She would meet Matt again at last, and he had said they needed to talk. Did that mean -? Her heart filled with fresh hope, a feeling so new and tenuous that she was afraid in case her dreams were shattered yet again.

The day passed quickly, and soon it was time to get ready for the party. Candy bathed and got Josh ready first, for he too was invited to the big party. Depositing her little boy with the housekeeper, she rushed back to her room to get ready.

Candy had selected her gown for the evening with care, imagining Matt's expression when he saw her in it. It was a beautiful creation of satin and lace in a deep, rose pink, with hundreds of tiny rhinestones and sequins sewn onto the bodice. As always, the back was high, but the neckline dipped low enough to showcase her round breasts to perfection. The satin skirt outlined her slender waist and hips faithfully and had an almost hip-length slit on one side that revealed tantalizing glimpses of her leg as she moved. She took extra effort with her hair and face as well and had to admit at the end that she looked very nice indeed.

Rich's and Melinda's appreciation bolstered her confidence too, and by the time they reached the Meyers mansion where the party was being held, Candy felt a growing certainty that this day could possibly be the one that changed her life forever.

The Meyers mansion was lavishly decorated for the occasion, with millions of fairy lights giving the exterior a festive look. Inside too, lights glittered, chandeliers sparkled, and soft music played in the background.

"Mom! Dad!" Matt hurried over to greet them, a warm smile on his face. He looked unbelievably handsome, Candy thought, drinking in the sight of Matt in all his tuxedoed glory. The perfectly-tailored suit only emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and his toned physique, and she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from him.

"Matt!" screamed Joshua in excitement, leaping from Rich's arms into his.

"Hey, my little man!" Matt caught him, laughing and hugging him close. His eyes slid to Candy and remained riveted there. She saw them darken as he took in her hair, her face, the blush staining her cheeks at his perusal, and then his gaze slipped slowly downward, lingering lazily on her cleavage before moving further south to rest on the tempting length of shapely thigh exposed by the slit. When his eyes met hers again, she was stunned by the heat she saw in them.

Senator Kane and Melinda went on ahead, greeting people they knew, but Matt and Candy remained frozen in their own bubble, their eyes locked, unheeding of the music or the people or the soft buzz of conversation around them.

"Sa-wah!" Josh wriggled in Matt's hold, breaking the spell. Candy reached to take the little boy from Matt, her heart beating wildly.

"You look so very beautiful, Sarah," Matt said softly. "Thank you for coming."

Candy smiled up at him but before she could say anything, Olivia came up to them. "Matt, darling, there you are!" Her eyes darted suspiciously between Candy and her fiancé. "There are so many important people waiting to meet you, and you're here, talking to the NANNY!"

Matt frowned but he let her take his arm.

"Oh, and Sarah? There are mocktails available as well, so do stick to the non-alcoholic drinks – you know what happened to you at the club the other night!" Olivia fired a parting shot at Candy, making her flush in embarrassment while Matt's face became even grimmer.

"I'll see you later, Sarah." He nodded at her and went off with Olivia.

Sometime later, Matt and Olivia came up to where Candy was sitting with the Kanes.

"Matt, darling! I'm so excited today - we're going to announce our wedding date at last!" Olivia said brightly, though her smile did not quite reach her eyes.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Matt replied immediately. "This party is supposed to celebrate our business alliance."

"So what could be better than mixing business with pleasure?" Olivia demanded, linking her arm through his. "Come on, Matty – after all, we're engaged! I thought you would be as excited as I am to share our happiness with everyone – after all, we agreed on this!"

Candy felt vaguely nauseated at the very idea of Matt making his commitment to Olivia official. Of course, they were technically already engaged, but still the idea of them announcing a wedding date somehow drove home the fact even more painfully. She held Joshua a little closer, seeking comfort from her son.

"Olivia, dear, I think Matt is right," Melinda spoke up quickly. "After all, the party is supposed to be about the business alliance."

Olivia smiled insincerely at her future mother-in-law. "I would have thought you would be eager to get a grandson of your own by now instead of taking care of someone else's, Melinda," she said snidely.

"Melinda and I consider Josh to be our own grandson, Olivia," Senator Kane's voice was firm, brooking no further discussion on the topic.

"Of course, Rich, I quite understand that," Olivia persisted. "After all, it's QUITE clear you have a soft spot for homeless waifs." She gave Candy a malicious look. "Don't you agree, SARAH?"

Candy flushed, the meaning of Olivia's words not lost on her.

Matt glanced at Candy's face before turning back to Olivia. "Actually, Olivia, we need to talk first," he said firmly.

"What about?" the beautiful brunette demanded, her face flushed with anger. "Are you having second thoughts now because of this NANNY?"

Matt's face reddened but his voice was even when he spoke again. "Olivia, can we talk about this later? People are looking at us."

"Oh, you think I'M creating a scene, do you?" Olivia's voice rose with her temper. "Well, I hadn't intended to say this, but I have no choice now." She turned around and raised her voice. "Attention, everyone, I have something to tell all of you."

"Olivia -" Matt began, but she ignored him and addressed the gathering, whose attention was now on her.

"Rich – Senator Kane, Melinda, Matt, I'd like to let you know about an enormous fraud that is being perpetrated in your house." Olivia raised her hand to quieten the murmur that arose in the crowd. "Your home has been infiltrated, your trust and generosity misused, and your hospitality abused."

"Olivia, what are you talking about?" Matt asked impatiently.

"Someone has entered your home under false pretenses, Matt." Olivia's spiteful glare landed on Candy and suddenly the air in the room seemed difficult to breathe.

"Olivia, darling, what are you talking about?" her father asked, puzzled. "Who has abused their hospitality?"

"This woman!" Olivia pointed at Candy accusingly. Candy felt the breath constrict in her throat as all eyes in the room turned on her.

"Sarah?" Matt asked, bemused.

"Not Sarah – Candy! Her real name is Candy Clarke!" Olivia declared dramatically. "She's lied to all of us, pretending to be Sarah Kent when her real name is Candy Clarke. She's a fraud, a cheat, and a liar!"

There was a pin drop silence in the room around her as all eyes turned to Candy.