THE BROKEN HEARTS

Prologue

The news fell like the thunder, without any warnings, making a very loud noise to everybody's ears. They were even afraid to repeat it. Those who have heard it wanted it to be during a nightmare so they could wake up in startled and be reassured, that it was only a bed dream... But it was reality...

The whole Andrew family was having dinner, when the butler brought the telegram announcing the horrible news. It was total consternation. Even those who said they didn't like her weren't able to say a word in front of everybody's devastated faces...

Annie Brighton, her sister and best friend, couldn't stop crying. Nobody was there to console her. Her fiancé, Archie, retired in his room, too upset to say anything and rejecting his fiancée's hand...

Albert the head of the family retired in his office and he didn't want to see anybody. The great aunt also went to her room, more upset than she would've thought... Neil Reagan screamed and got out of the manor running. Mr. Reagan took his wife and daughter, who was more upset than she would've ever thought... Candy was no more? Who was she going to tease now? She was the enemy she loved to hate... Did she love Candy more than she was willing to admit? She has been part of her life for years and she spent her time calling her names...but Candy was going to miss her. She knew that Candy was letting her call her names, she could've reacted more, but she let her do it, since her life wasn't that full. Teasing Candy was one of her favourite hobby... Mr. Reagan regretted not having done more for Candy and Mrs. Reagan didn't say a word. She remembered when Candy came to her, as a little girl, asking her to help her become a lady... She should've helped her. She was not regretting it...

Patricia O'Brien was at her parents in Florida when she heard the news. She went to her room to cry her friend...

Her colleagues and the patients at the hospital, where she worked were shocked with sadness... The nurse who cheered up everybody was no more, she went to the war, and she was never coming back.

The Pony Home was in mourning. Candy's two mothers were crying with all of her little orphan brothers and sisters. Tom went to lock himself in his room and he was inconsolable. His dearest little sister... Jimmy angry, because Candy had prevented him from going to the war only to go there herself and get killed! How dared she die on him? She had no right to die!!! She had stopped him from going just to go die in his place? No! It wasn't fair! His chief wasn't dead! He also went to lock himself up in his room to cry his big sister...

Terrence Grandchester came back from the theatre and he was looking at his mail of the day. The telegram was there. He didn't like getting those; it was never good news... He opened the telegram and he screamed very loudly:

- NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Susanna Marlowe his lady companion was in her wheelchair and she was startled:

- Terry? What's going on?

He didn't reply and he went to his room. Susanna picked up the telegram that Terry had dropped on the floor and she read it... oh my God! Candy was dead? She didn't know how to feel. Candy had left her Terry, the man she loved... She had been jealous of Candy, but after her selfless gesture, she had changed her opinion on her, even if she would never admit it. But her rival was no longer in this world, maybe now, Terry would look at her like a woman? Because Candy was like a ghost between them, she never really left them... But being dead, she will probably even more present in their lives! Terry was going to make her a saint! But Susanna felt ashamed; a young woman was dead during the war... And was thinking only about herself! "Me, myself and I"!

Eleonor Baker felt bad when she heard the news. That girl had convinced her son to speak to her and forgive her. She was an angel.

- You're an angel now, Candy. Keep an eye on my son..., she said with tears in her eyes

Her understudy replaced her for her next representations. Terry had also taken a few days off. His wife in his heart was dead, he was a grieving widow... he had lost his wife and nothing else was important to him...

Yes, the news of Candice White Andrew's death, had touched more people than she could've had imagined herself.