Chapter 4
My wounds tore open. Blood soaked through my black dress.
Damien showed up at his mother’s grave with Vivian. Pure hatred burned in his eyes as he hurled a bouquet at my face.
“Riley! Didn’t I warn you to stay the hell away from my mother?!”
I clutched my arm, teeth clenched tight.
‘My mother wasn’t a murderer!”
Mom was right there in front of me. I couldn’t let her hear these lies from beyond the grave.
SMACK!
The slap made my ears ring.
Vivian strutted over in her sky-high heels and ground them into my wounds.
God, you’re pathetic! What’re you trying to prove here? That Damien’s such a saint for not killing you AND paying for your mom’s medical bills?”
Damien’s fingers trembled. Guilt flooded his eyes as he looked at his mother’s grave.
When he turned back to me-pure rage.
He grabbed my hair and dragged me like roadkill, then kicked my knees out from under me.
lefore I could even steady myself kneeling, he slammed my head into the stone pavement.
Today you’re gonna kneel right here and beg my mother’s forgiveness.”
And that murderer of a mother of yours? I’ll make sure someone tortures the hell out of her until she wishes she was dead!”
clutched my bleeding forehead and laughed bitterly.
But my mom’s already dead.”
Mrs. Cross smiled so gently in her photo, like she’d found peace. All my pain and grief was about to spill over.
whispered through a broken smile:
But my mom… she’s already dead…”
he died in agony. Alone.
What did you say?!”
Jamien stumbled backward, staring at me with shaking voice.
Riley, you think lying to me will wash away your sins?!”
She’s RIGHT THERE!”
My whole body trembled as I pointed to Mom’s headstone right next to his mother’s. All Damien had to do was glance over and he’d see her photo.
‘Look, Damien! Just LOOK! My mom’s dead because of YOU! Are you happy now?!”
Damien’s eyes went wide, staring at the headstone next to his mother’s. His whole body seemed to collapse.
His hand shook as he reached to move the flowers in front of the grave.
140
THUD.
Vivian collapsed to the ground. Her face went ghostly pale, hands clutching her chest, barely breathing:
“Damien… my heart hurts so bad…”
Damien spun around in panic, scooping Vivian up in his arms.
“Wait!”
I lunged forward, grabbing onto his pant leg.
“If I pay back that thirteen million, you’ll sign the divorce papers, right?”
Damien’s whole body went rigid. He didn’t turn around. Just his ice-cold voice echoing in my ears.
“Riley, I’ll never let you and your mother off the hook.”
I laughed through my tears.
Damien, you don’t need to let us go.
Because Mom and I are both leaving your world forever.
I’d barely left the cemetery when the hospital called.
“Miss Morgan, Mr. Cross is demanding immediate heart transplant surgery. We need you here now!”
“Fine.” I gripped the phone tight. “But I have one condition. Don’t reveal my identity until after the surgery.”
I lay on the gurney as they wheeled me into the ICU.
Damien was pacing anxiously by the door. He glanced at me with that serious look, then rubbed his eyes and turned away, dismissing whatever he was thinking.
How ridiculous. For a split second, he thought the woman on that gurney was Riley.
Impossible, right? She was such a coward about death. Hell, she’d cry over a paper cut….
The surgery went perfectly. To celebrate, he bought Vivian thirty million dollars worth of emerald jewelry and had it splashed across the headlines.
Vivian was laughing and calling his name, but Damien seemed distracted.
He pulled out his phone to see if Riley had any reaction.
Suddenly, a text popped up.
[Bank deposit: $100,000,000.00]
Sender: Riley Morgan.
Dread crashed over him. Damien’s pupils dilated in shock. He grabbed a nearby nurse, panic in his voice:
“What’s the heart donor’s name?”
The nurse jumped, stammering:
“I think it was Riley Morgan…”
“Poor girl was covered in wounds when they brought her in.”
“I heard her mother died from failed treatment just a few days ago.”
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.