Chapter 135 A Surprise Worth Dying For

Chapter 135 A Surprise Worth Dying For
CHAPTER 135

A Surprise Worth Dying For

The old park pavilion loomed out of the Manchester fog like a skeletal monument to better days.

It was an abandoned rotunda of rotting timber and peeling paint, tucked far enough away from the city’s pulse that the only witnesses to its decay were the rats and the overgrown ivy.

Tonight, it was deathly still. The air smelled of wet earth and copper, a premonition of the storm brewing in the bruised sky above.

Anna stepped onto the grass, her movements fluid and silent. She surveyed the area with the clinical eye of an architect.

No streetlights, no prying eyes, and no blue-tinted cameras blinking from the eaves. It was a perfect, lightless stage for something final.

Perfect.

In the distance, the low, mournful wail of a siren drifted through the trees, answered by the erratic barking of a stray dog.

The evening chill had sharpened into a biting wind that rattled the skeletal branches of the nearby oaks.

Lightning suddenly split the sky, a jagged white vein that illuminated the world for a terrifying second before plunging it back into ink.

Anna looked up at the churning black clouds, watching them swallow the moon like a predator.

She adjusted the hood of her black hoodie, a serene, chilling smile touching her lips. "It’s about to rain," she whispered to the wind. "Heaven is about to provide the perfect wash for a messy floor."

William’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She fished it out, the screen glowing a harsh white.

Selene: I’m here but I don’t see you yet. Have you arrived, Liam?

Anna’s thumb danced over the glass, her smile widening.

Anna: Just pulled up. Where are you hiding? You want me to come seek you out?

Selene: Yes, please. I'm in the Main Hall. But it’s a bit creepy in here, hurry up.

On my way. Stay right there. I have a surprise for you, Selene. Something I know you’ve been dying for. You're going to love it.

Selene: Really? A surprise? You always were the romantic one. Come quickly, Liam. I can’t wait to see what you have for me.

Anna tucked the phone away and reached for the heavy kitchen knife tucked into her waistband.

The cold steel felt like a promise against her skin. She didn't hurry. She relished the walk, the weight of the moment, the sheer, delicious inevitability of it all.

When she reached the entrance of the Main Hall, she paused. Inside, Selene was a silhouette of desperation, perched on a rusted metal chair with her back to the door.

She was checking her reflection in her phone screen, smoothing her hair, preening for a man who was currently miles away in a deep, peaceful sleep.

Anna checked the perimeter one last time. Still clear. She pulled her hood over her head, and glided across the floor, her sneakers making no sound on the grit and dust.

She came up behind the chair, her breath steady, her heart a calm, rhythmic drum.
She reached out and placed both gloved hands over Selene’s eyes.

Selene let out a soft, delighted gasp. She giggled, a sound like breaking glass, and reached up to touch Anna’s hands.

"I know it’s you, William," she cooed, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "You always did like playing games. So, what’s the surprise? Don't keep me in suspense."

Anna leaned down, her lips brushing Selene’s ear, her voice a low, lethal melody.

"Why don’t you turn around and find out for yourself?"

The giggle died instantly. Selene froze, the realization hitting her like a physical blow. She let out a sharp gasp and wrenched Anna’s hands away, spinning the chair around so violently it nearly tipped.

She stared up at Anna, her eyes wide with a mixture of confusion and burgeoning horror.

Anna didn't give her a chance to process. With a sharp, ringing crack, she slapped Selene across the face.

The force was enough to send Selene sprawling off the chair and onto the dirty floor.

Selene snarled furiously, scrambling to her feet, her hand clutching her reddening cheek.

"What are you doing here, you psychotic brat? How dare you put your filthy hands on me for the second time!"

"Filthy?" Anna tilted her head, her expression one of mild curiosity.

"That’s a bold choice of words coming from a woman who spends her nights lurking in the shadows of other people’s marriages. Between the two of us, Selene, I think we both know whose hands are stained."

Selene let out a biting, smug laugh, tossing her hair back despite the dirt on her clothes.

"You think you’ve won something? Don't forget you’re just a temporary distraction, Anna. A breeder.”

"You’re remarkably shameless," Anna remarked, her voice flat. “Luring a married man who doesn't even want you out to a dark abandoned park in the middle of the night just for… Does your desperation have no floor?"

“Lured? As if.” Selene chuckled. “FYI I’m actually waiting for William. He’s the one who texted me. He’s the one who wanted and set up this 'romantic meet up. It was all his idea stupid!”

“That's a lie, you're lying.”

"I'm not lying. He’s tired of you!" Selene spat, her voice rising in a frantic, ugly pitch.

"He’s bored, Anna. He realized that your 'sunshine' routine is just a dull, domestic prison. He invited me here because he misses the fire. The passion that only I can give him. He misses me."

Anna let out a small, theatrical gasp. Fake tears welled in her eyes, her lower lip trembling in a perfect imitation of a woman whose world was crumbling.

"That’s a lie. My William... he would never do that to me. To us. He loves me. He told me that himself so many times.”

Selene smirked, her confidence returning like a toxic tide.

"Believe what you want, honey. But if you need proof, I’ll call him right now. We can all hear him tell you to go home and play with your yarn."

Selene fished her phone out and hit the speed dial.

In the heavy silence of the hall, a phone began to ring. The sound didn't come from a distance.

It came from Anna’s pocket.

Selene’s face turned a sickly shade of grey. Her hand trembled as she lowered her phone.

Anna reached into her hoodie, pulled out William’s device, and held it up so the screen reflected in Selene’s terrified eyes.

"I have William’s phone. I'm the one who sent you those texts."
Anna whispered, her voice chillingly calm. "I thought it was time we had some quality girl-talk without any interruptions."

Anna stepped forward, the space between them shrinking to nothing.

"Do you remember what I told you the last time we met, Selene? I told you that there were lines you shouldn't cross. I told you that the sky wasn't big enough for both of us."

Before Selene could even form a response, Anna moved.

She was as fast as the lightning that suddenly turned the room white.

The kitchen knife flashed, plunging deep into Selene’s right shoulder.

A blood-curdling scream ripped from Selene’s throat, echoing off the high, vaulted ceiling. Blood, hot and dark, began to soak into her expensive coat.

Anna leaned in, looking directly into Selene’s dilated, shocked pupils. "Exactly. I told you I’d kill you."

Anna twisted the blade, a sickening squelch accompanying Selene’s second scream. She wrenched the knife out, the steel now slick with blood and steaming in the cool air.

Selene staggered back, her left hand clutching the fountain of red pouring from her shoulder, tears streaming down a face that was now a mask of pure, unadulterated agony.

Anna looked at the bloody knife with a quiet, appreciative nod.

"I was right. This thing is remarkably sharp. It’s like a scalpel for the soul."

"You sick... bitch!" Selene sobbed, her breath coming in ragged, wet hitches as she backed away, her sprained ankle bucking under her.

Anna’s gaze snapped to her, cold and predatory. "A bitch? Well, thank you for the compliment. But let’s be specific—I’m William’s bitch. And he’s very particular about his property."

Anna began to march toward her. Selene turned to flee, but her ankle gave way, and she was reduced to a desperate, panicked crawl.

Anna lunged, but Selene, fueled by the adrenaline of the dying, kicked out. Her heel caught Anna in the stomach.

Anna grunted, falling back as the knife clattered to the floor.

"Are you still trying to kill my baby even now?" Anna yelled, her voice suddenly sharp with a manic, motherly fury.
"You heartless animal! You tried to kill us before, and now you’re trying to run? Fat chance."

Selene scrambled away, her breath coming in broken, terrified wheezes. "Help! Someone help me! Anyone please!"

Anna was on her feet in seconds. She scooped up the knife and began a slow, rhythmic jog after her.

"Selene! Selene! Please come back! We just need to talk. I’m sure this is all just one big, bloody misunderstanding!"

Selene reached for her phone, but her fingers were slick with her own blood. The device slipped from her hand, skittering across the pavement.

As she bent to reach for it, Anna caught up. She kicked the phone away into the dark and delivered another stinging slap that sent Selene’s head snapping to the side.

Anna grabbed a handful of Selene’s blonde hair and slammed her face into the damp brick wall of the pavilion.

A satisfying, wet crunch echoed in the night. Anna shoved her to the ground.

"How does that feel? Is that the 'fire' you were talking about?"

“Please… stop… get away from me…” Selene groaned, a pathetic, bubbling sound.

“Help! Someone help me please!”

She tried to crawl toward the exit, her cries for help getting lost in the sudden roar of thunder that shook the very foundations of the park.

Anna came up behind her and drove the knife deep into her back.

“Shut up!”

An agonizing, soul-shattering scream tore through the rain that had finally begun to fall.

Selene collapsed face-down, her body twitching.

"Shhh," Anna hissed, dragging Selene back by her ankles. "You’re going to wake the neighbors, and we aren't finished yet."

“No… no… please… no…”

Selene tried to fight, her movements weak and uncoordinated from blood loss.

Upset by the resistance, Anna stabbed her in the calf. Another scream.

Anna flipped her over, straddling Selene’s chest, her knees pinning Selene’s arms to the cold stone.

Anna gripped Selene’s jaw, turning her face side to side before forcing her to look up.

Blood oozed from Selene’s broken nose and mouth, painting her teeth red.

"You’re so pretty, Selene. Truly. What a waste. All those expensive creams and all that effort, just because you couldn't learn the simplest lesson: Stay. The. Hell. Away. From. My. Husband." She said, caressing her bloody cheek.

"Please..." Selene gargled, her eyes glassy with the onset of shock. "Let me... live. I’ll go. I’ll leave the country. I’ll never... speak his name again. Spare me." She begged through blood and tears.

Anna tilted her head, appearing to consider it for a fleeting second.

"Hmm. You know, that sounds like a lovely plan." She leaned in closer, her eyes turning into black voids. "I could consider it. But I’m just not a gambling woman. I prefer a sure thing."

Anna raised the knife high, the blade catching a flicker of distant lightning. "Surprise!"

She plunged the knife into Selene’s heart.
Selene’s body jolted, a sharp, wet gasp escaping her as she began to choke on her own blood.

Anna didn't stop. She stabbed her again. And again. And again. She didn't stop until the splashing of the rain was the only sound left, until Selene’s eyes were glassy, wide and vacant, the life behind them extinguished like a blown-out candle.

Anna pulled the knife out with a final, wet tug. She reached down and gently, almost tenderly, closed Selene’s eyelids over the unshed tears.

"Sleep tight, darling," Anna whispered. "I hope the surprise was everything you dreamed of."

She stood up, the rain washing the blood from her hoodie as she looked down at the silent heap of silk and broken dreams.

I should probably feel a weight in my soul, Anna thought as she wiped the blade on Selene’s coat, but I feel light as a feather.

It's amazing how much more room there is in the world once you take out the trash. Right?