Chapter 8
Two weeks later was my discharge date.
It was also the day Candy was officially charged with attempted murder.
She was locked up in county jail, and Blake had apparently visited her before I did.
Nobody knew what they’d talked about, but after Blake left, Candy had a meltdown demanding medical release.
But the doctors confirmed she was perfectly fine, so obviously they couldn’t grant her ridiculous request.
“You must be feeling pretty smug right now, huh? Got the Whitmore golden boy wrapped around your finger, and now even Blake can’t get over you!”
Through the visiting room glass, the woman was skin and bones but still seemed mentally sharp.
Her sunken eyes stared at me with pure poison, showing zero guilt or remorse for destroying someone’s life.
“So you did all this just because of some guy?”
I asked quietly.
At least in my past life, I hadn’t known she’d always hated me.
Candy Morrison had been my only friend besides Blake during my teenage years. If she’d been honest from the start, I would’ve understood her-maybe even stepped aside willingly.
“Don’t give me that fake innocent act!! I’m prettier and better than you! You should’ve spent your whole life as MY sidekick!! I should’ve used actual poison instead of ginger powder and killed you for REAL!”
Her words were practically dripping venom.
So from the very beginning, even our friendship had just been about Blake.
I let out a cold laugh, no longer feeling any sympathy.
“I bet you don’t know yet-you’re gonna have little brothers and sisters.”
“What the hell does THAT mean?!”
The woman’s head snapped up, glaring at me.
Turns out after Candy got locked up, Morrison family stocks crashed and burned.
To save what was left of their business, her parents had coldly cut all ties with her-they wouldn’t even hire her a lawyer.
Not only that, but the reason they hadn’t visited her once was because they’d used overseas IVF technology to have another baby.
Apparently very healthy, with a high IQ too.
Which meant Candy had been completely abandoned by her own parents and left to rot.
“IMPOSSIBLE! My parents would never do that to me! You’re LYING!”
The composed facade Candy had been maintaining finally cracked completely.
She screamed hysterically, like that would somehow make the truth go away.
But I was done wasting time on her.
I got up and left the jail, ignoring her breakdown completely.
This was her punishment for betraying everyone who’d ever cared about her. And I was satisfied.
She ended up getting fifteen years.
And I accepted Damon Whitmore’s proposal.
Not just because he’d saved me, but because his passionate love made my dead heart feel something again.
On my wedding day, I received a blood-stained letter.
[Riley, by the time you read this, I’ll probably be gone.
I went and experienced that despair you felt for myself. It really does hurt like hell!
But don’t be sad about me, and definitely don’t forgive me..
Because someone like me doesn’t deserve it.
I don’t deserve to be your husband!
When I first realized I’d been reborn, I was over the moon. I thought I could fix everything wrong, but I ended up losing the most important thing and didn’t even realize it..
Every night since you left, I’ve been praying-praying I’d wake up and it would all be just a nightmare, that you’d still be lying safe in my arms and our kids would be jumping on the bed to wake us up.
But I know that’s impossible now.
I love you, Riley.
Even though you’ll never love me again, I still love you.
Even in death.
Blake]
Along with the letter was a stock transfer document.
He’d signed over every share he owned to me.
It was both compensation and security.
If Damon ever treated me badly, I could break free on my own without being some rich guy’s trophy wife.
This was his final act of tenderness toward me.
Tears covered my face before I knew it.
“Hey, what’s wrong? You look like a little crybaby. Missing your grandma again? She’d be happy for us, you know.”
Damon walked over and gently wiped my tears.
“Yeah, I just miss her so much.”
For some reason, I didn’t tell him about Blake’s letter.
Or maybe I just didn’t think it was worth troubling him over.
The man gently took my hand and led me toward the flower-filled chapel.
Behind us, only a tear-stained letter lay silently in the trash can.
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy DaisyNovel. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.