“Well, well, well. Knew Finn was here with his girlfriend, so you decided to put on a little pity play, huh?”
“It was just a little blood donation. Do you have to act like you’re on death’s door?”
“Gotta say, the pale makeup looks very natural. Seamless. We always said you were manipulative, but Finn never believed us…”
Finn’s friends always thought I wasn’t good enough for him. If he hadn’t forced them to treat me like family, they never would have accepted me. Now, playing along with Finn’s charade, they could finally unleash their true feelings.
Finn came downstairs to meet them. He froze when he saw me, then his brow furrowed.
“Elvira, seriously? I already promised we’d still have the wedding. Now you’re paying doctors to help you fake an illness so you can
spy on me? Is this fun for you?”
“Do you have any idea how suffocating this is?”
“I’m telling you right now, if you keep this up after we’re married, we’ll end up divorced anyway!”
3
“Don’t bother,” I said, my voice steady. “I don’t need you to marry me.”
In our six years together, he had always been free. When he wanted to drink, I sat quietly beside him, never rushing him. If I wasn’t appropriate for the occasion, I waited for his call to pick him up, then took care of him without complaint when he was drunk. When he wanted to take a trip with his friends, I booked the tickets and planned the itinerary. Even when he offered me his phone to check, I never did.
I loved him, and I didn’t want to repeat my mother’s mistake–her suffocating control had driven my father to divorce. I thought I had maintained a healthy distance in our relationship. Before his “accident,” we were inseparable, still in the honeymoon phase.
But now, I understood. My love was suffocating him. Was that the real reason he was faking this illness, seeking a thrill?
Our eyes met. I saw no trace of affection in his gaze. The accusations on the tip of my tongue died in my throat.
Chapter 1
But now, I understood. My love was suffocating him. Was that the real reason he was faking this illness, seeking a thrill?
Our eyes met. I saw no trace of affection in his gaze. The accusations on the tip of my tongue died in my throat.
