Chapter 11
“So she went after you.”
“Surprise, Elaine. I’m the one behind it all.”
“Come on, get up!”
“You always said if I ever cheated, you’d castrate me.”
“Well–I cheated! So come on–do it!”
“Get up, Elaine… get up…‘
His voice grew weaker and weaker until he collapsed, still holding her charred hand.
“You liar… you said you’d stay with me forever…”
“Please… don’t leave me…”
“I’m scared…‘
At the funeral, Arthur stayed until the very last guest had left.
Only then did he notice–all the people who remained were their mutual friends.
“Turns out… our lives were already too entwined to separate.”
He crouched at her grave, lighting cigarette after cigarette.
Each puff triggered another violent cough.
“Stop smoking.”
Marcus snatched the cigarette from his fingers. “If Elaine saw you pick up that habit, she’d beat you
senseless.”
“She’d… beat me?” Arthur’s eyes lit up for the briefest moment.
He scrambled to pull out a full pack of cigarettes, shoved them all in his mouth, and fumbled for his lighter.
Hands shaking, he clicked it again and again until the flame caught.
Ten cigarettes lit at once. Smoke poured into his lungs, and he coughed until he hacked up blood.
Chapter 11
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“Elaine Summers, you stingy brat…”
“Get up and hit me. Please.‘
Marcus tried to stop him twice.
But Arthur kept smoking, even if it killed him.
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Chapter 11 Chapte
