Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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James Krell peiore the statue of
Jesus, body rigid with dread.
There was no one on Earth he feared
more than his grandfather.
And yet, he had committed one
offense after another that drove the
old man to fury.
Grandpa Carter’s voice was like ice:
“The Johnsons have come to dissolve the engagement. It looks like I’ve finally run out of favors to repay in
this life.”
“Two choices.” He lifted his eyes, sharp as knives. “Either leave the Carters for good… or remarry Sophia and stay far away from the Johnson
girl.”
James didn’t even hesitate. He bowed
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deeply until his forehead hit the
ground.
“Grandfather, I choose neither.”
The elder’s fingers tightened around the beads, though his expression
remained calm.
“Then I choose for you. Effective immediately, you are no longer part of the Carters.”
James looked up in shock. But seeing
his grandfather’s steely expression, he bowed again, harder.
“Understood.”
In that moment, forehead pressed to
the floor, James felt a strange sense of
peace.
He could live without the Carters.
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deeply until his forehead hit the
ground.
“Grandfather, I choose neither.”
The elder’s fingers tightened around the beads, though his expression
remained calm.
“Then I choose for you. Effective immediately, you are no longer part of
the Carters.”
James looked up in shock. But seeing
his grandfather’s steely expression, he bowed again, harder.
“Understood.”
In that moment, forehead pressed to
the floor, James felt a strange sense of
peace.
He could live without the Carters.
Chapter 8
But not without Olivia.
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As he rose, a soft voice rang out from
behind the altar cloth.
“James… you’d rather be disowned
than stay with me?”
Sophia stepped forward, eyes glistening.
“I loved you so much. I did everything -everything–to push Olivia out of your life. Why is it still all about her?”
“Would you even blink if I died right
now?!”
James didn’t even glance her way. He
walked out of the chapel in silence.
Behind him, Sophia laughed bitterly,
then suddenly lunged at the statue
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of Jesus, ready to smash her head
against it.
Grandpa Carter raised a hand,
signaling the guards.
“Don’t defile a sacred place. Escort
Miss Turner out.”
James began visiting the hospital
more frequently than ever.
Sometimes he brought the latest seasonal outfits, claiming he was
delivering fresh clothes.
Sometimes it was a thermos of
homemade congee, “made specially
by the family chef to soothe your
stomach.”
Each time, Matthew blocked him at
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In all those years we were together,
James never cared about the little
things.
He couldn’t even remember my birthday–but he always remembered Sophia’s cycle.
I suddenly burst into laughter.
Matthew looked up from organizing my discharge paperwork, confused.
I clutched my stomach, laughing so hard I rolled on the bed.
“James told me… I am the love of his
life. Isn’t that hilarious?”
Matthew dropped the folder and
pinned me to the bed with a glare.
“Olivia, you can think about
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other men–put not that idioL,
twice–divorced scumbag.”
I stopped laughing and asked
seriously, “So I can think about other
men?”
He gritted his teeth and tugged gently on my earlobe.
“In your dreams.”
I rolled my eyes and pinched his
cheek.
“Fine. Then I’ll just think about you,
Mr. Lewis. Satisfied?”
He jolted upright, ears red.
“You’ve changed, Olivia. You’re sweet–talking me now?!”
I hurled a pillow at him. He caught it
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easily, grinning like a cat who stole
the cream.
“Only sweet–talk me. I’m weak for that
stuff.”
On our wedding day, I spotted James in the last row of the guest seats.
He sat quietly in a corner, noticeably thinner, looking pale and drawn.
Just as my father began walking me down the aisle toward Matthew, James rushed onto the stage, blocking my path.
“Olivia! Come with me!” He reached
out to grab me.
I quickly stepped away.
“James, last time you left me
stranded outside th
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stranded outside the church. Now you’re here to ruin my wedding again? What did I ever do to deserve this?”
He shook his head frantically, voice trembling.
“No! I turned down Sophia, got kicked
out of the Carters–I have no one left but you, Olivia!”
“Well, I don’t want you,” I said coldly.
“I’m done with you. You make me sick. Get out of my life.”
That hit him like a bullet.
He staggered back, lips parted but
speechless.
Matthew strolled forward, cracking his
knuckles with an audible pop.
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I gently grabbed his arm—I didn’t want a scene at our wedding.
My father stepped up, face grim.
“James, do I need to speak to your
grandfather again?”
James paled instantly.
He knew–if Grandpa Carter had to intervene again, it would be far worse than being kicked out.
He gave me one last, hollow look.
“Olivia… is it really over?”
I didn’t answer.
I just held Matthew’s hand tighter and walked straight up to the altar.
As James stood frozen under the
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I just held Matthew’s hand tighter and walked straight up to the altar.
As James stood frozen under the
guests‘ contemptuous stares, he eventually turned and stumbled out.
No one noticed Sophia lurking in the shadows outside the hall.
She reached the parking lot first.
When James appeared in a daze, she didn’t hesitate.
She slammed the accelerator–anu nit
him with the same car he once drove to the airport to pick her up in.
As she lay dying, she crawled into his arms, whispering:
“Jimmy… you know me. If I want
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“Jimmy… you know me. If I want something… I’ll never let go. Not even
in death.”
When the news came, Matthew and I were in the middle of a playful fight.
We couldn’t agree on a honeymoon
destination.
It escalated until I was tugging on his ear and he was pulling on my hair tie
Then I suddenly leaned in and kis him lightly.
He instantly took control and
deepened the kiss.
“Olivia,” he murmured, “you’ve got me completely wrapped around your finger.”
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I slipped my arms around his waist
and teased, “And what’s so bad about
that?”
He instantly grinned. “Absolutely
nothing!”
