Chapter 1
After I found out I was pregnant, my boyfriend’s entire family decided to die.
It started with Lukas Tilley’s grandmother, Freya Yarvell. She slammed her head into the wall right in front of me, leaving behind a secret.
Everyone who knew that secret ended up dead.
First, it was Lukas’s father, Blake Tilley. Then his mother, Wren Murrow. And finally, Lukas himself swallowed a handful of pills and ended his life right before my eyes.
The media went wild, digging for answers. The police called me in for questioning over and over. And the internet was flooded with accusations, hatred, and endless speculation.
Everyone wanted to know what the secret was. They said I had cursed the Tilley family, destroyed them just to keep the secret for myself.
I never defended myself. I stayed silent.
Until the day of Lukas’s funeral, when I saw someone at the service.
In that moment, my hand resting on my swollen belly, I felt utterly calm.
It was time for me and my baby to die, too.
***
After I got pregnant, Lukas took me home to meet his family.
Freya took one look at my pregnant belly and let out a wail, then hurled herself headfirst into the living room wall.
Blood splattered across the walls. She didn’t die right away.
But what truly terrified us was the look in Freya’s eyes-wide open, blood streaming down her cheeks like tears.
Her once gentle face was twisted in horror, as if she’d seen something unspeakable.
It was grotesque.
Wren fainted more than once. Blake clung to Freya’s body, sobbing uncontrollably.
Neighbors who’d heard the commotion rushed over, urging us to listen. Freya seemed to have something to say.
We all fell silent, straining to hear her last words.
But in the end, only Blake heard them.
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08:16
Chapter 1
Freya told him a secret. Then she was gone.
Blake’s face twisted with terror as he held her lifeless body, his hands trembling violently.
He broke down, shouting, “They won’t let us live!”
His reaction sent panic through us. Wren rushed to steady him, whispering, “Honey, what did Freya say?”
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Blake looked at us with haunted eyes, then shoved Wren aside. Before anyone could react, he slammed his head against the wall.
Blood pooled on the floor as he collapsed onto Freya’s corpse.
Even in death, Blake’s face mirrored Freya’s-frozen in terror.
As he lay dying, Wren desperately begged him to hold on, saying the ambulance was on its way. But when she finally heard his last words, her face went ghostly pale. She hung up on 911 without another word.
After that, no matter who asked, Wren refused to repeat what Blake had said. Not even the police could get a word out of her.
After Freya and Blake’s funeral, Lukas seemed to age overnight. Exhausted, he asked Wren, “What did Grandma say? Why did Dad kill himself right after hearing it?”
Wren clutched the family photo, tears streaming down her face.
“Don’t ask. There was no secret,” she whispered. “Freya and Blake’s deaths were just a terrible accident. Don’t read too much into it.’
Lukas sobbed until his voice was hoarse, crying out, “That was my dad! My grandma raised me! I watched them kill themselves-how am I supposed to just accept that?
“At the very least, you owe me an explanation!”
My heart ached for Lukas. I tried to help, pleading with Wren, “Wren, Freya, and Blake died right in front of us. How can we just move on?
“And they both died after learning that secret. You heard Freya’s last words too, Wren. We’re worried about you…”
I knew my words were blunt, but I couldn’t help it. I was terrified for her.
But before I could finish, Wren cut me off coldly.
She threw the family photo, her eyes blazing with hatred as she glared at me. “I told you there is no secret!
“You two broke the rules, got pregnant before marriage, and drove them to their deaths-does that explanation work for you?”
Whenever Freya and Blake’s deaths were mentioned, Wren couldn’t stop crying. It was clear she was even more dev- astated than we were.
But soon she collected herself, took a deep breath, and apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m just overwhelmed with grief.
“Freya and Blake both had health issues. Times have been tough lately. Maybe they just didn’t want to burden you.
“That’s enough. Suicide isn’t something to talk about. Don’t bring it up again.”
No matter how much we pressed, Wren refused to say another word on the subject.
But I couldn’t shake the unease inside me. My hand trembled as I cradled my belly.
I needed to know-why would Freya, who had always liked me, kill herself the moment she found out I was preg- nant?
What secret did she leave behind?
