Chapter 13
“I just couldn’t let it go,” Arthur sobbed. “Marcus… that paternity report was real.”
“That boy–he was Elaine’s son.”
Marcus crouched down and grabbed Arthur by the collar.
He stared at him for a long, bitter moment.
Then spat out one cruel, final sentence.
“Arthur Phoenix, you fucking deserved everything that happened to you.”
He shoved Arthur aside, turned, and left the grave.
It wasn’t until he’d driven ten miles from the cemetery that he finally made the call.
Then, he pulled out his phone and dialed.
“Elaine?”
“Ah–no, I mean… Ms. Summers.”
“So this is really it, huh?”
“Where do you plan on going next?”
I stood beneath the clear sky, watching a plane roar overhead.
Its thunder drowned out everything else.
That day, when Arthur brought Vivian into our home–I really did lose control.
But I never wanted to die.
Arthur wasn’t worth it.
And Vivian? I wanted her to rot in prison, not burn.
I had simply hired a moving company and packed up my things.
I was ready to disappear.
Chapter 13
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By chance, Marcus had shown up at my door–he was trying to deliver something urgent to Arthur,
but couldn’t reach him.
When he saw my house half–empty, he didn’t ask questions.
He just went out and came back with two bottles of wine.
“Wanna talk?”
Over the years, I had become isolated. I had no one to confide in.
Marcus may have been Arthur’s childhood friend, but he was honest, loyal, and discreet–someone
you could trust with your life.
Chapter 13
