Chapter 5
William took them, staring in disbelief. He read the papers again. Then again.
“No… no way. She wouldn’t just die like that. You’re lying, aren’t you?!”
Sharon rushed to grab his hand. “Mr. Garnier, Marcella’s gone, but I’m still here. You still have me.”
He ignored her. Eyes locked on the river. “Use every resource the Garnier Group has. I don’t care about the cost. Find Marcella.
“Dead or alive-I want her found!”
Sharon’s fists clenched, nails digging into her palms. Her voice remained soft. “Maybe … maybe she just didn’t want to live anymore. Why not let her go in peace?”
William snapped, shaking her off.
“Don’t think I don’t see through you.
“Even if she’s dead, you’ll never be Mrs. Garnier.”
Her smile froze. For a brief second, the venom in her eyes slipped through before she turned quiet.
His phone buzzed nonstop. The crowd was noisy. Annoyed, William put the phone on speaker.
“Mr. Garnier, we’ve got news. The Jallot family had an adopted son.
“He’s been overseas handling their affairs and just got back recently.
“If Marcella’s gone, then according to the will, everything she owns-assets and shares-goes to him.”
William scoffed.
“That’s it? Just an adopted son? And he thinks he can challenge the Garnier Group?”
The caller’s voice tightened.
“Mr. Garnier, most of the Garnier Group’s backbone comes from the Jallot family’s funding. If they make a move, the stock prices will crash.”
“I built the Garnier Group with my own hands. The Jallot family didn’t make me.” With that, William hung up.
A cold wind whipped off the river. Sharon hugged herself, shivering pitifully.
William thought of me.
I never begged him for affection. I never faked a smile and never asked for help. Even after the miscarriage, I didn’t
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need anyone.
His grip tightened around the divorce papers. For the first time, he turned away from Sharon, eyes fixed on the sal- vage crew.
His phone buzzed again-the group chat was blowing up.
His buddies were blowing up the chat, asking for today’s “manifestation” video-and betting on whether I’d end up pregnant. Sharon? She was acting like nothing happened, flirting in the group with cutesy emojis and playful banter.
Out of nowhere, rage flared up in William’s chest, but he had no clue who he was mad at. So, he shut down the mani- festation group chat.
Then he remembered to message me.
“Cella, as long as you come back alive, I don’t care what you do.”
Even now, he still thought I was just jealous of Sharon-throwing a tantrum, faking a divorce, disappearing just to get his attention.
His inner pocket buzzed. He felt around and pulled out my phone. He froze for a second, then unlocked it.
The passcode was his birthday. It had never changed.
He scrolled through the notes app, reading all my scattered thoughts.
He laughed out loud, without meaning to. Every bit of love I had for him was there. Sure, I got mad and complained sometimes. But I always forgave him. Always softened.
The last entry was from two days ago.
Bored, he kept swiping through the phone. Then a voice memo caught his eye.
He played just the beginning-and his face went completely pale.
So I had known everything all along.
…
***
Across the river, I dragged the unconscious girl from the water.
I’d gone out early to wait for Brandon Lucian-never imagining I’d have to save someone from drowning.
Everyone was distracted by the fireworks. No one heard me screaming for help.
The figure in the water was slipping away. I clenched my teeth and jumped in. Good thing I got her out just in time.
But after all that, my body hit its limit. I could barely take another step.
Brandon once told me I was born lucky-someone would always show up when I was in danger.
I clasped my hands tightly and prayed hard for that luck to come through again.
“Cella, don’t pray to Jesus. Pray to me.”
I opened my eyes. Brandon was right there, walking toward me through the glow of the headlights-like Jesus him- self.
Relieved, I passed out.
