4 Chapter 4
I started laughing so hard I had to bend over.
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I laughed out loud. “You’re wrong about that. His love? 1 don’t want it anymore.”
How ridiculous.
I turned my attention back to Ryan. “Your parents are dead. Their bodies are at the funeral home. Uncle Thomas is there. You should probably go”
“You’re shameless, Lidia! You’d say something that vile just to get my sympathy and my money? Weren’t my parents good enough to you? How dare you!”
Nowered my eyes, too tired to even look at him. “You think I have the power to make a hospital forge death certificates? Ryan’s parents‘ bodies are at the funeral home. He should probably get his ass over there.”
I was about to offer a half–hearted “my condolences,” but he suddenly exploded, his voice venomous. “This is all your fault! Why didn’t you make it clearer! You killed them -you’re a murderer!”
His relatives had wanted to eat me alive since the day I married into the Mitchell family. He couldn’t possibly be unaware of that. There was no way they would ever conspire with me.
I cried until I felt hollow, my heart ripped from my chest.
I paused, then asked carefully, “Did you… get the news?”
“You–stop it. This isn’t funny” He grabbed my arm, his voice cracking, “Lidia, tell me this is a lie! Tell me you’re making it all up! Call it a sick joke, and I swear I won’t even
be mad!”
Ryan’s sanity finally snapped. He grabbed a crystal vase and hurled it at my head. I dodged it easily.
Thomas’s brow furrowed as he noticed the solemn expressions on the faces of the medical staff around us.
Ryan and Madison had just returned when I arrived. Ryan looked exhausted, the way a
15.32
<
4 Chapter 4
man does after a long night of debauchery.
Leaving the hospital, I immediately called my lawyer. “Mr. Zane, I need you to draft divorce papers. Prepare to file them immediately.”
“Lidia, this joke has gone too far. It’s not funny,” Ryan said, taking a step toward me.
After finishing the paperwork at the hospital, I was about to leave when I ran into Thomas.
I let out a long, heavy sigh, watching calmly as Thomas fell apart in front of me.
He sneered the moment he saw me. “Having fun? You really went all out for this one, didn’t you? You even got the hospital to play along with your little scam.”
I almost refused, but then an idea sparked. After a moment, I nodded.
A bitter smile touched my lips. By now, the entire family, even the butler, knew about the tragedy. Only Ryan was still in the dark, stubbornly believing that everyone had been bought off by me to trick him.
My vision was a watery blur.
The image of Madison’s paper–thin scratch healing on the car ride over was so absurd it sent me into another fit of laughter.
Madison, sprawled on my bed like she owned the place, sighed impatiently. “Did you know Ryan stayed at the private hospital all night just to watch over me and make sure I was safe?”
His madness evaporated my last shred of sympathy, replacing it with cold disgust. My tone was acid. “I told you the truth. Ryan said I was acting. You chose to believe him. And now, the price has been paid.”
Thomas collapsed to the floor as if all his bones had been removed.
After picking up the papers, I drove directly to our penthouse apartment downtown.
“Miss Carter, are you okay?” the doctor asked, his hand still on my arm. He looked at me with pity. “We are truly sorry for your loss.”
He grabbed my sleeve, weeping uncontrollably. “I can’t bring myself to tell Ryan about his parents. Please, can you tell him for me?”
15:32
2/3
<
4 Chapter 4
Ryan’s parents were dead, and he hadn’t even been there to say goodbye. He had a chance to be with them at the end, but he chose to babysit Madison over a paper cut on her pinky finger.
I sighed and shrugged. “I’m just the messenger. The facts are the facts. Believe them or not, that’s on you. All I can say is, the Mitchell family is in chaos right now, and as the only son, you have a responsibility to be at the funeral home.”
When I finally caught my breath, I met Ryan’s icy stare and then turned to Madison. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to fight you for your man.”
Madison grabbed his sleeve, her sickly–sweet voice grating on my ears. “Ryan, I’m sure Lidia didn’t mean it. She probably just loves you too much. After all, she comes from nothing. No money, no one to love her.”
Ryan’s gaze grew colder. “What are you doing back here? Get out!” he yelled. “If it weren’t for you, Madison would never have gotten hurt!”
Comment °
O
Leave the first comment for this chapter.
Vote
27
Swipe left to continue >
Send Gift
