egistered as she drifted back to consciousness. A dull, throbbing pain ra
in an armchair across the room, his laptop open, his fingers flying across the keyboard. He looked as if he were in his
's venomous words came rushing back. The pain in he
croaked, he
ook up from
ss that washed over her. Her purse was on the bedside table. She fumbled for her ph
" she
phone from her hand with a sigh of profound irritation. On the screen
g a divorce. Please, just give him back
er voice raw. "It was always thei
or the first time, a flicker of something other
idiculously large fruit basket. "Oh, my darling girl, you're awake!
, patting his arm. "Keely just called me, she's an absolut
it, deliberately pressing the speakerphone but
felt insecure about me and Ernst... I guess he was my first real boyfriend, and she ne
Keely's version of events-a version where Haley was the jealous one who had stolen Ern
a calculated scheme from the start. The brief moment of doubt was erased. He handed the ph
e returned, the mask of concern was gone
odisiac in the water. I planned the whole thing. You're nothing, Haley. Just a stupid little
, the years of being treated as second-best, all of
her lips. She looked Do
Ernst Winters. And I will drag this out for as long as it takes. I will make sure you and your precious Keely never
mpulsive declaration
was ove
the laptop he'd left behind, was Ernst. He had come back, perhaps to ask one more question about the text, a
t nothing, explicitly state her plan to hold th
e a mask of stone. The temperatu
yes devoid of any emotion save
ve my lawyers draw up a new agreement. I'll give you whatever
otsteps echoing down the hallway
r own angry words crashing back on her. She had me
ok of pure, venomous
g with a hatred so intense it felt like it co
said, each word
her tone. She hesitated, then scurrie
ce with her hands, but no tears came. She was empty. She had l
forward, she w
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