When Love Turns To Ashes

slacks, sitting in a chair by the bed. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes. For a f

neutral. "I had a doctor check on you while

with breakfast

st and drank the juice, my movements slow and deliberate. I was

tigator. A top man. He'll look into Lily's accident again, prove once and

te a report that said what he wanted it to say. He was

y voice soft and submissive.

leased. "Good. I'm glad you

ive suit who reeked of lies. He sat with me, asked a few perfunctory questions, and sho

acceptance. "I see," I said. "I... I w

He believed he had finally broken me, that the "t

I took the few photos I had of Lily and my grandmother and burned them in the fireplace. I took the weddin

e closet, holding

doing?" he demanded, his v

it," I said, my voice hollow. "Getting rid of all of i

searching my face for a

I to stand in the way of that? I don't deserve you, Ethan. I never did." Th

replaced by a smug satisfaction

ation." He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I heard the click of the lock.

ushes I had planted and replace them with Olivia's favorite gardenias. He w

for him to let me out. I apologized. I cried. I played

on the door. It wasn't Ethan. It was Dani

" he whispered through the wood. "I disabled

low and urgent. "The investigator... he buried something. Olivia didn't just cause the crash. She was arguing with L

ran col

phone. She was talking about 'tying up loose ends'. Sarah, I don't th

I was a threat

hey've been sending up to you... I had it tested. It contains

lace my child; she was trying to ensure I could n

a plan. It's risky. But it's the only way." He explained the idea o

without hesitation.

ard footsteps ap

just as Ethan unlocked the do

rself while I'm gone." He looked at me, my sudden plac

a small, sad smile. "I've

wave of nausea and a sharp, cramping pain hit

ching myself

I had to hide it. I had to pretend everything was