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This time, Rachel deigned to explain herself. “Look, I’ll admit I didn’t think it through earlier. But it was an emergency. We can always get the marriage license another day, right?”
She turned to me with a placating smile. “How about this, Ryan? Next Monday, you can pick me up and we’ll head to the city hall together. We’ll make it official then.”
Even as she tried to make amends, she couldn’t shake off her haughty, entitled attitude.
In the past, I would have caved. I would have turned back, wrapped my arms around her waist, and playfully bitten her neck, saying, “Don’t let it happen again.”
But now, my eyes were cold, my tone strange. “Don’t bother,” I said. “The almighty Ms. Quinn wouldn’t lower herself to take back someone she’s already tossed aside, would she?”
It was the first time I’d ever addressed her so formally so 21:22
distantly.
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Rachel was in shock. She took a sharp breath, steadying herself against the table’s edge, unable to believe what she’d just heard.
Ryan, she said, her voice quivering. “Are you really breaking up with me over something so petty?”
Petty? What the hell counts as petty to her? I let out a bitter laugh inwardly. “Is my mother’s death just a minor inconvenience?”
Fury coursed through me, my arm muscles taut with anger. My voice came out low and dangerous, each word like a clap of thunder. “What about you, Rachel? You haven’t asked about my mom even once.”
Rachel stiffened, her eyes darting away. “Your mom’s healthy. Even two Nathans combined couldn’t match up to her.
Fine, if it’s about this, I’ll buy some health supplements for your mom later, she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her tone dripped with condescension. 2/11
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The others chimed in eagerly, “Rachel’s doing you a favor, Ryan. Don’t you know when you’re getting a good deal? Those supplements cost thousands of dollars. Where would your country bumpkin mom ever get to eat such good stuff otherwise?”
My throat tightened, leaving me speechless.
It was ridiculous.
Even now, Rachel believed Susan coveted her wealth and status.
When I brought her home to meet Susan, she came empty–handed. I chalked it up to absent–mindedness.
Later, I realized she not only looked down on me but was wary of Susan, too.
Her friends had badmouthed Susan behind our backs. “What
3liar! Heart disease? Please! If it was that bad, how’s she still:22
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all these years?”
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I bet Ryan’s just eager to be a wealthy sugar baby. He’s probably got his mom faking heart problems to guilt–trip you, Rachel. Don’t fall for it!
And Rachel actually bought it.
While Susan was alive, Rachel gave away all the health supplements to her so–called friends.
Now that Susan was gone, she was falling over herself to bring offerings.
The irony was laughable.
That won’t be necessary, I said coldly.
Suddenly, Nathan let out a startled cry. “Oh!”
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Rachel instinctively moved closer to Nathan, her eyes filled with concern. “Nathan, what’s wrong?”
Nathan pointed at the memorial photo on the table, his voice
shaking. “Rachel, why is Ryan’s mom’s photo here? Does that mean…”
Rachel’s eyelid twitched. “No, it can’t be.”
People always tended to deceive themselves. If Rachel had thought about it carefully, she would have remembered how Susan often struggled to breathe when they met and how heart medication was scattered all over their house. If she had just considered it for a moment, she would have known that Susan truly had a heart condition.
One of Rachel’s friends immediately sneered, “Ryan must have made a memorial photo of his own mother just to win Rachel back. How disgusting!”
5/11
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Jecz, Ryan, another chimed in. “Pull stunts like this and karma’s
gonna
bite you in the ass.”
Their gaze was like looking at disgusting lice.
Even Rachel’s face twisted with disapproval. “Ryan, I can’t believe you’d do something like this. If your aunt found out…”
I closed my eyes, a headache building. “She’s not going to find
out.”
Rachel had never seen me this serious before. Her tone softened
instantly. “Ryan…”
I was done with these people. All I wanted was to take Susan’s ashes and leave. “If you won’t go, I will.”
As I picked up the urn, Rachel sneered. “Trying to play the victim again?”
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She shot a look at her cronies, who immediately surrounded me. Nathan snatched the urn from my hands.
Come on, Ryan, he said. “You don’t have to do this.”
Nathan leaned in close, lowering his voice. “Ryan, maybe save those flowers outside for your mom. She’s always faking heart problems. Might come in handy when she finally kicks the bucket.”
I struggled wildly, trying to swing at him, but was held back firmly. “Nathan! I’ll kill you!”
Oops, Nathan exclaimed as the urn slipped from his hands, scattering white powder across the floor.
His face showed mock regret, but his words dripped with accusation. “Sorry, Ryan. I spilled that ‘baby formula‘ you brought. But hey, waste not, want not. We can feed it to Anna. Might as well put it to good use.”
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Anna was Nathan’s dog.
What are you planning to do? I asked, horrified.
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Rachel chimed in, “Good idea. Waste not, want not, after all.”
I looked at Rachel, pleading, “No, Rachel, please…”
But she just scoffed indifferently, “Ryan, don’t you love acting? Keep going, I’m watching!”
My heart felt dead inside.
A metallic taste filled my mouth, “Rachel, you’ll regret this!!”
Damn, you’re really selling it,” someone nearby chuckled, instantly
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easing Rachel’s hesitation.
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I watched as Nathan added warm water to the ashes, and the Doberman tentatively licked the contents of the bowl.
No!
It felt like an invisible hand clenched my heart. The pain was suffocating.
I broke free, landing a hard punch on Nathan’s face, screaming like a madman, “That’s my mom’s ashes! You monster! I’ll kill
you!”
Tears streamed down my face as I furiously pinned Nathan down, raining punches on him.
Even as several people restrained my limbs, I glared at the couple before me, my eyes bloodshot with fury.
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Have you lost your mind, Ryan? Trying to kill Nathan over a can of formula? Rachel cried out, frantically checking Nathan for injuries without sparing me a glance.
My voice came out raw, like I’d been gargling gravel. “Rachel, I wish I’d never fallen for you. If I’d known loving you would cost me my mother, I’d have wished we’d never met.”
Rachel flinched, then wiped the blood from Nathan’s lip. Her voice dripped with contempt as she said, “Keep this act up, Ryan, and I might just find someone else to marry.”
My sobs turned into hysterical laughter as I glared at Rachel with pure hatred. “I hate you, Rachel,” I choked out, my voice weak with emotion. “I hate you!”
Rachel’s patience had run out. “Ryan, you can drop the act
now…”
Before she could finish, her friend Wendy approached hesitantly, holding a document. “Rachel,” she said, her voice uncertain, “I have a death certificate here. It looks like Ryan’s mom… It seems like she really did pass away.”
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My wife abandoned my mother on the r…
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Chapter 4
