Chapter 4

I walked downstairs. A small, private memorial was being held in the living room. Ethan's mother, Eleanor Sinclair, was sitting in the center.

When she saw me walk down, her swollen, red eyes flared with pure hatred. "If you hadn't begged my son to hurry back, he wouldn't have rushed onto that yacht! You are the reason my son is dead!"

Ethan was supposed to be in Switzerland overseeing a project. The day after his "accident" was our scheduled wedding dress fitting. He was supposedly rushing back when the yacht failed.

When I first heard of his death, I swallowed my own grief to comfort Eleanor. But she had pushed me away, screaming, "You're a curse! You killed my son!"

Eleanor and I never got along. Before the accident, Ethan promised we wouldn't live with her after the wedding. But over the last few days, consumed by guilt, I had let her use me as a punching bag.

But now, looking at her weeping dramatically in front of Ethan's massive oil portrait, she looked like a clown in a cheap soap opera.

For some reason, a dry chuckle escaped my lips.

She went stiff with rage. "What are you laughing at?!" She lunged forward, raising her hand to slap me.

Mason rushed over to hold her back. "Mrs. Sinclair, please calm down! Chloe is just out of her mind with grief. She’s not mentally stable right now. Don't take it out on her."

Luke added quickly, "Chloe, apologize to Mrs. Sinclair right now."

I walked slowly over to Eleanor. She assumed I was going to beg for forgiveness and turned her head away in disgust. "Save your breath. I will never forgive you. You were only engaged, not married. Don't think you're getting a single dime of my son’s estate."

I bent down and whispered directly into her ear: "Do you really not know who your son faked his death to run off with? Just wait until my sister gets back. The Sinclair family name is going to be dragged through the mud."

She gasped, clutching her chest, and fell back onto the sofa.

It felt incredibly satisfying.

The relatives panicked, swarming around her. Shaking her finger at me, she screamed, "She really did kill my son! Luke! Call the police! Have her arrested!"

I let tears well up in my eyes right on cue, letting my body sway weakly. "Since you hate me so much, Mrs. Sinclair, I guess I have no choice but to pack my things and leave."

"Chloe, don't say things in anger," Luke tried to intervene.

"Don't stop me," I said, putting on a brave, tragic face. "My presence only brings her pain. I’ve decided to move out."

Luke and Mason exchanged a panicked look. This was clearly not part of the script Ethan had written.

Luke hurried into the corner to send a Snapchat message to Ethan.

*Luke: "Your mom is losing it. She’s screaming at Chloe, and Chloe is packing her bags to leave the Sinclair estate."*

*Ethan: "My mom has a temper, but she’s sacrificed a lot for me. Tell Chloe to just deal with it and swallow her pride."*

*Luke: "But... your mom is relentlessly cursing her out. Chloe is determined to leave."*

*Ethan: "Let her leave then. It’s fine. Once I return, all it’ll take is one word from me to get her back."*

*Luke: "Alright, I'll let her go."*

In my past life, I never saw these texts. But now, I knew exactly what they were playing at.

I didn't take much—just a small jewelry box and a few everyday clothes. I left the rest behind, telling the crowd, "I’ll leave these here as memories," but in reality, I was making a clean, public break.

My best friend, Nova Harrington, came to pick me up. "Chloe, are you really okay?" she asked gently. She had seen me crying like my world had ended just days ago.

"I’m fine," I said, leaning back against the leather seat. "I just need to get away from there."

Nova thought for a moment. "My brother has a penthouse downtown. He’s barely ever there, and his housekeeper keeps it spotless. Why don't you stay there for a bit? Take your time finding a new place."

As she handed me the key fob, I asked, "Is your brother going to show up unexpectedly?"

"No way. I asked him recently, and he said he has no plans of returning to the city anytime soon. Even if he does, he usually stays at the Harrington estate or a hotel. You'll have the place entirely to yourself."

I slept for two solid days in the penthouse. The swelling in my eyes finally went down.

On the third night, Nova dragged me to an exclusive, members-only cocktail lounge to take my mind off things. After a few drinks, I spotted Luke and Mason in a VIP booth on the second floor.

I didn't want to deal with them, so I turned my head, pretending not to see them.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke pull out his phone, snap a photo of my profile, and send it to Ethan.

*Luke: "Just saw Chloe drinking her sorrows away at the Sky Lounge. Should I go over and comfort her?"*

*Ethan: "Yeah, I did feel a bit bad about how things handled. She must be hurting."*

Luke pocketed his phone and started walking toward the stairs.

But halfway down, his phone buzzed again.

*Ethan: "Actually, don't bother. Let her feel the pain of losing me a bit longer. When I 'rise from the dead,' she’ll cherish me even more."*