The Woman I Didn't Marry

swift. Nicole, stripped of her power

ely respected my decision, albeit wi

d peace settled o

who was wronged. She needed a scandal that would make her the sympathetic figure and me t

s over with a celebratory dinner. It was tense and miserable. I was just counting the

d back toward the house, two police cars, lights

officer asked, step

es

have reason to believe you are i

shed out onto the porch, their faces etched with confusion and horror. In the glove

ca

t before in my life," I s

It was Nicole, watching from the shadows. And on her face

s her doing. Her and Matthew. A way to burn everything to the ground, to paint me

e car in front of my family, my neighbors, was a fresh kind of hell

malice of it. All those years of my past life, I had loved a m

re dropped wit

d there was zero evidence linking me to the drugs be

rumor mill in our small com

ons were h

y knew. They didn't have proof, but th

n, silent Nicole to

regret. "There are no words. We are so, so sorr

t my eyes. "I'm sorry," she mumbled

had once cherished, and felt a

ebt I felt I owed her parents in my past life, for their k

gy," I said, my voic

ed up, searching my face for some sign of pa

irport. They were quiet, their hearts broken for me, but they supported

sor

deleted the message a

seat, and looked out the win

ng the ghost of Ethan Lester who had loved Nicole Anderson. A new life was waiting for me