Revenge On My Deceptive Bride

treet, sucking in the city air. My hands were trembling. My mind was a chaotic storm. Chloe wa

childhood, the only person I knew I could trust without a doubt. I fumb

ce before h

? You sound like you

ck wall to steady myself. "I need your help. Can yo

doing over there? And why d

one. Just... please, hurry.

'm on my way. But you owe me an explanation. And pro

grumbling. It was a slice of normalcy in a world that had gone compl

n screeched to a halt beside me. He leane

oncern. "You look terrible. What the hell i

orn fabric a strange comfor

ane. I couldn't tell him I had been reborn. He'd think I'd lost my

erheard her on the phone. She's working with someone, and they're planning

hock and disbelief. "Chloe? Are you serious?

, 'The point is to ruin him.' I have to get away, hi

l. He knew I wasn't prone to drama or paranoia. For me

kay. My place. It's a mess, but no one will

nt across town. Just as he'd warned, it was a disaster zone of takeout contain

ed, clearing a space on the cou

partner know I'm onto them, they'll just change their plan or, worse, accelerate it. The best thing I can do is disappear. Lay low. By not driving, by n

past life, I had walked straight into their trap. This time, I had dodged it.

rough his messy hair. "Stay here as lon

ing to fade, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion. For the first time in what fel

or a while, the mundane chatter of a daytime talk show filling the room. Matt seemed to sense I

gedly the target of a sinister plot, you're really boring. I wa

k smile. "Sorry

oing to hide out h

life. Who was Chloe working with? What was their endgame? Just ruining me wasn't enough; they had gotten me killed. The stakes were higher than I could even explain

man. You're here. You're not in the car, you're not on th

l news. He was right. I needed to calm down. I took a long drink of

en I h

with a breaking news alert. Police in Oceanville are searching for a suspect

nowhere near the coast road I was supposed to be on.

llegedly struck a female pedestrian before fleeing the scene. Th

could

in connection with this crime," the anchor said, her voice grave. "Th

hloe had taken of me, smiling and carefree. Ben

m. It had happened anyway. I had changed nothing. The trap wasn't a location; it was a narrative. And it had just snapped s

then at me, his face pale

g. "What the hell is this? That's you! Th

curdled into something else. Confusi

ng from Chloe!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. "But you

f panic. "I've been here! With you! I haven't been anywhere near Sea

ible? Your face is on the news, Leo! They have a victim! I broug

yes. The conspirators hadn't just framed me for a crime, they were isolating me, turni