Abandon Deadly Betrayal, Embrace New Life

that greeted Charlotte when she woke up. Hospital

e, his face etched with a

the word tearing from her

ly neutral. "He's been taken care

grabbing his arm, her voice rising wi

"Don't worry, I'll buy you a new

given her for her twenty-fifth birthday. The cat he had held up to her face, purring, an

ears of pure, hot agony streamed from her eyes. He had killed a part of her, a liv

ispered, the tears chok

inconvenience. He picked up a bowl of congee from the bedside table. "You ne

ght of him, so calm, so unaffected after

hissed, her grief turn

he said, his voice har

face. The bowl clattered to the floor, splattering ho

on beneath. "Why do you have to be so difficult?" he snarled. "Why can't you just be understanding f

the problem. Her pain, her grief, her refusal to accept his betrayals qu

thing alright? I heard shouting." She looked at the mess on the floor, then at Charlotte, her eyes wide with

he saw her. "It's okay, Hayley. It's not

e is short, and I want to see the world. Paris, Rome, the cherry blossoms in Japan... I want to see it all

he briefest of moments. He glanced at Charlot

too," she suggested, her voice dripping with false magnanimity. "It'll be a

nvitation; it was a punishment. A rolling, publ

dea," he said, his face lighting up. "We'll all go together." He turn

said, her voice

er arm again. "You need a change o

rced her onto his private jet, and forced her to watch as h

ranklin pointed out landmarks to Hayley. She sat alone at a separate tabl

h as a glance. He and Hayley whispered and giggled, sharing inside jokes. He even changed the car' s GPS voice from the default American accent to a British

ng." What a liar. He was head over heels in love. Every tender look, every gentle touch, every shared laugh was a testament to the depth of his feelings