He Left Me in the Fire Chapter 09
Derek wheeled me away.
From start to finish, I never once looked back.
Nathan stood frozen, watching Derek push my wheelchair until we disappeared from sight.
Warm sunlight fell on him, but he felt nothing but cold.
For the rest of his days, he would live in endless regret.
Derek suddenly spoke.
“Love, devotion, and care. You really don’t want any of that?
“Not even from someone else?”
I’d just taken a sip of water and nearly choked.
Vivian received a twelve–year sentence for arson and was ordered to pay civil damages that would follow her for
life.
Derek later told me what happened.
Vivian remained defiant to the end.
Day after day, she screamed curses through the bars like a woman possessed.
Prison medical staff frequently had to sedate her.
She never improved, and doctors eventually diagnosed her with a psychiatric disorder.
Even after release, there’d be nothing left for her.
The Carters‘ reputation collapsed in their social circle, and their business interests faltered one after another.
Robert and Elaine came to the Ashford home countless times to apologize. Every time, they were turned away.
They had lost their chance to make amends forever.
Nathan spent the rest of his life trapped in guilt and regret, unable to find peace.
He kept running his fingers over the broken ceramic flowers, arranged beside the two that remained intact.
They reminded him with painful clarity how foolishly he had favored Vivian over me.
He never ate shrimp and grits again. He never touched ice cream.
He cut out every food and place that reminded him of me.
My shadow was still everywhere he looked.
Loneliness and regret wore him down until he was barely recognizable.
Six months later, my belly had grown considerably.
My burns had healed, leaving scars.
My parents asked if I wanted skin graft surgery.
I hesitated.
Not because I was clinging to the past, but because I didn’t want to go through that kind of pain again.
Nathan appeared outside Ashford Industries.
He was unshaven, with dark circles under his eyes.
When he saw me come out, he jogged over and held out a cup of coffee.
“Your favorite.‘
I shook my head.
“Nathan, I never liked coffee.”
I thought back to supporting Nathan’s startup while working three jobs a day.
I had also forced myself to keep studying, and I was always exhausted.
Cheap instant coffee had been the only way to keep myself awake.
Nathan didn’t believe me and tried to push the cup into my hands.
Derek caught the cup before it reached me.
“Serena grew up with very little. She hates anything bitter.
“Take it back.”
The words struck Nathan hard.
“Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to speak for Serena?
“Serena, our child needs a father.”
Nathan’s jaw was set.
“Nathan.” When I said his name, his head snapped up.
“I drank coffee back then because I had no choice.
“And,” I said after a pause, “Derek is my boyfriend. The baby will have a new father. Don’t come back.”
Both men froze.
In the end, I decided to go through with the skin graft surgery.
Even though it would hurt, I wanted to leave the past behind for good.
Derek trailed behind me, all six feet three of him moving with almost timid caution.
“Serena, you meant that, right?”
Nathan watched us together, the warmth between us a knife in his chest.
For the past six months, Derek had always been this careful around me.
He was terrified of saying the wrong thing and upsetting me.
I smiled. “Boyfriend for now.”
Derek’s face lit up as if he had just won the lottery.
My parents called.
“Serena, are you coming home for dinner tonight?”
Over the past six months, my resistance to my parents had slowly faded.
I touched my round belly and finally said the word. “Mom.
“I’ll be there.”
Catherine answered eagerly, as if afraid I might change my mind.
After losing their son, they had finally, truly gotten their daughter back.
I shook my head with a quiet laugh.
The pain of the past no longer ruled me.
Now I wanted a new life.
A life without Nathan.
