His choice to love his kin to kill Chapter 04
I cried until I felt hollow, my heart ripped from my chest.
My vision was a watery blur.
“Miss Carter, are you okay?” the doctor asked, his hand still on my arm. He looked at me with pity. “We are truly sorry for your loss.”
After finishing the paperwork at the hospital, I was about to leave when I ran into Thomas.
He sneered the moment he saw me. “Having fun? You really went all out for this one, didn’t you? You even got the hospital to play along with your little scam.”
I lowered my eyes, too tired to even look at him. “You think I have the power to make a hospital forge death certificates? Ryan’s parents’ bodies are at the funeral home. He should probably get his ass over there.”
Thomas’s brow furrowed as he noticed the solemn expressions on the faces
of the medical staff around us.
“You-stop it. This isn’t funny.” He grabbed my arm, his voice cracking. “Lidia, tell me this is a lie! Tell me you’re making it all up! Call it a sick joke, and I swear I won’t even be mad!”
let out a long, heavy sigh, watching calmly as Thomas fell apart in front of
I was about to offer a half-hearted “my condolences,” but he suddenly exploded, his voice venomous. “This is all your fault! Why didn’t you make it clearer! You killed them—you’re a murderer!”
His madness evaporated my last shred of sympathy, replacing it with cold disgust. My tone was acid. “I told you the truth. Ryan said I was acting. You chose to believe him. And now, the price has been paid.”
Thomas collapsed to the floor as if all his bones had been removed.
He grabbed my sleeve, weeping uncontrollably. “I can’t bring myself to tell Ryan about his parents. Please, can you tell him for me?”
I almost refused, but then an idea sparked. After a moment, I nodded.
Leaving the hospital, I immediately called my lawyer. “Mr. Zane, I need you to draft divorce papers. Prepare to file them immediately.”
After picking up the papers, I drove directly to our penthouse apartment downtown.
Ryan and Madison had just returned when I arrived. Ryan looked exhausted, the way a man does after a long night of debauchery.
I paused, then asked carefully, “Did you… get the news?”
Madison, sprawled on my bed like she owned the place, sighed impatiently. “Did you know Ryan stayed at the private hospital all night just to watch over me and make sure I was safe?”
Ryan’s gaze grew colder. “What are you doing back here? Get out!” he yelled. “If it weren’t for you, Madison would never have gotten hurt!”
I started laughing so hard I had to bend over.
Ryan’s parents were dead, and he hadn’t even been there to say goodbye. He had a chance to be with them at the end, but he chose to babysit Madison over a paper cut on her pinky finger. 2
The image of Madison’s paper-thin scratch healing on the car ride over was so absurd it sent me into another fit of laughter.
When I finally caught my breath, I met Ryan’s icy stare and then turned to Madison. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to fight you for your man.”
I turned my attention back to Ryan. “Your parents are dead. Their bodies are at the funeral home. Uncle Thomas is there. You should probably go.”
Ryan’s sanity finally snapped. He grabbed a crystal vase and hurled it at my head. I dodged it easily.
“You’re shameless, Lidia! You’d say something that vile just to get my
sympathy and my money? Weren’t my parents good enough to you? How dare you!”
I sighed and shrugged. “I’m just the messenger. The facts are the facts. Believe them or not, that’s on you. All I can say is, the Mitchell family is in chaos right now, and as the only son, you have a responsibility to be at the funeral home.”
A bitter smile touched my lips. By now, the entire family, even the butler, knew about the tragedy. Only Ryan was still in the dark, stubbornly believing that everyone had been bought off by me to trick him.
How ridiculous.
His relatives had wanted to eat me alive since the day I married into the Mitchell family. He couldn’t possibly be unaware of that. There was no way they would ever conspire with me.
“Lidia, this joke has gone too far. It’s not funny,” Ryan said, taking a step toward me.
Madison grabbed his sleeve, her sickly-sweet voice grating on my ears. “Ryan, I’m sure Lidia didn’t mean it. She probably just loves you too much. After all, she comes from nothing. No money, no one to love her.” 1
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I laughed out loud. “You’re wrong about that. His love? I don’t want it anymore.”
