She Married My Stolen Credit Chapter 09
Walter looked at Elliot, sprawled on the floor and gasping for air, that same twisted smile still on his face.
Disgust flashed in Walter’s eyes.
“Lock this bastard up. Watch him closely. Don’t let him die.”
Walter would make Elliot pay himself.
But he couldn’t let Piper become a killer.
She was the last Carlson heir.
The guards immediately dragged Elliot away.
The basement echoed with Piper’s ragged breathing and broken sobs.
She collapsed to the floor, curling into herself like a wounded animal.
Clutching her chest, she cried so hard she could barely breathe.
She kept gagging, but nothing came up.
That bowl of soup replayed in her mind, over and over, each memory more horrifying than the last.
My soul drifted beside her.
We stood face–to–face.
She couldn’t see me.
She couldn’t hear me.
“Piper, I hate you. It’s been two lifetimes. Stop haunting me.”
Three days later, Walter buried me beside our child.
The funeral was simple.
A heavy rain kept almost everyone away.
Only the Carlson family came.
Piper stayed outside the cemetery gates, begging to be let in.
Walter kept his promise.
He never let her enter.
n get to see me one last time.
as quiet.
eaths surrounded our graves.
poured over the black umbrellas.
Over Piper’s black shirt.
But the picture on my headstone still wore a bright smile.
The rain never let up.
Neither did Piper.
She stood outside the cemetery the entire time.
My soul watched her.
Her face was pale.
Her eyes were empty.
She stood in the rain like a statue, whispering the same words again and again.
“I’m sorry, Marco.”
In the end, she called my name…
Then collapsed into the pouring rain.
I didn’t know how much of her pain was real.
I only knew Piper would spend the rest of her life drowning in regret.
My soul drifted through the storm as my past slowly faded away.
At last, I was free.
And Piper would spend every day she had left crushed by what she’d done.
When the clock struck midnight, something pulled me away from the world.
I looked back one last time.
“It’s finally time to go.”
A white light slowly appeared ahead.
Just as I was about to walk into the light-
“Marco!”
Piper’s voice came from behind me.
I turned around.
Disheveled and soaked in tears, Piper stumbled out of the darkness.
Her soul looked even weaker than mine.
It flickered like it could disappear at any second.
Darkness clung to her.
Despair swallowed her whole.
She looked like she’d crawled straight out of hell.
Had she taken her own life?
I froze.
Then I heard her cry out.
“Don’t go! I was wrong! I caused your death… and our baby’s!
“Please… just give me one chance to make it up to you!”
She reached for my hand.
Her fingers passed right through me.
I looked at her, my heart tangled with emotions.
Two lifetimes.
Two lifetimes bound together.
She’d been wrong.
Terribly.
Unforgivably.
Now her face was full of regret.
Her eyes held nothing but despair.
Maybe she finally understood.
Maybe she really wanted to make things right.
But it was too late.
Far too late.
“Piper…
“You’ll never repay what you owe me.”
I turned to leave.
“No! Don’t go, Marco! I was a terrible wife, but I’ll make it up to you!
“I’ll take any punishment. I just want your next life to be peaceful and happy!”
She screamed until her voice gave out, then dropped to her knees and slapped herself over and over.
Blood streaked her cheeks.
I felt nothing.
I would never forgive her.
Never.
“Piper, this ends here.
“Whatever comes after this life, stay out of mine.”
My voice never wavered as I walked into the white light.
Behind me, I heard her weak whisper.
“Marco… I’m sorry…
“Don’t worry…
“I won’t exist in your next life…”
Her words made my heart skip.
I turned around.
Piper was still kneeling where she’d fallen.
Her face was full of regret.
Her eyes were drowned in despair.
Her soul was slowly fading away.
Even then, she kept looking toward the path I’d taken.
Like she truly regretted everything.
Like she truly wanted to make amends.
Then the light swallowed everything.
I opened my eyes.
