A deal with the devil

“Mr. More, let it go. Even if Benjamin wanted to do something to Ms. Weiss, it’d be perfectly legal.”

“They’re married.”

“Benjamin and Shirley are already married”

“I said Shirley got married. The day you left for Newlandia, she went to the city hall with Benjamin. Half of Elderstone knows about it

Marley’s word echoed relentlessly in Samuel’s mind

Shirley and Benjamin married the same day he and Sophia left for Newlandia. The entirety of Elderstone knew about it, except for him.

So that night she hadn’t hed. She really had gotten married, and the groom was Benjamin.

No wonder she deleted everything about him. No wonder Benjamin had said he was taking back what was his.

She’d been some alco’s wide for over a week altrady.

A faint chime broke Samuel from his date. It was a low battery warning from Shirley’s phone. He glanced down and saw it lying on the floor

he knew. He opened

wearing matching diamond rings on their ring fingers. It was unmistakably a pair of couple rings

be their wedding ring. Samuel had seen that ring before on Benjamin’s

finedun the photo, unable to look away. They were other for six years. He knew Shirley’s

hands were slender yet soft, with perfectly trimmed nails and a natural pink hue. They felt warm and delicate like

finally noticed the caption on the photo

oth of May. I

face drained of color, turning ghostly

married, and now, she was

a young girl boldly walked

ago. The

he had asked.

she’d replied, her voce light

bright, beautiful eyes sparkled

like a porcelain doll, her

crippled,” he had

tone. “Samuel, I won’t choose anyone else tonight. Only