A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

Chapter 23

Eleanor dashed home in the rain, stripped off her fancy dress, took off the diamond necklace around her neck, and tossed it in the box.

She’d send all this crap back to Josef tomorrow, his stuff sickened her, and she definitely wouldn’t keep it.

After closing the box, she went into the bathroom, turned on the tub faucet, and climbed in.

She scrubbed her face and back hard, so hard that her skin got red, then looked at herself in the mirror.

With makeup off, all that’s left was sickly paleness, no spirit, and lifeless eyes.

She couldn’t see the light or feel the warmth.

Like a dirty little bug, trampled all over.

Yet, she once had dignity….

“Dignity.”

Eleanor chuckled sarcastically. She had lost her dignity when she sold herself to Bernard.

She dried her hair, lay in bed, and fell asleep exhausted.

The rain had

My her

straight until

afternoon. After

on Eleanor’s door and called her twice. With no

door open and went in. When she saw her flushed face on the bed, she immediately touched Eleanor’s

was

hot…

quickly lifted the covers, propped Eleanor up and said, “Eleanor, you have a high fever. Get up, I’m going to

kicked in when hearing the

we have

her up, and raced

treatment, she was on

and breathing machine.

a congenital heart condition which Hailey

fever, oxygen shortage would become an

so she asked the doctor

finally began to subside.

of relief, asked for time off

old. They were each other’s closest people after the head of the orphanage.

her hand, touching Eleanor’s pale face and sighed with

drained her youth and

seeing a young man with bloody

filled with pain as he tried to speak, but Eleanor

approached him, “What did

talking, staring intently.