How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

After finishing up her work, Elodie got a call from Keith.

He relayed Jarrod's instructions, making his intentions perfectly clear.

Elodie understood instantly. No matter how anyone tried to spin it, Sylvie had been involved with Jarrod while he was still married-she was, in every sense, the other woman. Jarrod wanted Elodie to handle the fallout, to smooth things over officially. If anyone decided to dredge up old scandals, he needed Elodie-the wife-to publicly "clear Sylvie's name." That way, Sylvie couldn't be accused of breaking up a marriage, and Jarrod could silence any rumors or moral outrage.

Jarrod really was willing to go to any lengths for Sylvie.

As for Jarrod's barely veiled threat about her "considering her options"—it was just a warning. If Elodie didn't play along, she could forget about working anywhere else once she left The Silverstein Group. He could easily ruin her career.

For three years, she'd done everything right, devoting herself to being the perfect wife. From the day they married, she'd cut all ties with her past, determined to make a new start. But it had earned her nothing-certainly not Jarrod's love.

She was exhausted.

A bitter smile tugged at Elodie's lips. In a calm, almost detached tone, she said, "I'm taking sick leave. If you insist I work while I'm ill, that's a violation of labor law. We can let the courts settle it."

She was already heading for divorce and about to quit her job-she couldn't care less about Jarrod's feelings now.

After work, as soon as Elodie got in her car, she saw a message from her father, Malcom Harcourt:

*Your brother is getting out of prison. We're having a family dinner. Are you coming home?*

but Elodie knew better. Malcom would much rather his "rebellious" daughter stayed

on the family, and if she hadn't been

everything to her. After a moment's hesitation, Elodie touched up her makeup to look more presentable, then drove straight to the Harcourt

for Ivan, she would never

the housekeepers eyed her with thinly veiled disdain. "Ms. Thorne, what

to reply. This had stopped being her home years ago-even the staff looked

Harcourt descended

Reba Ha

"Elodie?" Re

expression icy. "Wow, you've got some nerve. Ivan's barely home for a minute and you're already showing up to make everyone uncomfortable. Does it make you happy, ruining

and, by some cruel irony, shared Elodie's birthday. Yet now Reba strutted around like the perfect

so virtuous, you could always move

mighty you are then." Elodie's

herself, selling her paintings for a small fortune. Now Malcom, Laverne, and Reba all lived here in comfort, enjoying the fruits of Ker mother's legacy. And Reba had the gaff to

shooting Elodie a look full of malicious glee. "Let's see if you can keep that attitude after what's about

female voice interrupted their

people emerged, arm in arm. Queenie Jett, seeing Elodie's face, tugged on Ivan's sleeve and

before turning his full attention back to

around her waist. "She's my sister. Just like Reba. You're jealous of my ow sister?" Ivan teased. Queenie blushed as she gave Ivan a playful nudge, then turned to