How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

The next morning, the housekeeper arrived with Jarrod's younger sister, Octavia.

The girl had just turned seventeen, all long limbs and bright eyes. As soon as she walked in, she tossed her purse onto the couch without a care.

"Where's Elodie Thorne?" Octavia blinked at Jarrod, feigning innocence.

Jarrod finished knotting his tie and glanced her way. "Is that how you address people?"

Octavia pouted. "You don't even like her, so why should I call her my sister-in- law?"

Their mother had said it often enough-Elodie had married up, clinging to the Silverstein family, and ought to devote herself entirely to them. There was a word for that, wasn't there?

A glorified housekeeper?

Jarrod shot her a cold, knowing look. "Alright, out with it. What's your scheme this time?"

Octavia's eyes sparkled. "Aren't you busy today, big brother?"

"And if I am?"

"Mom's at a fashion show, Dad's out of the country, and Grandma's not well enough to come to my parent-teacher meeting." Octavia swung her legs, putting on her best pleading voice. "So let Elodie go. She eats your food, spends your money, and does nothing all day. She's got all the time in the world."

Jarrod hesitated. "You can ask her yourself."

had become obsessed with watching Sylvie's lectures on aerospace engineering from abroad, and her grades had slipped. She had no intention of letting

shrugged on his coat and

her body seemed to rebel

the day before, and today she meant to go to the hospital to consult her doctor about a new

the time she reached the hospital lobby, her legs felt like jelly. She

vision blurred and the floor rushed up

"Elodie!"

woman's voice

everything went

woke up, the first thing she saw was her best friend, Esmeralda Mercer, sitting at

mix of worry and irritation. "What the hell has Jarrod been putting you through? The doctor says you collapsed from exhaustion-your fever

She tensed, afraid her secret might have

your brain?" Esmeralda called out, half-panicked. "Doctor!

thing she needed was Esmeralda broadcasting her illness all over Eldermere-the woman couldn't keep

end up here?" Elodie asked,

in the ER with alcohol poisoning. I came to check whether

awful. Is this

people knew Jarrod was married, and yet the

Disgusting. Both of them.

felt numb, the anger long since burned out. "I'm divorcing him," she said quietly. "Once the waiting period's over, these