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."

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

mull it over, then shrugged on his coat and headed for the

up with a pounding headache and a low fever. These days, her body seemed to rebel at the slightest provocation; her immune system just didn't

meant to go to the hospital to consult her doctor

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

vision blurred and the floor rushed

"Elodie!"

voice shouted

then everything went

first thing she saw was her best friend, Esmeralda Mercer,

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

afraid her secret might

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

stopping her. The last thing she needed was Esmeralda broadcasting her illness all over Eldermere-the woman couldn't keep a secret to

did you end up here?"

shrugged. "My idiot brother went on a bender and landed himself in the ER with alcohol poisoning. I came to check whether he

Elodie a hard look. "But you look awful. Is this because

people knew Jarrod was married, and yet the internet was obsessed with his so-called fairytale romance with

Disgusting. Both of them.

burned out. "I'm divorcing him," she said quietly. "Once the waiting period's over, these three ridiculous years will