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."

Octavia had become obsessed with watching Sylvie's lectures on aerospace engineering from abroad, and her grades had slipped. She had no intention of letting her mother or brother hear about it from her teachers. Elodie, on the other hand, didn't matter;

seemed to mull it over, then shrugged on his coat and headed for the door. "Fine. I'll

fever. These days, her body seemed to rebel at the slightest provocation; her immune system just didn't work the way it used

meant to go to the hospital to consult

the hospital lobby, her legs felt like jelly.

few steps before her vision blurred and the floor rushed up to

"Elodie!"

woman's voice shouted her

everything

she saw was her best friend, Esmeralda Mercer, sitting

Jarrod been putting you

tensed, afraid her secret

wrong? Did the fever fry your brain?" Esmeralda called out, half-panicked. "Doctor! She

was Esmeralda broadcasting her illness all over Eldermere-the

you end up here?"

on a bender and landed himself in the ER with

you look awful.

livestream, too. Very few people knew Jarrod was married, and yet the internet was obsessed with his so-called fairytale

Disgusting. Both of them.

said quietly. "Once the waiting