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."

She's the type people warn you about online- calculating, always putting on a show. Just let her know, she won't dare refuse." Lately, Octavia had become obsessed with watching Sylvie's lectures on aerospace engineering

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

days, her body seemed to rebel at the

already called in sick the day before, and today she meant to go to the hospital to consult her doctor about

hospital lobby, her legs

few steps before her vision blurred and the floor rushed up

"Elodie!"

voice

then everything

thing she saw was her best friend, Esmeralda Mercer, sitting at her

Jarrod been putting you through? The

afraid her

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

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

end up here?" Elodie asked,

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

look. "But you look awful. Is this because of

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

Disgusting. Both of them.

since burned out. "I'm divorcing him," she said quietly. "Once the