How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie instinctively tightened her grip on her fork. "No, really, I'm fine. I've just been busy-skipping meals, that's all."

She'd lost a lot of weight since she got sick. Her appetite was gone, and nothing seemed to stay down, but neither Jarrod nor Ivan had noticed.

Only her grandmother, the one person who truly loved her, had sensed something was wrong right away.

But Elodie couldn't tell her.

Her grandmother was getting on in years, and after Elodie's mother passed away, she hadn't been able to handle any more shocks. Her uncle, Emile Thorne, had been in a care home battling liver cancer for months. If Elodie fell apart, how could either of them cope?

"Elodie, are you unhappy?" Rosemary watched her with concern, picking up on the unease in her demeanor. "Did you and Jarrod argue?"

Why else would Jarrod barely ever come by with her?

Elodie set down her fork and hugged her grandmother tightly. "No, honestly, we're doing just fine. Don't worry about me. Next time, I promise, I'll bring him here myself so he can tell you."

Just as soon as the divorce was finalized.

Then they could both move on.

For now, Rosemary just kept piling food onto Elodie's plate, wishing she could somehow make her put on twenty pounds overnight.

Even though the thought of eating made her queasy, Elodie smiled and ate everything her grandmother offered.

Before she left, she wrapped herself in the scarf her grandmother had knitted.

Monday.

go to The Silverstein Group. She drove

wrapped up her work. It was time to start a new

car and

and Alexander were

Now that Elodie had invested her technical expertise, she was

graduated from top universities in

from impressive-her only real work

a tech company, not a place

me you only hire people with at least a Master's?" Elodie said, looking around in surprise after skimming

didn't seem to count for much

their degrees together and they

years ago had already blown the competition

MRI," Alexander grumbled. "I need to make sure you're not still lovesick. If you bail halfway

just stared at

old Alexander-blunt

Sterling, there's someone here to see you," Alexander's assistant knocked at the door. "She says she wants to talk to

"Who is it?"

Ms. Fielding. She says she's here on

face soured except Elodie's. Especially Esmeralda, who folded her arms and sneered.

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