How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

The next day.

Octavia stopped by the townhouse at lunchtime, as she usually did after school. Her stomach was already growling, and as soon as she walked in, she called out, "Elodie?"

Instead of Elodie, one of the housekeepers appeared, hurrying to take Octavia's bag. "Miss, Mrs. Silverstein isn't home."

That caught Octavia off guard. She frowned. "Isn't she usually done making lunch by now?"

She knew all about Elodie packing lunch for her brother.

The house was just a stone's throw from the Silverstein Group offices. Every morning, Elodie would prep ingredients before work, then rush home during her lunch break to cook and have Keith bring a meal up to Jarrod.

Even though her brother had zero interest in seeing Elodie, Elodie never stopped trying.

Today, Octavia had come over for the express purpose of eating Elodie's cooking.

Elodie might not be good at much else, but she was a quick learner in the kitchen, and her food always hit the spot for Octavia.

But today, the kitchen was cold and silent.

Octavia's mood soured.

Was Elodie getting lazier by the day?

The housekeeper looked just as confused. The always gentle and attentive Mrs. Silverstein suddenly wasn't coming home; she used to avoid business trips just so she could be here for her husband.

The truth was, Octavia had been in a foul mood all day. Yesterday, she'd heard her sister-in-law Sylvie had come down with a fever from a cold. Octavia wanted to take the afternoon off to visit her, but it felt wrong to show up empty-handed.

She'd heard sick people should eat something nourishing and gentle on the stomach, but she couldn't cook. Buying something pre-made felt insincere. That's when she'd thought of Elodie.

was

ask Elodie to cook

down on the couch and called

She didn't want to waste time at the cafeteria, so she asked Alexander to bring her some lunch while she

it and declined

Octavia called again, relentlessly.

disrupting her workflow, so Elodie blocked her number

got back

the townhouse, Octavia listened to

lip

was Elodie

refused her calls

accommodating, eager to please.

with no choice, Octavia called

voice was cool and curt: "What

is? She won't answer my calls. I'm at

hasn't come back to make

paused, considering. "I haven't talked to her.

tell her to come back and

you think the restaurant is just for show?" His tone was

shrank back, mumbling, "It's just... Sylvie's sick, and I wanted to

empty-handed... Jarrod, what should I do to get Elodie

with something, silent for a

said, "Doesn't Grandma

Then he hung up.

for a

an excuse, Elodie would never say