How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 123

For a long moment, Rosemary struggled to process what she was seeing. She stared at Elodie's calm, steady expression-so serious, stripped of any trace of sorrow or joy.

It took her several tries before she managed to speak, her voice trembling. "So that's it... That explains everything..."

The truth was, they'd always sensed how things stood between Elodie and Jarrod. How could they not? But still...

"Elodie, tell me honestly-did you divorce Jarrod because of... Ivan?" That was what Rosemary feared most.

After all these years, after everything Elodie had been through, why wait until Ivan was released from prison to end her marriage?

"No, it has nothing to do with him." Elodie could see her grandmother was overthinking, so she patiently explained, "There wasn't any particular reason. I just realized there's no point forcing something that was never meant to be. There's no need for us to keep hurting each other."

Whether it was Jarrod or Ivan, she was finally at peace with it all.

That's just human nature, and she couldn't fight it anymore.

Better to let herself go-finally focus on her own life.

Rosemary's eyes filled with tears as she squeezed Elodie's hand. "You managed

to break free from what was holding you back. I'm proud of you, truly. As for Jarrod, well, he never gave any sign. The fact that he bothered to show up at all... that's more courtesy than the Thorne family ever deserved."

She hesitated, her gaze drifting to Elodie's abdomen. "But... that scar of yours. Has Jarrod ever asked about it? Not even once?"

Elodie dropped her gaze, unconsciously brushing her hand over the old wound.

remembered that night-throwing herself in front of Ivan, saving him from

Jarrod was never curious about me.

about it, the more

once been obsessed with her body, more than anyone else. He must have

total stranger would have been curious, at

But not Jarrod.

cared to know

much Elodie had suffered all these

past, as her grandmother, she

enough to walk away. You're stronger than your mother ever was-she wasted her whole life inside a loveless marriage. I'll support you, whatever you

lifted from Elodie's

family's support, she no longer had anything

with her grandmother and Emile, then returned to work

Jarrod never reached

hear from Alexander about what happened with

Jarrod had left so abruptly because

He didn't even stay for the birthday party, let alone

be with Sylvie, to help her look after

And what about Elodie?

no less desperate than

promise to her-he chose to be

Now that they were divorced, they were little more than strangers, and she could

Wednesday morning.