How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 630

Elodie truly couldn't accept any of this.

She'd convinced herself she'd come a long way—after being told her days might be numbered, she'd worked hard to change her life, and she was both proud and grateful for who she'd become.

It's human nature to run from pain, to stay tucked away in the comfort zones we believe are safe, unwilling to pay the price of real change.

So, given all that, she felt she'd done pretty well to get this far.

Yet behind this supposed "newfound happiness," she realized she still hadn't broken free of the cage that had given her both love and heartache.

And that's why she simply couldn't accept Jarrod's deception and secrecy.

This was a siege laid around her heart, and her heart alone.

She wasn't some computer program that could just delete everything, erase all traces with a click, and move on without a ripple. The pain she'd endured was hers and hers alone; how could she be expected to forget it so easily?

"I'm sorry." Jarrod was staring into her eyes, which shimmered with angry tears. His Adam's apple bobbed as he instinctively reached out, wanting to wipe them away.

But Elodie stepped back, looking utterly spent. Her voice was a tired murmur: "There's nothing left for us to say."

What was she even hoping to win here?

almost laughable,

Elodie reached for

stopping it just before it shut. He knew Elodie wasn't the type to

it. I don't want you to

at him

I was scared to deal with it. I've always prided myself on never regretting anything, but with you, I second-guess everything. I couldn't make

to see me right now, or even hear me out. I'll be next door, Elodie. When you're ready, when you've had time to process this,

take it all in-he knew how much

Elodie said nothing.

She closed the door.

over to the couch and sat down, staring

so surreal-she

quietly against the window, the sound steady and

awake, her mind in

thoughts wandered again and again to her past with Jarrod all

herself, and watching him with Sylvie during the divorce proceedings was like being flogged with thorny whips on her way out the door. Somehow, she had survived it

for the life

after all that pain, she was being told, "You never really broke free. It was

was more

and let out a