How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 695

They had both agreed-divorce was inevitable.

It was time to start setting some expectations, to prepare for what was coming.

Jarrod's throat tightened, but when he finally spoke, his tone was calm and measured. "Uncle and the rest just got back, and Grandma's over the moon. There are a lot of people here today, and her birthday dinner isn't over yet. Let's wait until it's all done. Your project at 719 is almost through its first phase anyway."

Elodie mentally counted the days. The birthday celebration wasn't far off. There was no need to rush into anything without careful thought.

And Jarrod's attitude-he had agreed to the divorce.

He cared more about children than she'd realized. He loved kids, yet all those years, he'd never considered having one with her. If only he hadn't tampered with her supplements back then-if they'd had a child together-would things be different now?

Maybe she wouldn't be carrying so much pain.

"All right."

Elodie nodded, slow and deliberate.

She turned and walked away, offering no further words.

Jarrod watched her retreating figure, then bowed his head, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The heaviness in his chest nearly suffocated him.

What he really wanted-desperately-was to hear her say, "It had nothing to do with Ivan," or even just, "I didn't end the pregnancy because I stopped loving you." Even if she'd said she hated him, he could have convinced himself to believe it.

But she said nothing.

lies, not a

he understood, truly understood, how Elodie had felt when his love

family dinner-Elodie noticed

polite. There was a sense that everyone was just

that the two brothers had once been

no matter

the meal, Grandma tried, as always, to persuade everyone to stay

spoke up. “Grandma, Elodie needs to get to the

could only relent

and a few

Jarrod took Elodie and left. He even played the

keys and driving her Range

the third-floor balcony, hands braced against the railing, watching as

before he picked up his phone

line rang several times before someone answered.

leaned on the railing, narrowing his eyes at

"Mr. Aldridge, are you

is accurate?

a couple on

breaking up."

think there was trouble between them?" Sprague asked, a

curiosity in his

Watts Aldridge didn't answer