How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Lucinda's face froze in shock, her usually cool and striking features unraveling

into unguarded disbelief. For a long moment, she seemed at a loss for words.

Then her expression hardened, incredulity replacing confusion as she fixed Jarrod

with a stare. "Do you even hear yourself? All this over a woman? Is it really worth

it-"

"When Dad had other women, you certainly didn't react like this."

Jarrod's words cut in, leaving no room for doubt.

Back then, he'd been caught in the crossfire of their bitter relationship more times

than he could count.

He wasn't even ten when Lucinda and his father started fighting in earnest. But

both families cared deeply about appearances and reputation-their marriage

was a show of unity, so in public they played the part of a loving couple, while in

private their arguments were explosive and relentless.

He remembered thinking how exhausting it all was.

Neither of them cared about anyone but themselves, whittling away at each other,

day after day, year after year.

Jarrod knew Lucinda had suffered her share of heartbreak in marriage. But he

couldn't accept that she would knowingly hurt Elodie, standing so firm and

righteous-even though she herself had once been in such a position. Any

compassion she might have had was now locked away, unreachable.

voice trembled with anger, her beautiful

nerve that exposed all the rot she'd tried to

didn't want to keep arguing. The pain of

her, his tone quiet but unyielding. "My

if you stayed out of my business.

it won't matter."

to the driver to wait

when she was

say another

Jarrod stepped back into the room, Elodie was already

in bed, responding to messages on

when she heard him

had happened-as if Lucinda had never

there.

walked over and gently

come to the hospital, she'd been running a

seemed much better.

you want to talk to

you're going

was low, weighted

matter

felt, he

everything-inside and out-about

Elodie's condition.

was still replaying what Jarrod had said to

obvious to anyone.

family

a few

said

"I've been lucky;

lost my hair. Other than

not much

up

pills, and the