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Chapter 5

Author: Gummy
They went all out for Keyla's birthday. She threw a fake tantrum, downed too many drinks, and even though they were on duty, Edmond and Philip hovered around her like she was gonna break.

Tea, water, nonstop worrying.

Watching them fawn over her made my chest tighten. I glanced at Ariel.

"I need a comedy."

"Same."

Back when we were alive, dumb comedies were our go-to—blankets, snacks, full-on giggles.

But there's no laughing in the afterlife.

Edmond and Philip guarded her like she was made of glass. I wondered if they'd still be playing knight once the truth hit.

I remembered the day she took us—how she just stood there, watching us panic. She let us hope. Then crushed it.

Straight-up evil.

The next morning, maybe out of guilt, Edmond and Philip hit us up again after leaving Keyla's.

When we still didn't answer, Philip started looking thrown.

"Ariel's never stayed mad this long. Don't you think it's kinda extreme?"

For a sec, I thought—finally. Maybe his detective brain was kicking in. Maybe he'd realize we didn't just ghost them out of spite.

Then the phone rang.

Edmond's autopsy request got approved.

Boom—conversation over. They ditched the topic and bolted back to the station.

We followed.

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  • Better Dead Than Married   Chapter 15

    Keyla got sentenced. The evidence was solid, and turns out, Ariel and I weren't her first victims. With everything stacked up, the death penalty wasn't even shocking.Revenge? Done.Ariel and I felt lighter, like we could finally move on. But first, we made one last stop at the Jahn estate.Lights were off in the living room. I remembered Ariel and me curled up on that couch, talking about the kids we'd raise someday.I figured the place would be empty. But Edmond and Philip were there, sitting right where we used to.In front of them? Bowls of boxed mac and cheese—the cheap, sad kind. Nothing like the meals we used to cook with real ingredients, soup, sides, the whole thing.Philip's stomach growled. He didn't say a word, just dropped his head and took a bite. A few mouthfuls in, the sobs hit."Edmond, I miss Ariel."Edmond froze, fork halfway up. For a long second, nothing. Then, barely audible—"I miss Emma."They didn't finish the food. Saying our names was enough to kill

  • Better Dead Than Married   Chapter 14

    Keyla snapped out of her fog and backed up, eyes darting between Edmond and Philip like she couldn't believe it. Her voice was sharp, accusing.Honestly, it had to sting. The same guys who ditched us and treated her like some queen were now here with the cops, ready to drag her out."Edmond, Philip, are you insane?!"Edmond didn't flinch. He pointed toward the basement for the others, then looked straight at her."We're not the crazy ones. You are."His voice was ice. As she kept squirming, he pulled out a camera.I knew that camera—Keyla's sick little trophy. The one she used to record everything.There we were: Ariel and me, dragged into that dark room, fighting the ropes, trying to escape. Every brutal second caught on tape. Just watching it made my chest tighten.Edmond and Philip didn't blink, just stared—tears streaming down their faces.And seeing them like that? Keyla laughed."Spare me the fake tears. You didn't give a damn when they were alive. Now they're dead and

  • Better Dead Than Married   Chapter 13

    I followed Edmond into the basement, totally floored. Who knew there was this whole secret room hiding behind a wall?If he hadn't tripped over some random wine bottle, we probably never would've found it.The deeper we went, the darker it got. When we finally hit the back, I froze.Right in the middle was this ridiculously fancy bed, rose petals everywhere, red gauze hanging like it was trying too hard to be romantic. But the walls? Lined with bloodstained tools. Every kind you could imagine.Edmond stopped cold. After a beat, he stepped in, sniffed a smudge on the wall."Human blood."I didn't know whose blood it was, but with that much splattered around, there was no way Keyla was dodging an investigation.I watched Edmond, way more nervous than when he proposed. This was it—our shot at justice. He couldn't blow it now.But he just... left. Walked back to the living room like nothing happened.My heart sank. Seriously? He was still gonna cover for her?Then—sirens.Ariel

  • Better Dead Than Married   Chapter 12

    The slippers at the door? Backwards. Edmond's weird little habit. Only someone who lived with him would know that. Yet here they were, flipped just like he always did.Then I saw the photo frame—same exact one Ariel and I chose for our wedding, the best friend edition. But inside it? A picture of the three of them, grinning like it was the happiest day of their lives.Honestly, Edmond and Philip looked more alive in that photo than they ever did at our actual weddings.Every corner of her place—room layout, decor, even the tiny stuff—felt ripped straight from mine and Ariel's homes.She wasn't just creepy. She was unoriginal. Like she couldn't come up with a single thing that was actually hers.I took one last look around. No way I was sticking around to watch the three of them get all cozy. I left and headed downstairs to meet Ariel.Too bad I missed what happened next—somewhere between drinks and small talk, Philip stumbled on something.***Back at the Jahn estate, Edmond an

  • Better Dead Than Married   Chapter 11

    "Edmond, Philip, why didn't you answer my calls? I was so worried." Keyla slipped between them, looping her arms through theirs like everything was normal.They jerked away like she'd burned them.Her hand hovered in the air, awkward and twitchy. She glanced between them, eyes starting to storm. "What's... wrong with you two?"Philip tried to smooth it over. "We're working a case. Not the time. Don't overthink it."She bounced back fast, all fake pout. "I know you're super busy, but I haven't seen you in forever. I miss you. Just one dinner? Please? Pretty please?"She knew exactly how to play them. And like clockwork, they caved—softened right up and said yes.I shouldn't have expected anything else.Ariel didn't even look back. "Emma, let's go."I looked at Ariel. Death had stripped the light from her—she looked like she'd aged a decade overnight.If only we'd filed for divorce sooner. Or better yet, never married them at all.But there's no rewind button. Just like when Ed

  • Better Dead Than Married   Chapter 10

    Everyone's eyes bounced between Edmond, Philip, and the bodies. Then someone finally blurted, "Wait... that's Emma and Ariel?"Edmond barely nodded before sliding down the wall, totally wiped out.The chief's face dropped. Whatever softness had been there vanished the second he realized it was us.His voice snapped like a whip. "Move! Start the investigation—now!"He fired off orders, and the whole team scattered.Once the others cleared out, the chief turned back, voice low. "If you need time off, I can sign off—""No, Chief. I'm good. I'm working this case. I'm finding the killer myself."Edmond cut him off, already pulling himself together. His eyes had that locked-in look.I wanted to scream. Tell the chief not to let them near this case—not because they couldn't handle it, but because I knew they'd go soft. I trusted them too much. That was the problem.Keyla wasn't just anyone. She was their dream girl—the one they'd protect, even over their own kids.But it didn't matt

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