Chapter 1

Hannah's POV

I pointed to the tube attached to my nose and yelled, "Why would you do this to me? I broke my leg searching for the truth about their deaths! They even poured bleach down my esophagus! I've had to eat through this feeding tube ever since!

"You watched me spend five years living like a wreck! How could you not feel sorry for me?"

I looked at Mom as tears streamed down my face, searching for some kind of answer in her expression.

Mom turned away, though her voice remained cold and unyielding.

"What could I have done? You're both my daughters. Chris and Queenie got down on their knees and begged me to let them be together. That's how I found out that they're still alive!

"Queenie has never been in good health. She couldn't possibly handle the distress, so I had to hide the truth from you!"

She turned around, grabbed my hand, and said softly, "I know you're upset, but it's all in the past now. They're having a hard time raising their daughter in Havenport, too.

"Your father and I don't even dare to visit them. Can you just let this go and pretend you don't know anything about this?"

She coaxed me gently, saying, "I'll ask Aunt Lily to introduce you to a nice man instead, Hannah."

I felt a lump in my throat as I yanked my hand away from her grip.

"Do you even think of me as your daughter anymore, Mom? You gave in because you said Queenie begged you to let her be with Chris. What about me, then? I cried at Chris' grave until I passed out.

"There was even a point when I wanted to jump off the building to join Chris in the afterlife. Did you ever think about telling me the truth, then? You were never on my side, Mom!"

Mom went pale, clutching her chest as she dropped onto the couch. "You're going to be the death of me! You can't take it out on me just because you couldn't hang onto your own man!

"Queenie has always been better than you at everything, so it's only natural for Chris to fall for her! Why can't you just let this go? Why do you insist on ruining everyone's lives?"

I suddenly felt a ringing in my ears. "They're the ones who betrayed me! Queenie was the homewrecker who stole Chris from me! Do you expect me to be grateful to them, Mom?"

"That's enough!" Dad pushed the door open, looking exasperated. "What exactly do you want to do right now? They're legally married! They already have a daughter together! You call Queenie a homewrecker, but if you keep going after them now, you're the one who will look like the homewrecker!"

I turned pale as I watched Mom and Dad defend Queenie. Suddenly, I burst out laughing.

"I want them to tell me the truth themselves! If they don't, I'll make sure their reputations are destroyed!"

I returned to my room and slid down against the door. I looked at Chris' smiling face in our wedding photo on the wall. Chris' funeral portrait was still on the desk, and his clothes still hung in the closet.

In the past five years, I had held his photo and cried until dawn and swore I would make sure he got justice. It turned out that everything was a complete lie.

I pulled up my old messages with Chris.

"I miss you so much, Chris. I'm in so much pain!"

"I don't think I can keep going… Is it okay if I accompany you in the afterlife?"

"I swear I'll get justice for you and Queenie!"

Chris had never replied to a single message I'd sent before.

I sent him another message. "I know the truth now, so let's put an end to this, Chris."

Chris responded instantly this time. "Alright."

The next day, I heard a familiar voice outside.

Chris said softly, "Queenie needs to pick up a few things from the grocery store, so she'll be up shortly."

I yanked open the door and locked eyes with Chris. He was taller, thinner, and looked more mature than before.

Chris noticed my feeding tube and froze. "What is that, Hannah?"

I smiled wryly. "You must be really happy now, right, Chris? I nearly died trying to get justice for you. I even had part of my esophagus removed while searching for the truth! Is this what you wanted, Chris?"

Chris instantly put on a disgusted look as the guilt in his eyes vanished.

"You still haven't fixed your bad habit of lying, Hannah! What do you even mean by abduction and assault back then? I hired those guys to keep you from finding out the truth. Why would they hurt you?

"You clearly did this to yourself! You can't just put all of this on me!"