Chapter 1: Marilyn's Death

Marilyn

Today was easily one of the happiest days of my life.

The dining table was set with all of my favourite food and a candlelight arrangement, just how I liked it.

My favourite people—my handsome husband, Walter, and my supportive best friend, Olivia—were sitting across from me, their smiles wide.

I felt so lucky to have them, and I was particularly excited about sharing my special news with Olivia.

As I cleared my throat, preparing to speak, I wondered why Walter insisted on sitting across from me—beside Olivia—when it was actually our special news and not just mine.

Nonetheless, I shook the thought out of my head, plastered a huge smile on my face and raised my glass.

“A toast, please,” I said as Walter and Olivia proceeded to lift their glasses.

“What’s the occasion?” Olivia asked.

I turned my face to stare lovingly at Walter.

He managed a small smile that didn’t quite meet his beautiful green eyes, and for a minute, I wondered if something was wrong.

“Are you okay, honey?”

He looked at Olivia for a second, but she averted his eyes, before he turned back to me and offered a bigger smile.

“Of course. I just want you to have this moment.”

His words reassured me, and I smiled again, raising my glass higher.

“So, Olivia, I don’t know if you noticed, but my glass is the only one that doesn’t have red wine. I asked to be served grape juice instead because… I’m pregnant!”

It took Olivia a second to react before she raised her glass to meet mine.

“My goodness! Marilyn! Walter! I am so happy for you guys! Quickly, let’s toast! This is the best news ever!”

I was smiling from pure joy as we toasted in celebration.

“I hope we have a girl, and I really hope she’s born with your beautiful face,” Walter said to me before taking a sip of his wine.

“I agree. I really hope it’s a girl. I can’t wait to have a little niece who looks just like you, Mar!”

Their words nearly moved me to tears, and I clutched my chest thinking about how incredibly lucky I was to have them.

Olivia, who had been by my side since high school, celebrating all of my victories as though they were hers, and Walter, my darling—so gorgeous, with striking green eyes and a face as though it was sculpted by a god, and on top of that, I was having his baby.

I felt like the luckiest woman in the world as I finally took my glass to my lips and sipped my juice.

After taking a sip, I attempted to put the glass down, but Olivia quickly spoke up.

“No, no, let’s all drink more! It’s a very happy day, you’re having a baby after all!”

“I agree, have another sip,” Walter insisted as they both drank out of their glasses as well.

“Alright,” I agreed with a big smile as I drank more of my juice. I was a bit taken aback by the slight bitter taste, but I pushed away the thought.

Finally, I set down my glass and was about to start telling them the baby names I had been thinking of when suddenly, I felt very dizzy, as though the room was spinning.

I let out a weak gasp, placing my hand on my head.

“Mar, are you okay?” I heard Olivia say, but I couldn’t respond to her.

It felt as though something was clutching at my chest, sucking the air out of me and draining me of life. My vision suddenly became hazy and I fell off my seat at the table, onto the floor.

Panic surged through me. What was happening to me and my baby? Walter and Olivia would definitely call an ambulance, right?

“Help me!” I managed to cough out from where I lay on the floor.

That was when I heard a sinister laugh, and slow footsteps toward me.

From where I lay, designer loafers, followed by custom diamond-encrusted heels, appeared before me.

The laughter was from Walter and Olivia, and I lay there, gasping for air, deeply confused and wondering why no one was helping me.

I managed to grab onto the hem of Olivia’s dress with my last bit of strength, but to my greatest shock, she kicked my hand away.

“Get off me, you whore!”

What was happening???

My eyes were filling with tears now as I looked over at Walter, but he only had an indifferent smirk on his face.

“Leave her alone, Marilyn. Simply accept your fate. There’s no escaping this. Three years in an awful marriage with you, and now I’m finally free.

You’re unbearable! I hate you so much, you and your unborn child, who I never wanted anything to do with!”

I couldn’t control my coughing, and by now, I was crying deeply from how much my heart was breaking.

Could it be? Did they plan this?

From my last bit of vision, I could see Walter wrapping his arms around Olivia, and I finally understood.

She was his mistress.

“The least you deserve before your death is the truth. We poisoned you, Marilyn. So we can finally be together and inherit your family’s money! This was always the plan, and now it’s finally happening!”

I heard Olivia laugh along with him as I turned on my back and clutched onto my chest.

How could I have been so stupid?

Angry tears filled my eyes as I struggled to breathe, my breath getting tighter while they giggled and sipped wine as I lay on the floor in agony.

“It’s done, my love. I’m free of her and that bastard child,” were the last words I heard from my beloved husband before I took my last agonising breath.