Chapter 4

The moment the words left his mouth, a quiet sob came from nearby.

Cheryl stood in the doorway with both hands covering her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Donovan's grip on my wrist tightened, and his body instinctively shifted toward her.

But after stealing a glance at me, he quickly looked away and pressed his lips into a thin line. Thea's brow furrowed at the sight, and she immediately stepped forward to defend Cheryl.

"Violet, why are you pushing him like that? Does putting him on the spot just to prove you matter more make you feel better about yourself?"

My fingers slowly curled into tight fists.

Before I could respond, Neil chimed in, his voice sharp and full of accusation, "Cheryl is only asking to stay by Donovan's side. She never tried to compete with you for anything. Why are you being so vindictive?"

My parents stood behind Cheryl like an impenetrable wall of support. They declared, "As long as we're alive, no one is sending her away."

Their words hit me one after another, tearing through whatever remained of my heart. My palms were raw where my nails had dug into them, blood slowly seeping through the crescents in my skin.

I turned to the man standing beside me. Everyone else had gathered protectively around Cheryl, leaving Donovan, who was still at my side, looking painfully out of place.

A cold, mocking smile touched my lips. "Aren't you going over to her?"

Donovan's breath caught. His jaw tightened, and his eyes flickered toward Cheryl before darting away again. After a long moment, he slowly shook his head.

Cheryl's eyes widened in disbelief, and her quiet whimpers quickly turned into heavy sobs. "Donovan... are you really sending me away?"

His fingers dug painfully into my wrist. After another agonizing pause, he finally muttered, his voice hollow, "Yeah. Didn't you always say you wanted to move abroad?"

The color drained from Cheryl's face, sending my parents and Neil into an immediate panic. Donovan turned his head away, his voice trembling slightly.

"I've made up my mind."

Neil glared at me. "This is all your fault."

I was speechless as a sharp, throbbing pain seized my chest. Cheryl wiped away her tears, and when she spoke again, there was a desperate, almost unhinged resolve in her voice.

"Fine. If you don't want me anymore, then what's the point of keeping this baby? I'm terminating the pregnancy right now."

She spun around and sprinted down the mountain path. My parents, Neil, and Thea froze for a heartbeat before scrambling after her.

Beside me, Donovan went rigid. I called out to him, and he finally snapped back.

As he bolted down the steps, the sudden jerk yanked me off balance and sent me crashing onto the stone path. My elbows and knees scraped hard against the rough gravel, and a searing wave of pain shot through my body until I broke out in a cold sweat.

He stopped in his tracks and looked back. I pushed myself upright, bracing my weight against my knees as I stared at him with eerie calm.

"Go."

His grip on my hand slowly loosened. He rasped, "Wait for me. As soon as I take care of this, I'll come straight back to pick you up."

Before long, I was the only person left at the top of the mountain. I stood there for a long time, watching the sun sink below the horizon as dusk settled over the ridge.

My phone rang, finally bringing me back to reality.

"Everything is arranged for your departure," the caller said. "How do you want us to stage your death?"

I parted my dry lips, my answer barely more than a whisper. "A car crash sounds painful."

...

By the time they finally managed to calm Cheryl down, night had fallen completely.

Donovan rubbed his temples, a tight knot forming in his chest as he remembered that I was still waiting for him on the mountain.

He pulled out his phone and was about to call me when an incoming call from an unknown number flashed across the screen.

"Hello, is this Mr. O'Brien? Miss Violet Sanford was just involved in a serious car accident on Skyline Drive. We need you to come to the scene and identify the body."