جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 119

JENNIE'S POV:My father’s study, usually a place of calm, had turned into a storm of anger and tension. I stood near the doorway, my fists clenched, my heart pounding in my chest. I could hardly breathe. "Daddy, are you really going to sit there and let that bitch, Sarah, take everything we’ve worked for?" I spat out, my voice trembling with frustration. My words felt like acid on my tongue. The room seemed to shrink as I waited for his response, my breath quickening.My father, his face shadowed in the gloom, whipped his head towards me, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "I’ve told you to shut your mouth! I’m doing something about it!" He shouted, his voice slicing through the air. His fury hung in the air, thick and suffocating.I felt my cheeks flush with heat, my anger flaring even hotter. I couldn’t stay still. I paced back and forth, my heels clicking sharply against the hardwood floor, frustration boiling inside me like a storm ready to break. My mind raced, thoughts tu

MARK'S POVI could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, a low roar of rage building inside me. How could she? After everything, how could she do this now, knowing I still love her? Knowing what she meant to me? My fists clenched at my sides, my mind racing with a thousand questions, a thousand thoughts crashing in.Then I heard it — a low murmur from the crowd, a ripple of excitement spreading like wildfire. And then, as if on cue, voices began to chant, louder and louder, "Marry him! Marry him!"The words hit me like a punch to the gut. The room was closing in, the noise growing deafening, and I could feel the heat rising up my neck, my vision narrowing as the reality of what was happening sank in. Joe was down on one knee, a ring in his hand, and the crowd was cheering them on. “No… no, no, no,” I muttered, shaking my head as if trying to wake from a bad dream. My chest felt tight, and I could barely breathe. Paul reached out, grabbing my arm, trying to pull me back to my seat, but I

SARAH’S POVMark’s hand clamped over my mouth just as my gasp tried to escape.His palm was rough, trembling slightly, pressing my lips shut as he pulled me deeper into the shadowed corner. My back hit the cold wall, my breath trapped in my chest. I could feel his other arm around my waist, holding me still—not roughly, but urgently, desperately.“Don’t,” he whispered against my ear. “Don’t make a sound.”CwwI nodded, my heart pounding so loudly I was certain they would hear it. My pulse screamed in my ears as I stared through the narrow gap between stacked crates and the half-open door.That’s when I heard Joe’s voice.Weak. Strained. In pain.Every muscle in my body is locked.“No… no, Joe,” I thought, silently, my nails digging into my palms.I listened.I listened to the slap.I listened to the shouting.I listened to the gunshot that ripped a scream out of him.My knees nearly gave out, but Mark held me upright, his breath shallow, his body rigid. I felt him flinch every time Aus

SARAH’S POVOn our reunion day, I woke before the sun. The house was quiet, the kind of quiet that makes your thoughts louder. I padded across the room and stopped in front of the wardrobe where my dress hung, neatly pressed, waiting. My fingers trembled as I touched the fabric. In that moment, memories rushed in—Mark’s smile, the arguments, the nights of doubt, and Jennie standing between us like a shadow that refused to move.Tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them. I pressed a hand to my mouth, breathing slowly, counting each inhale like it might anchor me. My chest felt tight, crowded with memories I hadn’t invited but couldn’t push away.“You’re awake already,” my grandma’s voice said gently.I turned. She stood in the doorway wrapped in her faded shawl, silver hair neatly tucked back, her eyes warm and steady. She had always known when I was breaking, even when I tried to hide it. She walked toward me with slow, careful steps, as if not to scare my thoughts away,