All Chapters of I No Longer Dream of Tender Nights: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

"She has been cremated..."When Darren heard that, it felt like a sharp and poisonous icicle pierced through his heart, causing a numbing cold to spread through his veins.He could no longer force himself upright. His knees went weak, and he crashed onto the ground. The phone slid out of his hand, shattering against the cement floor.The pain jolting through him was so agonizing that it felt like his heart had been dug out of his chest before being thrown straight into an industrial shredder.The agony spread along his veins to his limbs. Every inch of him felt like it was being sawed through by a blunt knife, causing him to curl up on the ground as sobs tore through his throat.At some point, tears began streaming out of his eyes, burning a path down his cheeks and on his shirt where a small patch of fabric was already growing dark with dampness.On this day, he had intentionally chosen to wear a light gray shirt.Jeanne said this was the best color for him as it gave him a gen

"Mr. Walsh, the homeowner has already explained everything. We'll be destroying the spare key you used. Now, you may leave. Please remember that trespassing is a crime."Darren hung his head low and hoarsely whispered a thanks before turning to leave the apartment. Just then, the police officer called out to him."Wait."The officer flipped through the notebook in his hand. "You're the boyfriend of Jeanne Dotson, right? You didn't show up after our call this morning. This works. Please head to the station with us to collect her ashes."As soon as Darren heard that, his head snapped up while a smile uglier than a grimace spread across his lips."Ashes? Wasn't that just a scammer? Jeanne hired that guy to put on an act, didn't she?"Although he sounded calm, his eyes frantically darted around the room, fearfully avoiding eye contact with the officer.The police officer could not resist giving him an amused smile. "You're quite the cautious man. That's good, but it really wasn't a

"I've told you before, Alyssa isn't someone to be underestimated, but you wouldn't listen. Now, see for yourself."Victor Langford tossed a thick stack of printed chat logs across the table. They were all records of Alyssa harassing Jeanne over the past two weeks.'Jeanne, stop trying to steal my place. I thought you'd have the sense to leave, but I guess you're shameless. Darren says the kid looks like him. What do you think?''Now you understand your value in Darren's eyes? If I had come back sooner, you wouldn't even exist in his world.''Five years of marriage and no kids. Can't you carry one, or is Darren just not interested? He's obsessed with me, isn't that funny?''See this? Darren and I in your favorite race car… It feels amazing.'…There were thousands of messages like these, plus countless provocative photos.Darren flipped through them, his face darkening with every page. The anger he had fought to suppress surged back tenfold.He had never imagined Alyssa could b

The moment the recording played, Alyssa recognized her own voice, and her hands froze mid-struggle.Darren hauled her out of the water in one brutal tug; spray flew across the floor."So, that's what you meant you wouldn't dare?" he snapped.Alyssa bent her head and coughed violently. Water dripped from her chin onto the floor. She didn't dare meet his eyes.'How could this be? Didn't Finn already send Mary away? How did he get that recording? The surveillance footage has been destroyed. How did any of it end up with him?' Alyssa thought.Before she could piece anything together, Darren clamped his hand around her chin so hard her bones felt like they might crack."Alyssa, whatever you did to Jeanne," he said, "you'll pay back ten times over."She knew she couldn't hide it. Clinging to the last shard of hope, she tried to make her voice small and pleading. "Darren, I did take the call that day, but I thought Jeanne was lying. She's always talking about running away. What if she

"You have no right to blame everything on me! It was you! It was always your fault!"Alyssa screamed into the roar of the flames. "I could've had a better life, but your family ruined it by keeping me by your side!"When we were kids, maybe you were kind to me. But your grandmother treated me like a curse. She made my life hell! If she hadn't tried so hard to drive me out, I never would've run away!"All I ever wanted was to live a normal life with you—to have a wedding, a real home. But what did you do? You never fought for me. You turned around and fell in love with someone else. You betrayed me first!"Don't you dare pretend you didn't know what I did to Jeanne. You knew, Darren. You knew everything, and you stayed quiet. You let it happen! Jeanne died because of you! You killed her!"You couldn't save her. Even if you had, she never would've forgiven you. Jeanne didn't love you anymore. She hated you! You're nothing but a selfish coward. Who else would ever truly care about yo