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Semua Bab Paid in Blood for a Lie: Bab 1 - Bab 8

8 Bab

Chapter 1

I, Gabriel Lamb, walked out of Strom Inc. Cradling my mother’s ashes, I sat on the curb. It was my mother’s final wish to have her remains kept in a bottle, all to save money to pay Noelle Strom’s debts.Noelle appeared on the massive display screen in the city square. The news announced, “This just in—Noelle Strom, chairwoman of Strom Inc., after five years of absence from the public eye, has resurfaced with her fiancé, Charles Atkinson, at a ceremony.” I watched her on that screen, glowing with success and confidence.Tears rolled down my cheeks. My mother and I had worked ourselves to the bone to clear her debts.Yet, it was all nothing but a lie. I sat there in a daze until dusk when Noelle’s call came in. On the phone, she sounded sweet as always. “It’s late. Why aren’t you home yet? Where are you? I’ll come get you.” I opened my mouth to speak, but all words failed me. Before, I would pout.There she was again, interrupting me in the middle of my work. H

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Chapter 2

Noelle cleared her throat. “Gabriel, could you come with me for a moment?” The second I was called away, the office erupted in hushed chatter. “Oh, my God! Did you see the news? Noelle is the chairwoman of Strom Inc.!” “Gabriel just hit the jackpot, but did you see the look on his face?” “You don’t get it. The couple is having a spat, but I reckon things will blow over behind closed doors.” Everybody saw me as the lucky man who was about to step into the CEO role. Unbeknownst to them, I was only looking for an exit. In the office, Noelle reached for me. I backed away from her. “Ms. Strom.” Noelle furrowed her brows. “Why didn’t you come home last night? Are you still mad at me?” I shook my head. “I was with Mom.” The reason I stayed away was to spare Bridget from Noelle’s presence. With treatment, Bridget could’ve had the chance to live. However, Bridge chose to end her life so as not to add to our burden. Noelle picked up that something was off. A

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Chapter 3

Any gift from Noelle—the girl she loved—was enough to make Bridget smile.However, that was in the past. I closed the lid and handed the box back. “You should give this to Mom in person when you have the chance.” Noelle furrowed her brows. Usually, I would act the way she expected me to. However, my distant yet courteous behavior felt alien to her. With uneasiness rising within her, she clutched my hands. “Bridget’s health…” Charles showed up and wrapped his arm around Noelle’s shoulders. “I call dips on this room, Noelle.” He pointed at my bedroom. “That room is taken.” Noelle turned to me and explained, “He’s a friend of mine. He needs a place to stay for work.” She stared intently at me, as if expecting me to put my foot down. To her dismay, I nodded and agreed without hesitation. “He can have the room. I’m going to my mother’s.” Noelle was taken aback. Not giving me a chance to change my mind, Charles bolted into the room. It was then she took not

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Chapter 4

My phone rang relentlessly. Even as Noelle’s name flickered across the screen, I refused to answer her calls. Noelle also bombarded me with text messages. The notification had not stopped popping up on the display. She was desperate to learn Bridget’s whereabouts. Noelle asked where Bridget went and my location, all the while begging me to pick up the phone. I read her messages, my fingers shaky as waves of emotions overtook my every being. It finally dawned on Noelle to show some concern for Bridget and me. However, it was far too late to matter. I looked at the name flashing on the screen one last time before turning off my phone. It had been a while since I turned in my resignation letter. For the last few days, I cut off all contact with the outside world. I retreated into an obscure corner of the city.Ever since Bridget passed away, sleep eluded me. I felt so exhausted and sleepy, my eyelids heavy. I tried to organize my thoughts and find a way to start af

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Chapter 5

“Mr. Lamb submitted his resignation three days ago, saying that he was moving back home. I assumed that he had acted on your instructions.” The office believed that Noelle and I were dating. As I was about to become Noelle’s husband, my colleagues were courteous and never stood in my way. Before Noelle could say anything, someone else jumped into the conversation. “Move back home? Hmph! He’s a quick runner, for sure.” Charles cut in, his voice laced with smugness and disdain. “What are you doing here?” Noelle furrowed her brows. She’d rather keep the details from him. “What’s wrong? Am I ruining your moment with your lover?” Charles’ harsh tone reflected his jealousy. “Don’t be ridiculous. Do you need something? If not, you should leave. I’m in the middle of something.” Charles was about to blow up. Then came a call from Noelle’s assistant, and she had shocking news to share. “Ms. Strom, we have information on Mr. Lamb’s mother.” “Oh? Where is she?” Noelle asked

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Chapter 6

“Do you really think Gabriel left his mother to die, all for you? What a joke!” Charles’ shrilling voice cut Noelle like a knife. “Shut up!” Noelle angrily refuted. “Oh, really? Stop living in denial, Noelle! “Gabriel is a gold digger. He was only after your money. Now that he has gotten what he wanted, he’s gone.” Charles inched closer, his eyes reflecting delight and defiance. “Face it, Noelle. He doesn’t love or care about you. He never has.” With Charles’ voice growing louder and grating, Noelle lost it. “Shut up!” Noelle yelled and slapped Charles across the face. “Y-You hit me?” Charles put his hand over his face while looking at Noelle in disbelief and fury. “Get out! Get out now!” Noelle spoke chillingly, her eyes fixed with disgust and anger. Staring at Noelle’s bloodshot eyes, Charles tasted fear. He had the feeling that he had lost Noelle forever. Charles fled the office, leaving Noelle behind to wallow in agony and regret. Not long after Charles

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Chapter 7

In the next few years, I was hardly the same man I used to be. Away from all things familiar, I left the land filled with painful memories for a fresh start elsewhere. I embarked on a long journey, visiting places Bridget often dreamed of seeing. The soil of countries she had once known only through pictures lay beneath my feet.On the shores of Bali, I took in the sea breeze brushing against my skin. I sipped coffee on the romantic streets of Paris. Standing on the African savannah, I bore witness to great herds moving as one. I took the time to explore every landscape. Along the way, I met many walks of life and listened to all sorts of stories. Realization slowly sank in that the world was huge, and there were endless possibilities in life. With that, I stopped clinging to the pain of the past and started to embrace a new life. Not long after, I settled down in a picturesque town in the South of France to start a tiny business. I sold my travel finds and cultu

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Chapter 8

Since my departure was so abrupt, it took a while before many figured out that I had gone abroad. I returned to the city I was once so familiar with, a place that held a lot of my memories. The city was just as I remembered, but I came back with a different mindset. I made my way to the memorial chapel. The property had been refreshed, its surrounding area serene and shaded by trees.My mother’s grave was tucked away in the quietest corner of the land. I froze when my eyes fell on the gravestone. The gravestone was imposing and beautifully made, clearly created with great thought and effort.It read, “Beloved mother, cherished forever.” The words couldn’t be more heartfelt. Who could have built this for Bridget?I honestly had no idea. It never crossed my mind that someone would erect a fancy memorial for my mother. After the initial confusion, one person quickly came to mind. It could only be her. With a lingering sense of doubt, I approached the gravestone.

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