บททั้งหมดของ When Love Turns into Betrayal : บทที่ 81 - บทที่ 90

Victoria's ghost appears at my engagement party.Not literally. She's been dead for three months. But her presence walks through the door in the form of her lawyer, a stern-faced woman named Patricia Holbrook carrying an envelope that looks ominous."Ms. Carter." Patricia approaches me while I'm talking to clients, celebrating the fact that we've not only recovered the lost accounts but gained five new ones. "I apologize for the intrusion. But I have something Victoria Brooks left instructions to deliver at your engagement party."The room goes quiet. Harper's beside me in an instant. Liam too."Victoria's been dead for months," I say carefully. "What could she possibly have left?""A letter. And a trust fund." Patricia hands me the envelope. "She was quite specific. The letter was to be delivered when you announced your engagement. The trust fund becomes active on your wedding day.""I don't want anything from Victoria.""Nevertheless, it exists. Fifty million dollars, to be exact. H

The letter from Ethan arrives on a Tuesday.I recognize the prison return address immediately. Federal Correctional Institution, Ray Brook. Where he's serving his fifteen-year sentence with possibility of parole in eight.Harper's with me when I open it. We're at my office, going over foundation paperwork, when the mail arrives."You don't have to read it," she says, eyeing the envelope like it might contain anthrax."I know." But I'm already opening it. "I need to see what he has to say."The handwriting is different. Smaller, more careful. Prison changes people, I guess. Even their penmanship.Violet,I don't expect you to respond to this. Don't expect forgiveness or even acknowledgment. But my therapist here says I need to take full accountability for what I did without expecting anything in return. So this is me trying.I destroyed you. Deliberately. Systematically. Not because you weren't enough, but because you were everything. You were honest and real and you expected the same

Layla shows up at my office two weeks before the wedding.My assistant buzzes. "There's a Layla Ross here to see you. She doesn't have an appointment but says it's important."I almost tell her to send Layla away. We had our moment at the cemetery. Said what needed saying. Made our peace, such as it was.But something makes me say, "Give me five minutes. Then send her in."I use those five minutes to prepare. Center myself. Remember what Dr. Chen said about boundaries and healing and not owing anyone my time or energy.When Layla walks in, she looks different. Healthier. Her hair's shorter, sun-lightened like she's been spending time outdoors. No designer clothes, just jeans and a simple sweater. She looks like a real person instead of Victoria's carefully curated doll."Thank you for seeing me," she says, hovering near the door like she's not sure she's allowed in. "I know I have no right to ask for your time.""Sit." I gesture to the chair across from my desk. "What's this about?"S

Harper arrives at my apartment with three wedding magazines, a bottle of champagne, and a determination that borders on frightening."Okay." She spreads everything across my coffee table like a general planning a campaign. "We have two weeks. Two weeks to plan a wedding that's small but perfect. Intimate but memorable. Simple but stunning. No pressure.""That sounds like a lot of pressure.""It's not pressure, it's excitement." She's already flipping through magazines, flagging pages with sticky notes. "And Vi, this is the fun part. The part where you get to choose everything. Not what Ethan wanted or what looked good for photos. What you actually want."Liam's at the office handling some crisis with a client, so it's just us. Me and Harper. The way it's been through everything."I don't even know what I want," I admit, looking at a photo of an elaborate floral arch that probably costs more than my first car. "The wedding to Ethan was, it was a production. Three hundred guests, ice sc

The notification arrives Friday morning, the day before my wedding.You are invited to provide testimony at the parole hearing for Ethan James Carter, scheduled for 2 PM today.He's been in prison for three years. Eligible for early parole due to good behavior and cooperation with federal authorities. And they want to know if I have anything to say about it."You don't have to go," Liam says immediately. "It's the day before our wedding. You should be relaxing, getting ready, being happy. Not facing your ex-husband in a parole hearing.""I know I don't have to." I'm staring at the letter. "But I want to. I need to.""Why? What could you possibly gain from this?""Closure. Real closure. Not a letter from prison or a guilty verdict. But looking him in the eye one more time and knowing I've moved past him completely."Harper arrives an hour later, ready to go with me. "If you're doing this, you're not doing it alone. I'm coming.""You don't have to.""We've been over this. Where you go,