Semua Bab The Plus-Sized Bride No One Wanted: Too Fat to Love : Bab 61 - Bab 70

~ Ivy ~I wiped a smudge of yellow paint off my thumb with a wet rag. I was cleaning my brushes in the small kitchen when the heavy front doorbell rang. It was not the soft chime of the guest house bell. It was the loud, double ring from the front doors of the main terrace at Knight Manor.I set the wooden brush down on the counter. Mrs. Hughes was in town getting groceries, and Ethan was finishing his rounds at the hospital. I walked through the wide hallway, unlocked the heavy wooden latch, and pulled the front door open.My feet froze against the stone floor.Standing on the terrace steps were my parents.Arthur Monroe wore his dark charcoal business suit, but the collar was crooked, and his tie sat loose against his neck. He looked thinner, his face pale and lined with deep creases. Next to him stood my mother, Victoria. She wore a beige coat with a fur collar, holding a designer leather purse tightly against her ribs with both hands.For two seconds, my breath caught in my throat

~ Julian ~"Do you like the steak, Julian?" Chloe asked, setting her silver fork down on the edge of her plate with a quiet click.I looked down at the cut of beef in front of me. It was covered in dark mushroom sauce. It was warm, perfectly cooked, and cost more than most people made in a week. Yet, when I chewed a small piece, it tasted like dry paper."It is fine," I said, wiping my mouth with a white cloth napkin. "The kitchen here always does a good job.""It is more than fine," Chloe said with a bright, musical laugh. She smoothed the front of her tight crimson dress with both palms. Her diamond earrings caught the yellow glow of the three tall candles sitting in the center of the table. "I told the manager to reserve the corner booth near the garden view. I wanted tonight to be special."I glanced around the private dining room of The Ashbourne Grand. The room was quiet, decorated with dark mahogany walls, heavy velvet curtains, and gold-framed mirrors. A slow violin melody dri

~ Ivy ~"You really do look completely different, Ivy," Nadia said, setting her ceramic mug down onto the small wooden table.The little café in the Riverside Arts Quarter smelled like roasted coffee beans, warm milk, and sweet blueberry muffins. Outside the window, people walked past in light jackets, enjoying the afternoon sun. I sat with my hands wrapped around a cup of green tea. The steam warmed my fingers."Different in a good way, I hope," I said, offering a small, easy smile."A wonderful way," Nadia replied with a quick nod. Her short brown hair bounced slightly. "At the reunion, everyone was buzzing about your art. But honestly, I was just happy to see you holding your head up. Back in high school, people were cruel. I always felt bad that I didn't speak up more.""You were never mean to me, Nadia," I told her, setting my cup down with a soft clink. "When everyone else barked or laughed in the halls, you just shared your class notes with me. That meant a lot to a girl who fe

~ IVY ~"I am coming with you," I said, setting my ceramic mug down on the kitchen counter with a hard click.Ethan stopped with his hand on the front door handle. He wore a dark navy coat over a gray sweater. His blue-gray eyes looked at my face, checking to see if my hands were shaking."Ivy, you do not have to sit in that room," Ethan said gently. "Grace only agreed to talk off the record. She might say things that are hard to hear. I can go alone and take notes for you.""No," I said. I pulled my green wool cardigan tight around my waist and grabbed my purse from the table. "For a whole year, other people told my story for me. Julian told the doctors I was clumsy. Chloe told the police I slipped. If someone is finally going to tell the truth about that night, I need to hear it with my own ears."Ethan looked at me for three quiet seconds. Then his mouth softened into a small nod. "All right. Put your boots on. We have twenty minutes."The drive across town was quiet. Ethan kept bo

~ Ivy ~I set my phone down on Ethan’s large wooden desk. My fingers tapped twice against the dark wood before I pulled them back into my lap."You said to come when I was ready," I said.Ethan sat in the leather chair beside mine. He had already opened his silver laptop, but the screen was turned slightly away toward the window. Across the desk from us sat Richard Knight. Richard did not have a medical coat on today. "Take a breath first, Ivy," Ethan said softly. He reached out and pushed a glass of water toward my hands. "We go at your speed. If you want to stop at any point, we stop.""I don't want to stop," I said. My voice did not shake. I surprised myself with how clear it sounded in the quiet study. "I spent over a year being told I made things up. I want to see what you found."Richard looked at Ethan, then gave a slow, firm nod. "Show her, son."Ethan turned the laptop so the screen faced me directly. He also opened the paper folder and laid four different items in a straigh