All Chapters of When Love Rings False in My Mind: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Midnight had come and gone, taking our anniversary with it, but Elliot Cahill still wasn't home.Just then, a message from the private investigator lit up my phone."Mrs. Cahill, Mr. Cahill has known this woman for a year. He's been extremely careful about keeping her out of sight, so I only managed to get a couple of pictures."The images slowly loaded on my screen, and I immediately recognized the woman in them.She owned my favorite bakery, and Elliot had been celebrating her birthday.There was cake frosting smeared across his face. Knowing that dairy triggered his allergy, I instinctively reached toward the screen to wipe it away.Before my fingers could touch the glass, however, my tears landed on it.…Elliot returned the following morning with a box of my favorite croissants in his hand.When he saw me sitting on the couch, concern immediately crossed his face. "Why are you up so early? Did you have trouble sleeping?"He had changed his clothes, but the angry red rash

Chapter 2

At breakfast, Elliot placed the croissants closest to me.The buttery scent I had once loved drifted across the table, but now it made my stomach churn. I barely managed to turn away before I started dry-heaving."What's wrong, Josie? Are they making you sick?"Elliot immediately reached over to steady me, his voice filled with concern.He had always taken care of me like this.After my parents died and grief nearly drove me to take my own life, Elliot was the one who pulled me back and gave me a home. Once we were married, he loved me with every fiber of his being.Whenever we had fish, he removed every bone before placing it on my plate. My food was always served at exactly the right temperature, and whatever I liked most would be set within easy reach.He had once treated me with such care, and we were finally expecting the child we had both wanted for so long.I closed my eyes and tightened my grip on his hand."Elliot, I'm tired of those croissants. The bakery is far away

Chapter 3

"Elliot, if you ever betray Josie again, I swear I'll beat you to a pulp!"Fiona Jones' expression was grim as she tore into her son.I sat numbly on the couch, listening as Elliot apologized over and over."Josie, I was drunk that night. That's how Rachel got pregnant. Her health isn't good, and I couldn't bring myself to turn my back on her," he explained.Fiona took my hand, her voice softening."Josie, you and Elliot have known each other since you were children. After your parents passed away, I raised you like my own daughter. Please give him one more chance. I'm begging you."The guilt in her eyes only made me feel more miserable.After my parents died, Elliot brought me home. During the darkest period of my life, the Cahills gave me the warmth and security of a family.But I never imagined that everything they had done for me would one day become the reason I felt obligated to stay."Alright."My voice came out hoarse and dry. Inside, I felt nothing but emptiness.El

Chapter 4

Elliot eventually sent Rachel away.He had discovered that I truly had nothing to do with what happened at the bakery. A few local troublemakers had gotten sick after eating there and trashed the place in retaliation.He looked at me guiltily."I'm sorry, Josie. I let my temper get the better of me."I stared at him as though he were a stranger who had nothing to do with me.Two decades together had meant less to him than Rachel's tears."Josie, things are complicated right now. Can you give me a little more time?"Elliot held tightly to my hand. No matter how hard I tried to pull away, he refused to release me.I lowered my eyes and gave a bitter smile.No one played the devoted husband better than Elliot. He knew exactly what to say to make me believe he loved me, even as every choice he made proved otherwise.Looking down, I asked, "Elliot, are you going to keep lying to me?"He shook his head urgently. "No. Never again. I promise."A notification chimed, but my heart re

Chapter 5

Rachel's baby survived. The liver-cell transplant was successful, which meant that her pregnancy could continue normally.Elliot should've been relieved, but the notification chime that had sounded inside his head left him strangely unsettled.What was that sound anyway?"Elliot."Rachel looked at him with reddened eyes. "Thank you for staying with me through all of this."His expression softened. "You said the baby needed his father around during the pregnancy. I'm only doing what I should. Get some rest. I'm going to check on Josie."Rachel tried to convince him to stay, but he ignored her and walked out of the room. As he entered the hallway, he ran into the surgeon who had operated on me."Mr. Cahill, Ms. Cox terminated a pregnancy two weeks ago. That wasn't disclosed before today's surgery. Undergoing another major procedure so soon afterward puts her at an extremely high risk of complications."The surgeon's remarks left Elliot reeling."She was pregnant? When did she—"

Chapter 6

Elliot searched everywhere he could think of, but every lead turned into a dead end.Eventually, he returned home exhausted and defeated.Nothing inside the house had changed since the day I left.The beige blanket was still draped across the couch. Whenever Elliot worked there, I used to spread it over his legs so he wouldn't get cold.Our matching mugs remained on the coffee table, while my slippers sat crookedly by the entryway. Everything made it look as though I had only stepped out for a moment and would return soon.Elliot wandered through the house in a daze until he stepped on something.When he looked down, he saw one of the socks. It was tiny, and the uneven stitches made it obvious that I had made it myself.He bent down and picked it up. As he closed his hand around it, his eyes slowly reddened.At that moment, he seemed to understand how much I had wanted that child, as it was obvious I had worked through every clumsy stitch with care.A sharp, stabbing pain shot

Chapter 7

"That's beautiful," I said as I nodded encouragingly at the young boy sitting in the wheelchair.He gave me a shy smile. "Thank you, Ms. Cox."Still smiling, I straightened up, only to find a familiar face watching me.It was Elliot.In just three months, he had lost so much weight that he barely looked like the man I remembered. He stood at the door, his eyes fixed on me, as though he were afraid I might disappear the moment he looked away.I closed the classroom door and stepped into the hallway.Elliot immediately followed. His footsteps were hurried at first, but when he reached me, he stopped abruptly."Josie," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I'm sorry."I didn't respond beyond a faint nod."Is there anything else?"The light in his eyes dimmed, a mixture of longing and regret flickering in them."I'm sorry, Josie. I never loved Rachel. You're the only woman I've ever loved. The baby only happened because..."He struggled to fini

Chapter 8

Elliot returned many times after that.When I refused to see him, he waited outside the school. He stood there through pouring rain, heavy winds, and blazing heat, refusing to leave.Whenever I refused to come out, he would ask others to relay messages to me.A few of the teachers felt sorry for him and agreed to help twice.The first message read, "Josie, I was wrong. Please give me one more chance."The second was a letter I never opened.The third time, Elliot forced his way inside.It was a weekend, and rain had been falling heavily all day. The children had already gone home with their parents when he walked into the building, completely drenched."Josie…" he said, his voice strained and hoarse. "You said you could hear a chime whenever I lied, so I bet you know I'm telling the truth now."He grabbed my wrist. "I know I messed up. I know I hurt you, but are you really not going to give me a chance to make it up to you?"I tried to pull free, but it was futile."That bab

Chapter 9

I spent a long time debating whether to attend Fiona's 60th birthday celebration.In the end, I went.Whatever Elliot had done, Fiona's love for me had always been genuine. When Elliot first brought me home, she was the happiest person there."Josie, I've always wanted a daughter," she told me. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. From now on, treat this place like your own home."Throughout the years, she repeatedly warned Elliot, "You'd better not hurt Josie."After I lost my parents, Fiona gave me the warmth and comfort of a family when I needed it most.The moment I entered the reception hall, Elliot shot to his feet. His lips trembled as he stared at me, and the surrounding conversations briefly died away."Isn't that Mr. Cahill's—""Keep your voice down. It took him months to find her. You have no idea how many times he nearly lost his mind while she was gone."Fiona rose from her seat at the head table and hurried toward me.She had grown thinner, and half her hair ha

Chapter 10

I calmly watched Elliot as the final sliver of hope vanished from his face.Even while he was trying to win me back, he had refused to abandon Rachel's baby because he believed the child might be his only chance to become a biological father.I understood the fear behind that decision, but it also made his hypocrisy impossible to ignore.Regret, fury, and resentment churned in his eyes as he approached Rachel one deliberate step at a time.The look on his face was frightening."What made you think you could hurt Josie and lie to me?"He didn't wait for her to answer.Elliot lifted his leg and delivered a brutal kick that sent Rachel crashing to the floor with a scream. As she curled up on the floor, a dark crimson stain gradually spread beneath her red dress.Police sirens and ambulance alarms soon sounded outside.The baby couldn't be saved. Officially, Rachel had lost the pregnancy after an "accidental" fall.Rachel, her baby daddy, and the other two men involved were later

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