บททั้งหมดของ He Left Me in the Fire: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 9

A bolt of pain bored through me. My fingers shook, and the phone slipped from my hand.By the time a nurse helped me pick it up, the call had long since disconnected.In our message thread, there was only one message from Nathan."I have a scheduling conflict around your discharge. I'll take you to meet my parents some other time."That afternoon, a nurse finished changing my bandages.Believing I was asleep, a few nurses began whispering among themselves."Do you think that woman next door is sleeping with him?""Definitely. Did you see that tiny blister? If she'd arrived a day later, it would've healed on its own.""He's falling all over himself worrying about her. I just heard them planning a ski trip to Aspen for next week.""That poor wife."My phone slipped from my hand again.The lock-screen photo of Nathan kissing my forehead was spiderwebbed with cracks.The room fell dead silent.One nurse quickly picked up my phone, and they all shuffled out, nudging each other along.Late t

As I pulled the papers away, Nathan suddenly pinned them under his hand.His expression was hesitant."Serena, is there anything else?"When I shook my head, a shadow crossed his face.Then he yanked his hand back as if by instinct."Go get some rest."I picked up the papers and caught sight of the clusters of blisters on my own hands from the fire.It clicked.My appearance had frightened him.As I turned to leave, my lawyer called."I'll send the papers over soon."My casual tone drew a puzzled question from behind me."Send what over?"I turned back with a false smile."My husband's calling. Let me hang up."Then I looked Nathan straight in the eye and lied."I picked up the wrong package."Vivian suddenly giggled as if she'd thought of something funny."Speaking of packages, Nathan, you're so careless.""A few times, the lingerie you bought for Serena got delivered to my place instead.""I'll bring them over next time, Serena."Nathan had never bought me anything, period. Meanwhile

The next morning, Nathan sent people to search for me everywhere.They discovered that my number had been disconnected and every social-media account erased.It was as if I had never existed in his life.No matter how hard he looked, he found nothing.His panic deepened by the hour.Vivian wore her usual fragile, innocent expression."Where could an orphan like Serena even go?"She's so thoughtless. She knows you'd worry about her."And she just vanishes without a trace."Nathan caught the smug glint in her eyes.For the first time, he brought up the fire himself."Was the electrical fire at Serena's birthday party really an accident?"Vivian's pupils tightened, but hurt spread across her face."Nathan, how could you even ask that? How could I possibly want to hurt Serena..."Her voice choked, and she reached for her usual shield."My brother died saving you. I can never thank you enough. How could I hurt anyone?"Before, Nathan would have immediately apologized and soothed her.But th

Vivian suddenly laughed.Her laughter was wild and unhinged."I wanted a handbag, so I sold them."Nathan lunged at her as if to tear her apart, but the officers restrained him.William pushed the document forward again."Sign."Nathan knew he was about to lose the company.Once it was gone, there would be no chance of winning me back.Defeated, he picked up the pen and signed.Vivian still wasn't satisfied, even as officers pushed her toward the squad car.She turned to Nathan."Oh, by the way. I never lost my memory."Only then did Nathan understand everything.From beginning to end, he had been the greatest fool and the one most to blame.He was the one who had driven away the person who loved him most.Once they learned the truth, Robert and Elaine Carter came to the Ashford home to apologize and plead for reconciliation."No one else should meddle in a married couple's relationship."They're only having a fight, and Serena is pregnant."It was all a misunderstanding. For the sake