All Chapters of The Man Who Loved Me All Along: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Standing on the terrace, Tessa called Beckett.He answered almost immediately, his tone casual and unconcerned."Finished picking them all up again already? That's not enough. Get back in the pool and do it again.""My son is dead," Tessa interrupted calmly.There was a moment of silence on the other end.Then Beckett spoke again, his voice utterly indifferent. "So he's dead. He should've died a long time ago."So what if he was dead?He should've died a long time ago.That was Beckett's reaction.Tessa laughed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "His name was Ollie. He was four years old."He weighed barely four and a half pounds when he was born. His hands and feet were so tiny. But when I held him, it felt like I was holding my whole world."He was such a smart little boy. He was sitting up before six months, crawling at seven, and already taking his first steps by nine."He had big eyes and loved candy. He was always polite to grown-ups. Everyone who met him adored him."Even when the

Beckett felt as though his head were about to explode. He hurled his phone to the ground, as if that might somehow clear his head and ease the overwhelming panic gripping him.Frantically, he shoved people aside, forcing his way through the crowd.Blood spread across the pavement where Tessa had fallen. She lay facedown, motionless. The sight was beyond horrifying.Beckett had never seen her like this. Somehow, it enraged him even more than all the terrible things she'd done.It felt as though a hole had been torn through his heart. Every breath sent another wave of pain through his chest, leaving him barely able to speak.He dropped beside her and pulled her into his arms."Wake up! Wake up, do you hear me?"He kept calling her name, as though she were merely asleep and would wake up once her dream was over."Tessa, stop pretending. I'm giving you three seconds. If you don't get up..."He tried the same tactic that had always worked before.But the woman in his arms kept her eyes clos

"Beckett, do you have any idea what the woman you hate most has done for you?"She hated science, but she chose a science-heavy course load just for you. Every day, she worked through endless practice problems, hoping you'd give her a second glance."She was terrified of dogs. But whenever she visited your house and that big dog of yours lunged at her, she'd pretend she wasn't scared, afraid you'd hate her for showing her fear."She knew you liked confident, independent women. So she got up early every morning to run. She learned to dance, play the piano, and paint."She gave you her whole heart, pure and full of love, and you treated it like it was worthless."Ten years, Beckett! Even a dog would've grown attached after ten years! But how did you treat her? You tossed her aside like trash. You treated her worse than a dog!"Theodore finally lost control and swung his fist at Beckett.Beckett stood so rigid that he didn't even try to dodge.The blow blurred his vision, and for a moment

Beckett could barely think straight. With trembling hands, he pulled out his phone and made a call."Investigate what happened back then! I want everything looked into again!"The investigation results came back quickly.The moment Beckett read the report, his entire world came crashing down.Josie wasn't the little girl who'd saved him all those years ago...It was Tessa?She was the one who'd risked her life to pull him from the fire.Not Josie.Tessa.And that wasn't all.Josie had fallen overboard because she'd been trying to frame Tessa. What was supposed to be a staged incident had turned into a tragedy because she'd failed to take proper safety precautions. She'd never imagined her own scheme would cost her life.But the next revelation was even harder for Beckett to bear.Ollie...Ollie really was his son!Tessa hadn't lied to him...Each new revelation hit him harder than the last.The room spun around him. He tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't hold him steady.It felt as t

"Even if I have to beat you to death, you ungrateful fool, I'm not letting you leave! Where was all this devotion when she was alive?" Arthur demanded."Beckett Lockridge, let me tell you one more time. She's dead! You drove her to jump off that roof, and the fall left her barely recognizable!"And now you want to consummate your marriage with her? Have you even considered whether she'd want that?"If you want to leave, you'll have to step over my dead body!"Beckett took a deep breath, his eyes already rimmed with red. He knew he'd been wrong. He'd hurt Tess terribly, and if she rejected him, he wouldn't blame her.But he'd give anything for her to wake up, to talk to him, even to yell at him.Anything would be better than this.Now, even touching her brought him so much pain he could hardly bear it.Arthur struck him hard across the face with his cane.Still on his knees, Beckett spat out a mouthful of blood."Grandpa, I won't consummate our marriage tonight. Tess devoted all her tim