When Tommy asked if I was in shock, I only gave a faint shake of my head.
On the day I married him, I had indeed accepted the possibility of marrying a dead man. It was the only way to escape Andrew and David’s suffocating grasp. But even then, the first lady of the Whitmore, Demi, had promised me–she’d said she would treat me as her own daughter.”
“Elise,” Tommy said softly, “I know you married me because you had no choice. If you ever wish to leave, just say the word–I’ll let you go.”
He knew how much I had endured, how much I’d hidden. But he didn’t want me to hold everything in. He wanted me to be free, to be happy.”
I looked at him in disbelief. There was something so achingly familiar in his voice.”
“Have we… met before?“N
He paused. “I wondered if you’d remember.”\
And then he pulled something from behind his back–a delicate chain of paper cranes.
It hit me all at once.
“So it was you…“”
After my parents died, the Whitmores took me in. But I was always the outsider. Andrew and David resented me, treated me like an intruder stealing affection that was never really mine.
I’d often hide beneath the old oak tree in the garden, crying alone.
But someone had always found me.
A boy who would climb the tree and fold paper cranes, tossing them down one by one to make me smile. One day, he caught Andrew and David bullying me–and he stopped them, made them back off. After that, they never touched me again.”
And now he stood in front of me, holding those same cranes.
Tommy placed them gently into my hands.
“If you want to be free,” he whispered, “I’ll never be the one to cage you.”
Tears welled in my eyes.”
Because no one–no one–had said anything like that to me since my parents died.”
Andrew and David had wanted to keep me shackled forever, to love them on their terms, to stay whether I wanted to or not.”
The tears fell freely onto Tommy’s hands.”
He panicked. “No–don’t cry. Did I say something wrong? Please, don’t cry…”
I shook my head. I couldn’t even form words.”
So he held me.”
He wrapped his arms around me and just held me while I cried. Long and hard, until there were no more tears left.”
Just as I was steadying my breath, voices erupted from outside.
A maid entered and whispered something to Tommy.”
“Andrew and David,” he said, his jaw tightening.”
He looked ready to throw them out again, but I stopped him.”
“My parents‘ things,” I said. “They still have them. I need to end this.”
He gave a small nod.”
I wiped my tears, straightened my shoulders and walked outside.
Andrew and David’s face’s lit up when they saw me.”
“I knew it,” David said. “I knew you couldn’t stay away.”
But I ignored them and held out my hand.”
“You brought my parents‘ belongings,” I said coldly. “Give them to me.”
The light in their eyes dimmed.
“Elise, it’s not like we were trying to use them against you–don’t get the wrong idea—“}
“I’m not interested in your lies.”
Left with no other choice, they handed over the box.
I opened it. My parents‘ keepsakes–photographs, letters, my mother’s necklace. Intact.
I turned to leave./
But the sound of knees hitting the floor stopped me.
Andrew and Daniel knelt behind me.
10:56 AM
“Please,” Andrew begged. “We’re sorry. We know we were wrong. Don’t leave us. We can’t live without you.
“If
you
leave…” Daniel’s voice cracked. “We’ll die.“”
My heart was still.”
“Then die.”
They froze.
They stared at me, wide–eyed, as though hearing that from me shattered the last illusion they clung to.”
“You would’ve never said that before,” Andrew whispered. “You’re being cruel….“\
They bowed low, heads to the ground, their foreheads striking the pavement over and over.”
But I didn’t turn around.
Not once.
Their muffled sobs faded behind me as I walked away.
I clutched the box to my chest and met Tommy’s gaze across the courtyard.”
The moon was high above us, casting silver light over everything.”
And I knew…
From now on, I would live not for anyone else, but for me.”
(The End)
