c
7
Overwhelming news flooded Ins, dominating the trending topics.
The two wives of the Richardson Group were reported to have accidentally fallen off North Peak while hiking at night, then swept away by the swift river, leaving no trace.
Meanwhile, Mom and I were already on a plane heading to a coastal town in the southernmost part of the country.
Our wonderful new life was just about to begin.
Actually, the moment Mom and I decided to fake our deaths, she’d already arranged for people to meet us at the bottom of the cliff.
They quickly whisked us away to the airport.
We deliberately left some of our personal items along the riverbanks to make it look like we’d truly been swept away by the current.
After a few hours of flying, we finally landed.
The town was secluded, but the scenery was breathtaking, right by the ocean.
Mom had brought almost all our savings with her, enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.
After my dad passed, I originally thought Mom and I would just rely on each other for the rest of our lives.
But then Richard kept showing up at our door, “checking in” on us every few days. Before long, they actually fell for each
other.
I don’t know if that counts as ‘stealing‘ someone’s partner, but I figured if Mom could have someone to rely on for the rest of her life, it wasn’t a bad thing.
After she married into the Richardson family, the elders started pushing for Julian and me to get married too.
Neither of us refused, nor did we outright object.
After all, Julian was incredibly handsome: a strong nose, deep–set eyes… who wouldn’t be smitten?
I just never expected him to be so cold to me after we got married.
Now, I somewhat regretted that decision.
Thankfully, everything was back to square one.
After finding a place, Mom and I were exhausted. We each crashed on our beds to rest.
Suddenly, Mom told me Julian was looking for me everywhere.
“Scarlett, what exactly happened between you two last night?”
“From what I’m seeing online, he looks like he’s going crazy with worry.”
A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about everything that happened last night.
“Last night, he drank too much, and then… well, it just happened.”
I was so embarrassed. I could only describe it vaguely, trusting Mom would understand; she’d been there.
“I don’t know what’s going on in his head. He was cold to you for so long, and then suddenly, he’s passionate right when you’re about to leave. Does he know something?”
I was puzzled too. Julian really seemed to know I was leaving.
And he deliberately slept with me right before I left, just to make sure I couldn’t completely cut ties with him.
But why? What was he trying to achieve?
Whatever. If I couldn’t figure it out, I’d stop trying. My head was throbbing.
Even with the air mattress at the bottom of the cliff, jumping from that height still left my head feeling a little dizzy.
It was strange. Mom and I had been gone for a while, and Julian was so resourceful, it shouldn’t have been hard for him to find us. Yet, there was no news of him looking.
Our phones were both left in the river that night, so we had no way of contacting each other or checking for news.
We could only see Julian’s recent updates online.
Life in the small town was peaceful and carefree.
Mom adopted a few stray cats nearby. Her days were spent scooping litter and playing with them.
Sometimes we’d go to the beach for some fresh air. Life was wonderfully simple.
Just as we were settling into our new routine, I noticed a subtle change in my body.
My first thought was that Julian must have infected me.
How else could a healthy body suddenly develop such uncomfortable symptoms?
The moment I realized I might be dying, I threw my arms around Mom’s arm and burst into tears.
“I… I might not live much longer. My body’s been getting worse lately, and now it’s time to tell you.”
“If I’m gone, promise me you’ll live well. And whatever you do, never go back to the Richardsons. They’re bad luck for our family.”
<
Mom didn’t say much. She just pulled me into her arms, resting my head against her chest.
“Silly girl, don’t talk nonsense. You’re destined for a long life.
