Chapter 7
“We pulled the call records from the service provider. The evidence is clear. You can’t deny it, Mr. Wamsley.“}} Jordan’s smirk vanished. He stumbled back, color draining from his face.§
“Jordan?” Fern’s eyes widened in shock. “It really was you?!“&
Jordan turned to bolt, but the cops grabbed him.
He struggled, shouting, “Babe! Help me! I did all this for you–to get back at him!”
But Fern’s palm landed hard across his face.
“You bastard!” she snapped. “Who told you to lay a hand on Jarrett’s mom?! She was the only family he had left!“}
Seeing she wasn’t going to help him, Jordan’s mask cracked completely. His expression twisted into hate.
“Bitch!” he spat. “You think you have any right to talk down to me? You’re no better than I am!“}
He laughed like a madman.
“You never gave him a cent of his salary! Made him eat spoiled leftovers while you dined out with me!
“Every time, his mother needed medical bills paid, you forced him to kneel and beg!}
“You even bring different men into your bed every night like you don’t have a husband!}]
We’re the same, you and me. Don’t pretend otherwise!“}
Fern’s POVE
Every word that came out of Jordan’s mouth cut like a knife.
It stabbed straight into my heart.
At that moment, Marlow and Jarrett had walked out of the building.
I rushed toward them, shouting, “Jarrett! I’m sorry. I didn’t know! I didn’t know Jordan would—“}
Jarrett’s POV
For the first time in eight years, Fern apologized and begged me.§
She tried to sound genuine, but I didn’t believe her. “Come home with me, please?“}
“Come home?” I shot back. “So I can take care of your 20th boyfriend?“}
“You-”
As if I had hit a sore spot, she suddenly clenched her fists and snapped.
“Don’t push it. I said sorry. That should be enough. Besides, you were the one who started all this years ago!“}
She always clung to the past–used it like a shield to excuse every cruel thing she did.
I took a deep breath. “There’s proof now. My mom had nothing to do with what happened back then.“}
Mariow had been helping me investigate what happened back then, and we found holes in the story Fern believed in years.}
Fern’s jaw tightened. “No! You’re just trying to shift the blame!“}]
“Believe what you want.”
I was done explaining myself. I brushed past her with Marlow at my side.
“Jarrett! Don’t walk away from me!” Fern yelled. “If you leave now, you’ll never get another chance with me. Ever!”
I didn’t look back. I got into the car and drove away.”
Fern’s POVE
I watched the taillights disappear down the road.}]
Something inside me cracked open–something hollow, like my soul was being scooped out.
And when I got home… The emptiness grew louder,
For the first time in eight years, I stepped into Jarrett’s room.
The rest of the villa was extravagant, polished, and beautiful.}
But this room… It was half–finished. Just a piece of cardboard on the ground, a wooden desk, and a single framed photo on the wall. ‘Our… wedding portrait.’}
Not even a working light.
For years, Jarrett curled up here, probably swallowing tears in the dark.
I stared at that photo for a long, long time.
“He kept it… all this time…”
My eyes shimmered. I sat down at the desk and opened the drawers
They were stuffed with letters… Hundreds of them
I opened one at random, read just a single line… and burst into tears.
Every single letter was one he wrote to me during the years we secretly dated.”
2:55 PM
I used to say handwritten love letters were sacred. That they made a relationship meaningful.} That’s probably why he wrote one… every week.
And I wrote back carefully, faithfully.
From high school to college, we had nearly 400 letters between us.
Each one a timestamp–of our love.
Our first secret date…}
He took on a part–time job and saved up for half a month just for that.”
