Chapter 5
When Rachel opened her eyes again, she was lying in a hospital bed. Her body ached as if it were about to fall apart. She had lost count of how many times she had been admitted.
The shrill ring of her phone cut through the silence. It was the prison guard she had paid to keep an eye on things inside. “Ms. Hudson, your mother has been getting ‘special treatment‘ in prison. Did you cross the wrong person?”
Her breath caught. “W–what did you just say?”
“Someone gave orders from above. Your mother hasn’t been allowed to eat, her cellmates are bullying her, and they’ve been forcing her to stand out in the sun for ten hours a day.”
The words slammed into her like thunder. The phone felt heavy in her hand, the voice on the other end fading as the room spun.
Just then, the door burst open, and Benjamin
a in
Rachel slowly lifted her head, and in that moment, the pieces fell into place. “It was you.”
Only he had the power to do this. And he still believed she had threatened Angelina.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of confusion on his face.
She stared at him as if seeing him for the first time, her voice trembling. “My mother helped your family once. You can’t do this to her. She’s been sick for years. She won’t survive something like this.”
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He strode over and gripped her cheeks hard, his eyes like ice. “She may have done us a favor, but she’s never done anything for Angie. If you’ve got a problem, take it out on me–I can take it. But why hurt someone innocent?”
His fingers pressed so hard it felt like her face would shatter.
She met his gaze stubbornly, tears welling. “I never took those photos. I never threatened Angelina. If you don’t believe me, check the hotel’s security footage…”
J’Who else could it be? Angie’s gentle; she’s never had conflicts with anyone. The only one she’s ever clashed with is you.” His tone was ice- cold.
It didn’t matter what Rachel said–he had already condemned her.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips as tears slid down, falling onto the back of his hand.
The sudden warmth startled him, burning somewhere deep inside.
“Fine,” she whispered, defeated. “It’s my fault. Just tell them to leave my mom alone. I’ll stay far away from Angelina. I won’t bother her ever again.”
There was no point fighting anymore since nothing would change. All she wanted was for Wendy to be safe. She still needed to take Wendy away from here.
Seeing her surrender, Benjamin eased his grip, his touch softening. His voice, too, lost its sharpness. “I don’t want to hurt your mother. But Angie’s done nothing wrong. She won’t be part of our lives anymore. If you don’t want to get along with her, that’s fine, but don’t harm her.”
Chapter 5
He pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead. Numb and dazed, Rachel nodded like a puppet.
However, even her obedience couldn’t save Wendy.
The next day, a call came from the prison. She didn’t remember the drive there. Her mind was blank until she found herself standing in the morgue.
On a stretcher lay Wendy’s pale, lifeless body. Rachel’s legs gave out beneath her, and she crumpled to the floor, trembling hands hovering but unable to touch.
Her voice broke into sobs, tears splashing onto that cold face without. bringing the faintest warmth back. “Mom, you promised me we would leave together. Please, wake up… We were so close… Why now? Why?”
A prison guard nearby explained softly, guilt in his tone. “It was heatstroke. By the time we found her, it was too late.”
That same day, Rachel had Wendy cremated. No one else came to the funeral–only her.
Before the service, she called Benjamin 19 times, but he never picked up. When she finally hung up, she saw Angelina’s latest post. It was a video of a concert.
Beside Angelina, Benjamin leaned in close, his expression gentle as he watched her.
The noise and flashing lights in the video brought back an old memory- the time she had invited him to one of her band’s shows. He had refused, saying, “You know I don’t like noisy crowds.”
Yet here he was, standing in the middle of one for someone else. Rachel let out a hollow laugh and didn’t try calling again.
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Chapter 5
Instead, she bought a necklace from the funeral parlor and carefully placed Wendy’s ashes inside. “Mom,” she whispered, clutching it tightly. “I’ll take you away with me.”
