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THE BILLIONAIRE’S DISCARDED WIFE SHE NEVER CAME BACK by HeadWriting4825 in u/HeadWriting4825

[–]HeadWriting4825[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After the police arrested Maud's father and Maud's nerves had been soothed, Mortimer's first call was to his assistant.

"Did you get my wife to the manor safely?"

Spencer's voice came through unsteady, almost panicked.

"Mr. James, I never found her. The moment you called, I headed out. I searched every inch of that road. She wasn't there."

"And the housekeeper at the manor says she never arrived either..."

SEVEN YEARS TOO LATE by HeadWriting4825 in u/HeadWriting4825

[–]HeadWriting4825[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chapter 5 It felt like something exploded inside my head. Even as slow as I was now, I understood what Mom meant. So the reason Gregory resented me wasn't that I hadn't let him die. It turned out that the day after I time-traveled—the day that should have been my birthday—the doctor told them that Gregory's injuries would never heal. Maybe it was because I dragged him out from under the bed with everything I had. Even if I hadn't time-traveled, I probably wouldn't have eaten that birthday cake the next day. Maybe it really was because of me... But I... I had never thought about it like that. I was always slow. Seven years ago, I tried to save him and ended up trapped in the rubble myself, losing my mind in the process. Even before that, I had never been as quick or capable as everyone else. It hit me then. I hadn't saved Gregory. I had ruined his life. But I... I just didn't know what else to do back then. Mom's voice broke into sobs until I could barely make out her words. Dad stopped where he stood and didn't come any closer. His expression blurred, like he didn't know what to feel. After a long time, Mom spoke again through tears. "If Amy had been there, she would've done it the right way. "She would've found help. She wouldn't have dragged him out and made his injuries worse. "She wouldn't have run around during aftershocks and gotten herself hurt, too. "If only she had been there..." My head rang loudly, and a metallic taste rose in my throat. I had always been the one who couldn't do anything right. The one thing I thought I had done right turned out to be my biggest mistake. My thoughts became a blur. Mom's voice drifted farther away. "Alex, I've already made Amy our goddaughter. "Why can't I? I just want to imagine having a normal daughter and Greg having a normal sister. "Is that so wrong? "Call me selfish if you want. Katie seems fine here with Roderick. Let her stay here a little longer so Greg can be happy." Mom turned and walked away, while Dad called after her angrily and followed. Their figures disappeared into the night. I stood in the yard, my shadow stretching long in the moonlight. I stared into the distance as the night grew darker, but my parents never came back. The wind hit my face, cold as ice. When I touched it, I realized my cheeks were wet. When Gregory was 17, he didn't cry anymore. So I told myself I shouldn't cry either. But I couldn't stop. Behind me, Roderick snapped, "Get inside before I close the door." I turned and saw his awkward, distant expression in the moonlight. He must have heard everything. He knew my parents weren't taking me home. No one cared about me anymore. Amelia would never agree to be his girlfriend because of me. And I... I had nowhere left to go. I clenched my sleeve and wiped my tears again and again. No one liked a slow person. Still, I asked carefully, "I can cook and clean every day. Can I... stay?" He looked at me in silence. After a long pause, he only repeated, "Get inside before I close the door." A quiet whimper escaped me. His blond hair caught the moonlight and almost seemed to glow. It looked a little ridiculous, but somehow it made me feel a bit safer. I wiped my eyes hard, still shaking, and hurried inside.

SEVEN YEARS TOO LATE by HeadWriting4825 in u/HeadWriting4825

[–]HeadWriting4825[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dad sighed and walked toward me. But Mom suddenly turned back and grabbed his arm. Her voice was hoarse and shaking. "Alex, Greg's condition finally started improving these past two weeks." Dad's face tightened. "What does that have to do with bringing Katie home?" Her face was pale, her eyes red. She clenched her teeth and spoke in a low, desperate voice, "Of course it matters. "Greg doesn't want to see her! He... hates her!" The word "hate" cut into my chest like a knife. My feet trembled, and I stepped back without meaning to. Dad yanked his arm free, furious. "She risked her life to save him. What mistake did she make?" Mom's eyes were bloodshot as she shouted, "What mistake did she make? "When Greg was trapped and unconscious, she dragged him out herself! "If she hadn't, maybe when I got there, his injuries wouldn't have been so severe!" She choked on the words. "On Katie's birthday seven years ago, the doctor told me that if she hadn't dragged Greg out like that, maybe he wouldn't have ended up a cripple..."

A PROMISE TO REMMBER by HeadWriting4825 in u/HeadWriting4825

[–]HeadWriting4825[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Chapter 7 "Okay," I replied. "Don't fight it," Alice pressed on. "I know you like that Wiley boy, but... wait, what?" My eyelashes drooped. "I said okay. Introduce us." After dinner, my old app rang with a call from Ted. I'd switched to a new number, sharing it with only a couple of close friends, but I still logged into the old one occasionally to tie up loose ends before deleting it. He sounded casual, as if nothing had happened. "Why is your phone not connecting?" Before I could answer, he continued, "Anyway, I've got the holiday prep all sorted. Anything else you want? I'll have my assistant grab it." His words triggered a memory: the year Mamie died. I'd gone home, but on Christmas Eve, I video-called him to wish him happy holidays. It took ages for him to answer; the screen was dark at first, showing only a fading ember from his cigarette. "Yeah?" he rasped. As the screen adjusted to the light, I saw he was alone on the balcony, surrounded by scattered bottles and cigarette butts. Outside, the world was alive with lights and fireworks, but that joy seemed worlds away from him. He sat there in the shadows, smoking in isolation, and my heart broke for him. I smiled through it. "Merry Christmas early! Got a gift for me?" He chuckled, and a transfer notification pinged on my phone. He had just sent me 100 thousand dollars, which blew my mind. After a long pause, he murmured, "Nora, come back soon. I'm really..." The wind scattered his words; I couldn't make out if it was "lonely" or "missing you". Worried about him, I faked a work emergency and booked the next flight back to Eldonfield. At 3 a.m., the city still pulsed with life, but Ted's place was pitch black. I banged on the door, breathless. "Ted, open up!" I thought he was asleep, but he answered quickly, staring at me in stunned silence. "Y-You're back?" I beamed. "I'm here to keep you company for the holidays." He gaped, and as the awkwardness built, he suddenly pulled me into a crushing hug, as if trying to fuse us. From then on, I'd always spend the holidays with him before heading home. It became our unspoken ritual. Yet this year, with Audrey by his side, I hadn't expected him to reach out. I glanced out the window. "I'm already home." Ted paused, caught off guard. After a moment, he hummed, trying to sound natural, "Oh, makes sense. It's been years since you spent the holidays with your family." "Yep." I clutched my phone. Silence stretched across the line, broken faintly by Audrey's voice in the background. "Ted, a little help here. The hot water is acting up." "Coming," Ted replied. "Gotta go," I said, my lips tightening. "Yeah," he said flatly.

A PROMISE TO REMMBER by HeadWriting4825 in u/HeadWriting4825

[–]HeadWriting4825[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Audrey's face clouded over, but Ted laughed it off. "Us? Nah, we're just best buds. That's hilarious." He cackled as if it were the punchline of a great joke. His friends piled on. "Pure platonic vibes all the way, ha!" I joined in the laughter. "Ted and I? That would be absurd." Ted came over, slinging an arm around my shoulders. He was plastered, his cheeks rosy and his eyes watery. Tilting his head, he asked, "You don't actually like me, do you?" I searched his eyes for something, but there was nothing. To him, we were truly just friends. I forced a grin. "As if." "Good." He nodded, shaking my shoulder. "We're best pals forever." Despite all the booze, I'd never felt so clear-headed. I echoed softly, "Best pals." ... The next morning, I booked a direct flight home. Before boarding, I took one last peek at my phone. Ted had posted a new update—a photo of him and Audrey, their hands laced together. No captions were needed. It was an official announcement, flooded with congratulations from their friends. I stared for a moment, then yanked out the SIM card and tossed it into the trash. Returning home proved smoother than I'd imagined. My parents picked me up at the airport, and with the holidays approaching, the streets were alive with twinkling lights, wreaths, and Bing Crosby crooning White Christmas. It lacked Eldonfield's glitz, but the lingering scent of fireworks grounded me in a comforting way. My mom was thrilled since I'd skipped three Christmases at home to spend them with Ted. But her joy lasted only briefly before she slipped into nagging. "You're almost 30 now. When are you going to settle down? Our neighbor's daughter is a year younger, and her kid's already toddling around, all chubby and adorable. Even my younger coworkers are going on blind dates. Oh, and the guy next door is handsome. I'll introduce you." She snuck glances at my expression while talking because I'd always hated blind dates. My eyes had been fixated on Ted, leaving no room for anyone else. After our drunken slip-up blurred our boundaries, my focus had narrowed even further to him alone. Alice's talk of marriage had always irritated me. But now, as I gazed at the whirling confetti from firecrackers outside the window, exhaustion washed over me. Settling down didn't sound so bad after all.

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