Then I took my box and wheeled myself downstairs.
What I didn’t expect was to see someone completely unexpected.
I approached calmly, a sweet smile on my lips. "Madam, what brings you here so late at night?"
When she saw me wrapped in bandages, his mother, Naomi Ross’s eyes filled with heartache. She rushed toward me, arms halfway open, then hesitated, afraid even a touch might hurt me.
"Lainey, how did this happen to you? Was it that boy did he do this to you?"
I said nothing.
Realizing the truth in my silence, Naomi’s expression faltered, but she still clung to a sliver of hope.
"Lainey, be good. I’ll fight for you. That brat has gotten completely out of hand!"
She pulled out her phone and began calling Jeremiah.
She dialed again and again. No answer.
Her smile turned awkward as she looked at me, forcing a strained chuckle.
“Lainey, Maybe Jeremiah's just… busy right now, you know…"
Before she could finish, I handed her the explicit photo Margaret had just sent me two minutes ago.
"You’re right, Auntie. He is indeed very busy."
Naomi stared at the provocative message. The smile on her lips collapsed.
She looked at me, eyes heavy with sorrow, and whispered, "Lainey, I’m sorry. This is all my fault."
"If I had known Jeremiah would become like this, I would’ve never pushed the two of you together. During those five years, you were in prison, I kept urging him to visit you. Every time, he told me he did…”
Seeing her try to shift the topic, I followed her lead and revealed the truth.
"The one who stabbed someone back then… it was Margaret. Jeremiah was the one who found me and begged me to take the blame. I didn’t want to, at first. But he said if I did he’d consider marrying me."
"You’ve seen it now, Auntie. Jeremiah already has someone he loves. The wish you had for me to marry him, I can’t carry that out anymore."
"This… this… how could this be…"
Naomi stood frozen, unable to accept that all her heartfelt hopes had led to this.
Just as I turned to leave, Jeremiah called.
I deliberately turned on the speakerphone, and his vicious voice burst through.
“Lainey, are you a bitch or what? I just tried to sleep with you and you refused, then you go whining to my mom? What the hell is wrong with you?”
I lifted the phone and met Naomi’s eyes.
In silence, I told her: that it wasn’t that I refused, it was because this was who Jeremiah truly was.