The night stretched on, and Sue sat there, broken.
Her fingers hovered over her phone, over the call button to the cops.
But every time she tried to press it, memories of Irwin flooded her mind.
How he’d drop everything—no matter how busy he was—just to take her on a trip around the world if she was feeling down.
How he’d filled the streets and parks within a ten-mile radius with roses just because she’d once said she liked them.
How he’d bought out every billboard in the city, playing his love confession for her on loop all night.
Before Ava came back…
Before the truth surfaced…
Everything had been so perfect.
So perfect that Sue couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Is this all just a nightmare?’
As the first light of dawn spilled through the window, she sat there, staring blankly at her phone.
And in the end… she gave up.
She didn’t call the cops.
She didn’t turn Irwin or Ava in.
‘Irwin, I don’t owe you anything. As for what you owe me—forget it.’
By the time Irwin got home, Sue had already collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.
The entire house was a mess. For a moment, Irwin thought they’d been robbed and was about to call the cops when Mavy’s name flashed on his screen.
“Dude, I think I fucked up.”
“You mean you got drunk last night, grabbed some random stranger, and spilled everything about what happened five years ago?”
“Y-Yeah… I-It was a blind spot for the security cameras. I-I- have no idea who that shit was!” Mavy sounded panicked.
If this got out, both of them were screwed.
Irwin frowned. “Check who was at the bar last night.”
“Will do, but the security system’s been down for repairs lately. No guarantees we’ll find anything.
“Irwin, we need to be prepared for the worst.”
Irwin cursed under his breath and threw his phone aside. A strange sense of unease settled in his chest.
The person in his arms stirred like she was having a bad dream.
“M-Mom… don’t…”
Sue jolted awake, tears pooling in her eyes. She stared at Irwin in a daze, only snapping back to reality when she felt the warmth of his body. Her expression immediately turned cold.
Her mom… She looked so tormented in the dream, her cries so gut-wrenching…
“Miss her?”
Irwin gazed at her with concern, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her eye.
Sue glanced at the calendar on the wall.
Two more days.
Just two more days, and she’d be free of this place.
But before that…
“Can you come with me to visit my mom’s grave?” she suddenly asked.