When he held me, I should’ve pushed him away. But instead, I let him… and smelled it—a feminine scent.
And for a stupid second, I wanted to believe.
‘Maybe that video’s fake. Maybe he had no choice. Maybe—God, maybe—there’s some kind of explanation.
‘Because he’s my Orville. We’ve known each other for 20 long years. We’re each other’s first love!
‘So how the hell could he fall in love with the psycho who murdered our baby?!’
I clutched his shirt and looked up at him through blurry eyes.
“Orville… Tell me… That video from France—it’s fake, right? Tell me they edited it or something.
“You said Blaire was dead. You told me you scattered her ashes. You can’t be in love with her. Right?”
He froze. His eyes scanned my face.
“You… saw it?
“Presley… It’s not what you think. I can’t—I can’t explain it like this. Just wait for Dad. He’ll tell you everything.”
My eyes widened. “What? Dad? You mean, he knew? He knew Blaire’s not dead? He knew you’re making a baby with my sister without telling me?!”
His jaw clenched. “Presley, don’t say it like that. It’s not what you think.”
He pulled me closer and pressed my hand to his chest as if his heart was still mine.
“Darling, listen. We did it for you.
“Your body got hurt so bad that you can’t conceive.
“And Blaire… She hit her head and lost her memory. Presley, she’s willing to have a baby—for us. She’s not asking for money, or marriage, or anything.
“She just wants… She just wants to stay with me.
“Come on, she’s your sister, after all. And now, she’s just this blank slate who only remembers loving me. I thought you’d understand.”
“Orville,” I said in disbelief, “you told me I was enough! You told me you didn’t even want kids! It’s only been three years, so how could you... how could you forget all that?”
I didn’t know tears could still drown me when I’ve cried myself dry.
Unfortunately, heartbreak always finds more.
‘How could he forget why I can’t have children? How could he forget our baby?’
Seeing me crying like my whole world just collapsed, a flicker of guilt crossed Orville’s face.
“Presley,” he said softly, “I know it’s a lot to take in right now. But it’s okay, you… you’ll come around. You see, Blaire has already paid the price. We can’t just let her die out there. Life has to go on…”
I grabbed his arm, my voice shaking with rage.