Chapter 8
- 8.
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“What do you mean?” I asked, staring at Lila.
She smirked, scrolled through her phone, then
tossed it on the bed.
I picked it up.
The top trending topic on Twitter.
Some “influencer” spilled the beans.
One of the young women who felt sorry for
Mark.
The video showed me freaking out with the
knife, glaring at Mark.
With all the blood, it was terrifying.
Mark was kneeling, begging me to get help.
The influencer wrote about what she had heard,
word for word.
I had paranoid delusions, thought my husband
was going to kill me, stabbed myself in the eye.
She ended with a righteous rant.
“People with mental problems need to stay in a
mental hospital!”
“Don’t hurt other people!”
I opened the comments.
Everyone was bashing me and feeling bad for
Mark.
“Oh my God! If I had a wife like that I’d off
<
8:18
“Oh, my God! If I had a wife like that, I’d off
myself!”
“Dr. Miller is such a great guy! She’s crazy and
he still stays!”
“I feel so bad for Dr. Miller!”
“This psycho needs to be locked up! Leave Dr.
Miller alone!”
Tens of thousands agreed.
“Someone please save Dr. Miller!” was trending
top three.
My fingers were shaking.
Mark was playing hardball.
There was no way out.
I hadn’t had a chance to find evidence they
<
I hadn’t had a chance to find evidence they
were hooking up.
If I told people the truth, nobody would believe
- me.
They’d just think I was crazier.
I didn’t have any family. Mark could put me
away without a problem.
If I went to that place, I’d never get out.
I balled my hand into a fist, digging my nails
into my skin.
What was I supposed to do?
“If you just listen to me, I’ll make it quick.”
Lila raised an eyebrow, her eyes full of malice.
“Mark” I said staring right at him “Is that what
<
“Mark,” I said, staring right at him. “Is that what
you think, too?”
He hesitated, then turned away, looking down.
“I’m sorry, Liv. I can’t lose Lila.”
“You can’t lose her so you’re using my life to
pay for it?”
I screamed at him.
Mark avoided my eyes, saying nothing.
I watched him with Lila.
I watched Lila’s triumphant expression.
Finally, I calmed down. I looked at Mark, saying
softly,
“Let me see Grandma, one last time.”
1
I I added, “I won’t tell her anything. Even if I did,
it wouldn’t change anything, would it?”
Mark hesitated.
Finally, he agreed.
As they left, Lila turned and gave me a smug
look.
Chapter 9
- 9.
Mark worked fast.
He brought Grandma in less than two days.
She saw me and her eyes teared up.
“Honey, what happened? Why are you all
banged up like this?”
く
She walked to the bed, took my hand, and
choked out,
“Liv, what happened? Didn’t Mark take care of
you?”
My emotions, bottled up for so long, exploded.
I hugged Grandma, crying silently, struggling to
breathe.
I was so weak, I almost passed out.
Grandma was the best person in the world.
She lived in the country, didn’t like the city.
But she remembered what I liked to eat,
remembered when I got cramps. She’d always
send me stuff every few weeks.
But Mark was her grandson.
Would she help me?
I couldn’t gamble. But I couldn’t think of
anything else.
If she didn’t…
“Honey, are you hurting?”
Grandma’s voice broke through my thoughts.
She looked at me, her calloused hands gently
touching my face.
“I’m old, not stupid. That jerk hurt you, didn’t
he?”
“I know everything you did for Mark, all the
sacrifices, the way you cared for me. I noticed
it all.”
“Honey, I don’t know what happened.”
Г
884
“But you’re my Liv. My favorite grandkid. More
so than Mark.”
“Grandma-”
I couldn’t speak, my throat was so tight.
She just patted my back.
I choked out the whole story, sobbing.
“That monster!” Grandma was shaking with
anger. “How could my family produce such a
thing?”
“Grandma,”
“What you think I’m some old lady who can’t
tell right from wrong?”
Grandma frowned, her eyes full of sadness.
“He can’t treat you like that…”
She seemed to be lost in memories. After a
long pause, she spoke slowly.
“The lady back then got sick, but Mark had no
money. She left the country. I still remember
how she would look at him from head to toe.”
“After she left, Mark begged me to sell
everything his parents left him. He started his
career, slowly made some progress. I thought
he was over her. I did not realize what he had in
mind for you was her.”
Grandma took my hand, her eyes downcast.
“You’re kind, gentle. You’re a good kid. My
family wronged you. I did.”
I wiped my eyes, and Grandma smiled, stroking
my hair.
“Don’t worry, Liv. I’ll help you.”
Chapter 10
- 10.
Grandma and I just cleaned up when Mark
walked in with Lila, followed by a crowd.
Reporters, influencers, doctors from the mental
hospital.
I was blinded by camera flashes.
The reporter stuck a microphone in my face.
“Liv, do you often imagine people are trying to
hurt you?”
“Can you describe those feelings of paranoia?”
“If you know you have mental problems, why did
you get married?”
<
Questions rained down on me.
I was about to speak when Lila’s whiny voice
cut through the noise.
Everyone looked at her.
Lila saw me, acted scared, and took a step
back.
Then, with reporters hounding her, she leaned
on Mark and sobbed.
“Liv Miller is a homewrecker.”
“I had to leave the country because I was sick.
She saw Mark at the hospital and fell for him.
She wouldn’t leave him alone.”
“She threatened Mark’s grandma! Drugged him!
He had no choice but to be with her.”
She covered her face and cried.
“Mark’s a good person, feels responsible. He
took care of her. But her problems kept getting
worse. She’s hurting people.”
People gasped.
The reporters and influencers looked excited,
asking me if it was true.
I looked at Mark and Lila, huddled together.
I knew what they were doing.
They wanted to be together, no questions
asked.
Mark was Mr. Perfect, a hero.
If they got together after I was committed,
people would hate them.
So they put on this show.
く
I didn’t say anything, so the reporters turned to
Grandma.
“Ma’am, is what she saying true?”
Mark rushed forward, putting his arm around
Grandma. “It’s all true, right Grandma?”
I saw him squeeze her shoulder.
Mark looked nervous, but confident.
He knew Grandma would stand by her only
grandson.
Grandma looked at him, her eyes full of
sadness.
A few seconds later, she spoke slowly. “No.
She’s lying. All lies.”
“Liv isn’t sick. They fooled you all.”
<
The crowd exploded.
Mark’s fake smile froze on his face.
He stared at Grandma, shouting, “Grandma,
what are you saying?”
“Did Liv threaten you? Tell me!”
Lila panicked, running over to her.
“Grandma, did Liv threaten you? Don’t be
afraid! We’re here! She can’t hurt you!”
Chapter 11
- 11.
“Why the rush?”
I stepped forward, pushed Mark aside, and
stood in front of Grandma.
<
Then I turned to the cameras, saying firmly,
“I’m not sick. I don’t have any delusions.”
“Then why did you flip out at the hospital?”
I pointed to Lila, saying calmly, “She has a heart condition. My heart was a match.”
Mark’s face went white.
“You’re lying! You’re a crazy person! Nobody will believe you.”
I looked right at him, catching the fear in his
eyes.
I smirked. “Did I get something wrong?”
“You got with me because you saw my medical file, right?”
“Me and your lady are both this rare blood type.
<
You got me to get medical checkups. You
tested us, didn’t you? Me and Lila?”
Mark opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him
off.
“Don’t bother denying. I bet the hospital still has
the records.”
“Mark,” I stepped closer, staring him down. “I
called the cops. I bet your texts and calls with
Lila will be interesting.”
Then I pointed to my bandaged eye, saying
each word like a bullet.
“I bet a doctor can figure out if it was me or
someone else that did this. You with me? Dr.
Miller?”
The tables turned. Cameras and flashes
swarmed Mark and Lila.
L
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“Did you try to kill Liv Miller for her heart?”
People were angry.
“This is sick! You’re both evil!”
“I felt bad for him. I was so wrong!”
“Those two should die!”
Lila got cornered, her emotions boiling over.
“Shut up! Why are you talking about me like
that?”
She turned on Grandma, screaming.
“And you! You should die! You’re helping a
stranger!”
I pushed her back.
く
“You got to this point because you are a self
serving person”
Lila’s face twisted with rage, but she couldn’t
say anything.
Then, sirens wailed outside.
Lila’s eyes widened. “You called the cops?”
Without waiting for an answer, she bolted.
The police caught her quickly.
As they dragged her away, she cursed at me.
I turned to Mark, my eyes cold.
“You’re next.”
The air froze.
Mark laughed, but it sounded hollow and
“I screwed up. I’m sorry, Liv.”
“I’m only asking for one thing.”
He paused, clenching his hands. He didn’t seem
to want to look at Grandma.
“Can you take care of Grandma after I’m
gone?”
I watched him, saying nothing.
Grandma stepped forward.
She stood in front of Mark and slapped him
hard across the face.
“You did something terrible! And you want Liv
to help you now?”
“The only thing you can do is rot in jail. Stay
away from Liv. Don’t bother her anymore.”
<
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called out to him.
He looked hopeful. I said bluntly, “Divorce
papers. They’re coming soon. Don’t forget to sign them.”
He seemed to shrink.
His shoulders slumped. He stood tall, and
whispered,
you…”
heart skipped a beat.
A wave of emotion surged through me, bringing
tears to my eyes.
For years.
In the soft moonlight, in the crowded streets, in
the everyday moments.
In the soft moonlight, in the crowded streets, in
the everyday moments.
Mark and I told each other so much about love.
We thought we needed each other.
My love was real.
What about him? I didn’t know.
