Chapter 6
The boys stood there, arms crossed, looking at me like I was the punchline to a joke.
“What’s this about?” I asked, letting my eyes roll in exaggeration.
Gideon raised an eyebrow. “Who were you talking to? And why are you mentioning wedding dress shopping?”
I didn’t even flinch. “I’m getting married, and you two aren’t invited.”
They exchanged a look, then burst into laughter like they had heard the funniest thing ever.
“Oh, come on, Rose. You’re already married to Gideon,” Nathaniel teased, grinning.
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“If you’re trying to get my attention, you’re wasting your time,” Gideon added.
I stared at them, feeling a strange mix of irritation and indifference. I should’ve been offended by their assumption that I wouldn’t marry anyone else, but instead, I stayed collected.
“I was talking to a friend about her wedding,” I replied, as calm as possible.
Nathaniel frowned in confusion. “You don’t have any friends other than Serena.”
I shot him a sharp look. “I’ve got a lot of friends, actually.”
Gideon let out an exaggerated sigh. “Look, about earlier… we’re sorry for not being more considerate. It’s just with Serena and the
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baby, things are so-”
“How did Serena end up pregnant, and why didn’t I know? Who’s responsible for that?” I cut him off, my voice ice–cold.
I couldn’t wait to hear the lies that would spill from his lips.
Gideon exchanged a quick, uneasy glance with Nathaniel before Nathaniel jumped in.
“The baby’s mine!”
Gideon nodded hastily, clearly not thinking his story through. I raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
“Yeah, it’s Nathaniel’s. We didn’t know how to tell you, since, well, Nathaniel and Serena had a one–night thing, and now she’s pregnant, and you know, she’s your best
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friend…” Gideon rambled.
Nathaniel nodded, playing along.
I stared at them for a long moment, my amusement growing. They really thought I was dumb enough not to see through this.
“Look, I’ve probably been too harsh on you, especially with the whole immigration issue,” Gideon admitted, a hint of remorse in his voice. “But you’ve made things difficult for us too.”
“Speaking of which, what were you doing at immigration?” Nathaniel asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I was getting a new passport,” I answered smoothly. “I lost mine.”
They nodded, satisfied with the explanation,
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and Gideon continued, “So how about lunch tomorrow? Just the three of us. Like old
times.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What about Serena and the baby?”
“It’s just one afternoon. They’ll survive,” Gideon said, shrugging it off.
I thought about it for a moment, then reluctantly agreed. “Alright, I’ll go.”
They grinned like a couple of children and hugged me, though their touch made me feel physically sick.
Once they left, I locked the door behind them and began packing my things. I shoved everything into my suitcase, quickly stashing it under the bed. Then I pulled out the flight tickets my mom had sent me along with the
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passport I’d taken from the mailbox earlier.
My flight was at noon–at the same time I was supposed to feel excitement for my escape. Instead, a dark, unsettling feeling settled in my stomach.
The next morning, I heard pounding on the door.
It was them, frantically trying to get in. They’d be waiting forever.
But when I didn’t show up, they’d be in for quite the surprise.
By the time I made it downstairs, my world turned upside down.
The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, disoriented from a slap so hard it left my vision spinning.
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I saw stars and barely understood what was going on. When I looked up, there was Gideon, towering over me, his eyes wild with
rage.
“What… what’s happening?” I managed to whisper, the words barely escaping my lips.
His eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with anger.
“What did you do to my baby? Something’s wrong with her, and it’s your fault!”
“I didn’t do anything!” I shouted, panie rising in my chest. “I’ve been sleeping, I swear-”
Before I could finish, Serena’s hysterical sobs echoed through the room. She knelt beside me, tears streaming down her face.
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“If you were upset, why didn’t you hurt me instead? Why poison my baby?!” she cried out, her voice breaking.
I was completely frozen. “Poison? What are you talking about? I haven’t even left the house-”
“You think we don’t see through your act? You’ve been trying to ruin everything! Witch!” Nathaniel yelled, spitting on me.
“If anything happens to Juliette, I swear to God, you’ll beg for mercy, Rose!” Gideon spat, his voice full of venom.
I watched through swollen eyes as they stormed out, leaving me in a haze of disbelief. I struggled to rise, pain shooting through my ribs as I moved.
I glanced at the calendar. A bitter laugh
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escaped my lips. Today marked four years since I “married” Gideon.
I stood in front of the mirror, staring at the stranger reflected back at me.
This woman had aged too quickly, worn down by the bruises of a love that never was.
Shaking my head, I whispered to myself, This isn’t who I want to be anymore.
I walked into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower, letting the water wash away the pain. I pressed an ice pack to my swollen eyes as I massaged my face, trying to numb the sting.
When I finished, I did my makeup and slipped into a fiery red dress that hugged my body. When I looked at myself in the mirror again, I didn’t recognize the old woman. The new
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woman staring back at me was filled with confidence–strength, even.
I spent the next hour preparing my “anniversary gift” for Gideon. Three carefully wrapped boxes, each with a short note pinned to them. I handed them to the mailman, instructing him coldly, “Make sure they get delivered to Gideon Blackwood. Immediately.”
Once he was gone, I grabbed my own package and called a ride.
Standing in front of the mansion, a cold laugh escaped me.
“Wait for what’s coming, Blackwood family. Your time is up,” I whispered, my voice dripping with venom.
I turned the gas on, walked to the door,
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and lit a match. Tossing it into the house, I walked away without looking back.
As the flames began to rage, I got into my Uber, watching the house burn to the ground. A twisted satisfaction filled me.
This was only the beginning. They had no idea what was coming next.
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