Secrets beneath the surface

pte

sa

stood up: "That

w days, so muc

st, Paul was dead set on gettin

f composure, now spoke with

re, honey. I've never c

Paul, you ca

can't l

s words were a

he shifted the b

pain I endured was all due to hi

d for him over years of being together had vanished en

vered that despite your pro

still keep in

arted, then

ard that I'd uncovere

ists, his face tw

d brittle. "Back then, I thought-maybe I should

t bear to leav

his health has deteriorated-his stomach's a wre

t Martha Janet become his mo

der, nodded eagerly. "Exactly, honey. Tha

and for the first time, my composure cracke

mily, I forced myself to forgive everything you'

lent, his words d

eone had spilled oil on the stairs. He knew exactly wha

orchestrated by Martha

all. Not only did he refuse

s the child I'd poured

Pete

ly innocent

o

he key players

"The baby is gone, and

eft in this house

t no

this suffocating house

my hardest to be the perfec

will just be Mary-no m

those who hurt me

ed, "What

tation, "Didn't you say

let you two be together

e stairwell, when Paul warned me

don't have

such a venomous woman, then fin

what this decision of

at his dream was f

uld soon beco

at Peter sleeve, shaking it ge

ped coldly

face crumpled in hurt, and he

at my heartstrings. I'd scoop him into my arms, asking

grated on my nerves-i

indow. "Think it over. And...

seeing the weariness etched into m

al room with Paul, hesitation

.

alled to ask whether I wanted to proc

upsetting me further, so they had tried callin

a last resort, asking me t

situation, they asked

on for travel. But this was the first-and last

, it would br

hem I'd go

documents. After a long wai

ab alone to the cemetery, bought a

, I should have left. But I

side the grave, k

-yet waves of dull, aching pain

orry, m

stence vanish from thi

.

al room, the first thing I sa

ed sharply and strode toward

have yo

exha

t caused my miscarriage has

nd all day to handle the afte

grip and slump back onto the hospital bed, my voic

ng, Mary. You just disappeared from the hospital witho

thing had hap

have been

tic a

nd dis

y. "Relax. I'm an adult. I

ens as he senses my cold deta

sation. Face stony, I lie back down, pull th

know you're stil

s just a

how serious the con

nd on, seemingly maki

he was afraid I'

o well-if I did pur

sily use the excuse that a child doesn't unders

about Mar

il all over the floor-enough t

ent, she manipulated the

tly, it was at

essed c

likely face serious

the dead of night to plead with

fore he could continue his endless ex

ing. "Martha Janet's ex-husband... ever since his busine

, he's bee

. he suddenl

chase after Martha Janet an

tainly avenge m

saint y

fixed my ga

n. "Her ex-husband despises her. Now that

ty, I've brought he