Five years ago, I got pregnant with Elias Sterling’s child. Using that pregnancy as leverage, I married into the Sterling family and became his wife in name only. For those five years, Elias treated me and our child with nothing but chilling indifference. Three days ago, our son died in a tragic car accident. Meanwhile, Elias was miles away in Aspen with his first love, fulfilling a promise they had made to each other in their youth. On the third day after Leo’s death, Elias Sterling finally showed his face. 1 The funeral home was a revolving door of people coming and going. Each face wore a practiced mask of grief and pity. Only I knew it was all a performance. I stood in the kitchenette, pouring a glass of water. Just as I was about to take a sip, I heard the hushed giggles of two women behind me. "The kid’s been dead for days, and the father is still a no-show?" "Didn't you hear?" The voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper. "Elias is up in the mountains near Aspen with Elena Vance. Those high peaks have zero cell service. The Sterling family has been calling him like crazy, but not a single call went through." "Maybe he’s just not answering on purpose," the other woman sneered. "Everyone knows she trapped him with that pregnancy. If it weren't for her, Elias and Elena would have been married years ago." The noise, the whispers, the judgment—it all became too much. My world tilted, and I collapsed on the floor of the funeral home. When I finally woke up, someone was pressing medicine into my hand. My head felt like it was being split open with an axe. I buried my face in the pillow, trying to hide from reality. The fabric was damp and smelled of salt—the scent of the tears I had cried for days. Leo was gone, and Elias still hadn't come home. Suddenly, the heavy sound of footsteps cut through the chatter. A voice murmured, "Elias, you’re finally back." Elias... Elias Sterling? No. It couldn't be. He was in Aspen with Elena. Why would he come back now? Even if he wanted to, would Elena let him? She had deliberately chosen Leo’s birthday to take Elias on that flight. That night, Leo had sat at the table with his head bowed. The candles on his cake were melting away, the flickering light reflecting the devastating disappointment on his small, round face. He was a child who loved sweets, yet he didn't take a single bite. He just asked in that tiny, innocent voice, "Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?" He didn't cry. He didn't throw a fit. He was far too mature for his age, knowing full well that his father didn't love him—and certainly didn't love his mother. In those five years, Leo’s only wish was for his father to spend one birthday with him. He died before that wish could ever come true. A chair scraped across the floor next to my bed. Someone sat down. I knew that scent. I knew the rhythm of his breathing. After five years of sharing a life, I could sense his presence through a single look or a shift in the air. Once, I had lived for his touch. Now, I couldn't even bring myself to look at him. "I'm sorry," Elias said. His voice was flat. I'm sorry. Always the same words. When he was leaving for Aspen with Elena, I had blocked his path. I had grabbed his sleeve, begging him. "Can't you go tomorrow? Today is Leo’s fifth birthday. He just wants his dad." I knew I had no right to ask him for anything. I knew he never wanted this marriage. But for Leo, I had to try. Elias had simply brushed my hand away, his face like stone. "I'm sorry, Nora. Elena is waiting for me." But his son had been waiting too. Only this time, Leo got tired of waiting. He wouldn't be waiting ever again. "You're awake?" Elias’s voice held no sorrow, only a sense of clinical urgency. "The guests are gone. You should get up and eat something." How could he be so calm? It was as if the child who died wasn't his own. But then again, he never treated Leo like his son. He never treated me like his wife. If it hadn't been for my mother's schemes to get me into his bed, I never would have become Mrs. Sterling. Elias hated me. He hated my mother. He once called us "The Farmer and the Snake." Thinking of Leo, my nose stung again. I pressed my face into the wet pillow, my voice hoarse and broken by sobs. "Did you... did you go see him?" "Yes." "Good. At least you did that." I fought to keep my voice steady. "Now, get out." His voice remained cool, like a breeze. "I didn't get the calls. The equipment failed in the mountains... really." Really? Was he emphasizing the truth, or just trying to absolve himself of guilt? It didn't matter anymore. I didn't care. "Fine. Just leave." But Elias didn't move. He sounded annoyed now. "Nora, the boy was only five. How could you let him go out by himself? I'm his father. I deserve an explanation." An explanation? I let out a sharp, jagged laugh and sat up. I must have looked horrific. My face was a map of tear stains and pillow creases. My eyes were sunken, my skin deathly pale. I looked like a ghost inhabiting a living body. Elias, meanwhile, was the picture of perfection. Tailored suit, perfectly groomed, his face a mask of icy composure. No sorrow. No tears. He looked like a detective interrogating a suspect. And I, the grieving mother, was the criminal. "What are you laughing at?" he asked, frowning. "I'm laughing at you." I leaned against the headboard. I felt as fragile as paper, yet my words were blades. "Do you know where Leo was going when he stepped outside?" Elias stared at me, waiting. "He was going to find you." "He called you dozens of times. You never picked up." "He told me, 'Maybe Daddy is lost and can't find his way home. I have to go help him.'" Elias hesitated. "And you didn't stop him?" "I lied to him once. I lied to him twice. But he was so worried about you that he slipped out while I was..." I stopped. Why was I explaining this to him? I took a deep breath. "It was my fault." The silence in the room turned into a storm. Elias’s eyes turned sharp, scrutinizing me. "It was my fault for being foolish enough to love you," I said, each word deliberate. "It was my fault for ending up in this marriage and bringing Leo into a world where his father hated him. I failed to protect him from the loneliness you gave him." Elias’s expression went blank. He was speechless. Suddenly, the door burst open. A hand flew through the air and slapped me across the face before either of us could react. "You couldn't even keep an eye on a five-year-old! Do you even deserve to be a mother?!" It was Elias’s aunt, Catherine. She was a loud, arrogant woman who had always despised me and Leo. She was the one who once pushed Leo, gave him rotten fruit to eat, and whispered in his ear that his father hated him. Her theatrical grief now was nothing but a show for Elias. I sat there, numb, as she slapped me again. My lip bled. Elias, my husband, watched the whole thing with total indifference. He didn't move a muscle. Throughout the years, whenever Leo and I needed him, he had never once reached out his hand. My hair was being yanked, the pain sharp. Through the insults, I locked eyes with Elias’s cold gaze. Once, years ago, I had tripped and scraped my knee. He had been so panicked, asking me over and over if it hurt. How times change. Now, he could watch me be beaten and feel absolutely nothing. The string inside me finally snapped. I lunged forward, grabbed Catherine’s arm, and slapped her back with everything I had. She froze, her eyes wide with shock, clutching her red cheek. In this house, I owed no one anything except Elias. And Leo owed no one anything at all. I was done being the victim. 2 The day we went to the cemetery, I was still wearing the marks of that fight. My left cheek was swollen, and there were scratches along my jaw. If Elias hadn't eventually stepped in to pull us apart, it might have been worse. But when he stepped in, the person he pushed away was me. Sitting in the car, a cold front was sweeping through the city. I didn't feel the chill. I just stared hollowly out the window. Elias sat beside me, answering a call. It was Elena. On the day of his son's burial, he still found the time to be patient with another woman. His voice had that low, rhythmic cadence he only used for her. "Yes. I'll be busy for a few more days." "...You should go back first." "Her?" I felt Elias’s gaze drift toward me. He handed me the phone. "Elena wants to talk to you." In the past, I would have thrown the phone out the window. But after losing Leo, what was the point of a scene? Under Elias’s surprised gaze, I took the phone and pressed it to my ear. It still carried the warmth of his skin. I used to crave that warmth. Now, it just made me sick. Elena’s voice was clear, bright, and utterly fake. "Nora, are you okay?" I said nothing. The man beside me was a suffocating presence. I knew that if I said one harsh word to Elena, he would kick me out of the car. He had done it before. One snowy night, I had called Elena in front of him, telling her to stop destroying a family. Elias had flown into a rage, smashed my phone, and ordered me out into the cold. I had walked for two hours in the blizzard. I was bedridden with a fever for a week after. He never checked on me once. It was Leo who sat by my bed, pressing his tiny, warm hands to my forehead, calling "Mommy" until I woke up. I had stayed alive for Leo. I thought he needed me to survive the Sterlings. But now, he was gone, and the very air was being sucked out of my lungs. "Nora," Elena whispered, her voice too low for Elias to hear. "You must be devastated. You lost your only leverage." Leo. My son. My "leverage" for marrying into this family. I looked at the gray sky. "Then I’m giving it back to you." Elena faltered. "What?" "I'm giving him back to you," I said. "I'm sorry. He was always yours anyway." Elias snatched the phone back and ended the call. His face was twisted with sudden violence. "What kind of nonsense are you feeding her now?" What does a mother who lost her child say to her husband's mistress? There were no warnings left. No curses. Only a clean break. I was letting go. Let the "star-crossed lovers" have their happy ending. I had no strength left to fight for this marriage. Honestly, I didn't even have the strength left to live. Under a light, drizzling rain, we buried Leo. The photo on the headstone was from when he was three. We had planned to take a family portrait that day. Leo and I had arrived early, waiting from dawn until dusk. All around us were happy families, laughing and posing for the camera. In the middle of that joy, Leo and I were a tragic joke. I could handle the coldness, but Leo... The rain washed over the cold marble. The boy in the photo wasn't smiling. He had been trying so hard to hide his disappointment that day because he didn't want me to be sad. Someone held an umbrella over me. I bowed my head, praying to Leo’s soul. I prayed that in his next life, he would have parents who loved him, not a life of cold shoulders and empty hallways. A shadow moved across the grass. It was Elias. I opened my heavy eyes. He was wearing a long black overcoat. He bent down and placed something at the base of the headstone. It was a race car Lego set. My heart turned to ice. "What is that?" I asked, my voice terrifyingly calm. Elias looked back at the grave. "A birthday gift for Leo. He asked me for it a while ago. I didn't have time before..." "He asked you for it?" "We had a deal." Looking at the utter desolation on my face, Elias reached out and grabbed my wrist. "What's wrong?" My legs gave out. A sharp, searing pain twisted in my gut. I collapsed to my knees in front of Leo’s grave. My son... on the last birthday of his life, I had given him a fake gift. I told him it was from his father. He had smiled, even though he knew I was lying. He knew his father didn't love him. He knew Elias hadn't even remembered his birthday. And now, the gift was here. But it was too late. It was so, so much too late. 3 The atmosphere at the Sterling estate was heavy. Elias’s father, Thomas Sterling, was waiting for us. He gripped his mahogany cane, his brow furrowed. "Nora, go upstairs," he said gently. I knew what was coming. Thomas was going to take his anger out on Elias. Thomas was the only person in this family who liked me. He was the one who had insisted I marry Elias, all because my father had saved his life years ago. When my father died, leaving us with nothing, the Sterlings took us in. They gave my mother a job as a housekeeper and sent me to the best schools alongside Elias. Elias had been told to treat me like a sister. He did, at first. Until I was foolish enough to fall in love with him. Thomas had found out that Elias missed the funeral. He had sent the others away so he could deliver "family discipline." The housekeeper ran to me, her voice shrill and desperate. "Nora, please! Go talk to the Master! He’ll listen to you! Elias is getting beaten!" Why should I go? I used to love Elias with everything I had. If he were hurt, I would have been in more pain than him. But that Nora died with Leo. All that was left was guilt and a hollow chest. I took off my jewelry. I stripped off the expensive clothes. I packed a single suitcase with nothing but Leo’s things. Nothing in this room belonged to me. I placed my earrings on the vanity. After making sure I wasn't taking anything that wasn't mine, I walked downstairs. Elias was already on his knees, his hands braced on the floor, teeth grit in pain. He looked up, his bloodshot eyes meeting mine, but I didn't spare him a second glance. Thomas dropped the cane and walked toward me. He was the man I respected most. He had provided for me and my mother, given us a home, and supported me even when the rest of the family sneered. "...Thomas." I called him by his name, not "Dad." I remembered the day I married into the family. Thomas had taken my hand and placed it on Elias’s. "Nora is a good girl," he had told his son. "Treat her right." It was just like the day my mother and I first arrived at the Sterling mansion. "Nora is your sister now," Thomas had said to a young Elias. "Take care of her." And back then, Elias had smiled at me. He had taken me to the cafeteria, waited for me after school, and made me watch him play basketball. There were hundreds of girls screaming for him on the sidelines, but he always insisted I be there. He was the golden boy. I was the shy, plain girl in a ponytail and a hand-me-down uniform. I was too timid to even look him in the eye. Everyone in school knew Elias only hung out with me because his father owed mine a life. He didn't mind my silence or my awkwardness. He took me everywhere. Until Elena Vance appeared. Suddenly, the girl on the sidelines was Elena. The person eating lunch with him was Elena. I don't remember exactly how she pushed me out of his life. I just remember the sudden coldness. I remember overhearing a classmate in the restroom: "Nora is so clueless. Elias is dating Elena now, and she’s still following him around like a lost puppy." A lost puppy. I had backed away after that. I made excuses to stop eating with him. I avoided him at home. But one day, he found me in the cafeteria with another boy. He stood over our table, looking down at me with that aristocratic disdain. "So, you stopped eating with me because you found a boyfriend?" I didn't understand. I just didn't want to be the third wheel. But later, through a series of accidents and my mother's desperation, I broke Elias and Elena apart. It was time to give Elena her place back. Elias stood up from the floor. The blows hadn't seemed to bother him. He stared at me as I spoke to Thomas. "Thomas, I’ve left everything in the bedroom. I’m leaving today." "Nora..." Thomas tried to stop me, just as he had many times over the years. But he knew that without Leo, there was nothing left to keep me in this prison my mother had built for me. Elias looked like an outsider, confused by the conversation. "Leaving? Where are you going?" Thomas snapped, "Shut your damn mouth!" Elias frowned. "Nora is my wife. I have a right to know where she's going." So now he remembered I was his wife? Too bad I was never acknowledged until I decided to leave. Thomas was clutching his chest, his face pale. I hurried to support him. "Thomas, please, don't get worked up." "Nora... this is my fault," Thomas wheezed. "I didn't raise him right. I let you and Leo suffer. If your mother knew..." "It's okay, Thomas. Don't worry about it anymore." I walked past Elias. He grabbed my wrist. "Tell me the truth. Where are you going? Why are you doing this?" "The heart dies before the body, Elias," I said. "You wouldn't understand." I shook off his hand and walked out. Three days after leaving the Sterling house, I collapsed in my small rental. It wasn't a surprise. Stomach cancer. I had been diagnosed two months ago. Back then, Leo was still alive, and I was fighting to stay for him. I had even tried to tell Elias the day I got the diagnosis. All I got was a cold glare. He hated me so much that I had stopped trying to reach him. I had planned to get treated and then take Leo away. But now, I was going to find Leo instead. The irony of life is that at the very end, the person I saw when I opened my eyes was Arthur Miller. Arthur had been in my class in high school. He was a poor kid with brilliant grades, always buried in his books. He was the opposite of the wealthy, arrogant Elias. Back then, Elias had called him a "pretentious loser" and told me to stay away from him. I had defended Arthur, and Elias had accused me of taking sides against him. I knew Arthur wanted to be a doctor. I knew he would succeed. But I never expected to be his first patient after his residency abroad. He looked imposing in his white coat. It made me feel even more pathetic. He looked at me with that same look of disapproval he had in high school. "Nora, you’re failing so badly, how can you sleep so soundly?" Back then, I would have teased him. "Elias is taking me to study abroad. He said I don't need to work that hard." Whenever I said that, Arthur’s expression would turn complex. Now, I finally understood what he was thinking. Relying on a man who doesn't love you is a one-way ticket to a tragedy. I was the living proof. Still, Dr. Miller had saved my life. I lifted my hand, heavy with IV tubes, and offered a weak smile. "Hi." Arthur didn't seem interested in chatting. He sent a nurse to look after me instead. I was brought in by a neighbor. The bills weren't paid. When the nurse asked for a family contact, I just smiled. "No parents. No family." The nurse gave me a look of pure pity. "Dr. Miller wants to take you for some scans and a full workup." I struggled into my old coat. When I left the Sterlings, I took nothing. I was afraid Elias would sue me to get it back. I never wanted to see him again. The coat was years old. It didn't keep out the cold, and the sleeves were pilling. I looked a mess. I stood up shakily. "No need. I'm just tired. I'm fine." In the Sterling house, no one respected me except Thomas. I was the parasite who crawled into Elias’s bed to become a trophy wife. I had spent years hardening my heart and my body. The nurse was skeptical. My face was probably the same color as the patients in the hospice wing. Well, I was a terminal cancer patient. It was just a secret. When Leo was alive, I spent my time secretly visiting hospitals, looking for a cure while doubled over in pain, vomiting until there was nothing left. I went to the billing window and paid with what little money I had. I clutched my stomach, stumbling out of the line. My vision was blurred, but I thought I saw Elias. He was wearing the overcoat I had bought him, his arm wrapped around another woman. In that moment, I wished my consciousness would just fade. Then I wouldn't have to see the scarf around Elena Vance’s neck—the one I had hand-knitted for Elias. When I gave it to him, I had asked where it was dozens of times. He had always said he lost it. He could have thrown it away. But instead, he used it to humiliate me. I wasn't even surprised. I felt a strange sense of peace. That was the moment Elias Sterling finally used up the last bit of love and guilt I had for him. Along with Leo’s death, it was all buried. The dream was over. I was a childless divorcee with nothing. He had his new life and his heart's desire. Standing in the crowded hospital, I remembered all the times I bought him ties, only for Elena to use them as rags. I remembered waiting up on his mother’s death anniversary, only to see Elena post a photo of him with the caption: "You always make my heart ache." My mother had taught me to knit. It was my first project. I had been so nervous, hoping for a single smile. He had taken it and said, "Don't waste your time on this again." He was trying to tell me that my efforts were futile. But I just wanted to be a good wife. Back then, Leo had tugged on my sleeve to comfort me. "Don't be sad, Mommy. Daddy is just acting tough." Silly boy. When a man doesn't love you, he isn't acting. 5 Two weeks after Leo died. I was surviving on painkillers. The cancer was spreading, and the pain was becoming a physical weight I couldn't carry. Every time I got sick, I felt like a hollow shell. Even a glass of water was painful to swallow. I took the pills and hugged Leo’s favorite teddy bear. In the haze of the drugs, I wondered if Leo’s death had been this painful. He didn't have painkillers. He must have been so scared. It was my fault. I didn't protect him. My Leo... Before I slipped into unconsciousness, I heard a steady knocking at the door. If it weren't for the pain, I would have thought it was the grim reaper. It was Arthur Miller. He wasn't the type to be persistent. Back in high school, I’d beg him to explain a math problem and he’d give me the cold shoulder. What changed? "Nora, you’re in bad shape. You need to be in a hospital." He was a doctor. A good one. He could see the truth written on my face. Arthur hadn't changed much. He was still tall, still carried that air of intellectual arrogance. Like Elias said, he was "too proud." And proud people don't like to be insulted. I didn't want to offend him before I died. "Dr. Miller, are you out of patients?" I tried to sound as petty as possible. "How much of a commission do you get for these extra tests?" Arthur’s eye twitched. "Nora..." "Here, take some money and leave me alone." I went inside and threw some cash at him. Arthur left. Good. No one should have to put up with a difficult patient. Dying alone was the best ending for me. I swallowed my pills and pulled the curtains. But as I looked down, I saw two figures. Arthur Miller and Elias Sterling. Why was he here? Shouldn't he be with Elena? They were arguing, almost coming to blows. I ignored the pain and rushed downstairs, blocking the space between them. "What the hell are you doing here?" I rasped. Elias looked the same as always. Standing in the night wind, his coat fluttering, the moonlight sharp on his features. He looked at Arthur with the same venom he had in high school whenever Arthur helped me with my books. "Nora, don't you have hands? Why do you need him to help you?" he used to say. He wouldn't let other men help me, yet he gave all his kindness to Elena. I used to love him. I used to push people away for him. Not anymore. I stepped in front of Arthur and pulled on his sleeve, urging him to go. He locked eyes with Elias, the tension thick enough to burn. He only left because I asked him to. Elias watched him go, his face a storm. "Tired of the good life? You ran here to be with your little pet?" The good life? Being neglected by a husband and loathed by a family? That was Elias’s definition of a "good life." He hated me for ruining his future with Elena. Well, I was dying now. He should be happy. "I’m done with that life. Give it to Elena. I hope you both live long, happy lives with lots of children." I said it calmly. No screaming. No breakdown. It was just like the day I left the Sterlings. Like I was deciding what to have for dinner. Elias looked stunned. He probably thought my request for divorce was just a reaction to Leo’s death—a tantrum I’d eventually get over. "Nora, have you really thought this through?" "My leaving was your dream for years, wasn't it?" Silence. Elias nodded, a mocking smile on his face. "Fine. It’s your choice. Don't come crawling back when you regret it." I watched him walk away. Regret? I didn't even have a future to regret. That night, I saw Elena’s Instagram post: "Dreams do come true." The photo was of a massive diamond ring on her finger. 6 The cancer was moving fast. I didn't know how much time I had left, but I found myself welcoming the end. I’d see Leo soon. It had been over two weeks since I’d seen him. I missed him. But it had been days since I thought of Elias. I used to spend my life around him. Packing his bags, managing the house, dealing with the relatives. I was his nurse when he was sick and his maid when he was drunk. And he spent his life with Elena. He wouldn't even take my calls when he was away. The only times he answered were when Elena picked up the phone. "Elias is sleeping," she’d purr. "No wonder he hates you. You’re such a nuisance." "Take care of him," I’d say. "I don't need you to tell me that. Do you really think you're his wife? You're just a parasite who trapped him." I had no comeback for that. Life was easier now. I went to the hospital to get more meds. I just wanted to make it to Christmas. Leo loved Christmas. If I could see him then, he’d be so happy. I waddled through the crowds. I must have looked like a walking corpse, wrapped in layers of scarves to hide my skeletal frame. As I left with my prescription, Arthur caught up to me. I looked back, and his eyes were glued to my face. I pulled my scarf tighter. Extreme weight loss is hard to hide. "Nora..." Arthur started to speak, then just sighed. "Where are you going?" "The station." "I'll drive you." Suddenly, my eyes burned. I tried to say no, but Arthur was already walking toward his car. The street was full of people. I wasn't the only one suffering. "Did Elias say anything after I left?" Arthur asked as we drove. "He used to get so worked up about us." "No. We’re divorced." "I was shocked when I heard you two got married. He came to see me before I left for my residency. He threatened me... told me to stay away from you." Arthur let out a dry laugh. "Elias is a contradiction. He wouldn't let me love you, but he only called you a sister." I froze. "When did he say that?" "After Elena showed up." I remembered. Before Elena, Elias would steal my soda, drink from my cup, and kiss my cheek. He’d laugh and say, "The ice is bad for you. This is mine now." But that was a lifetime ago. People saw the sparks between us. Elias didn't deny it. One day, under the golden light of the setting sun, I followed him. "Why aren't you explaining things?" I asked. "Explain what?" He had been about to say something, his eyes soft, when the driver arrived to take us home. Elias went into his father’s study and stayed there for a long time. After that, he turned cold. He stopped taking me to lunch. He told me to stop bothering him. I tried everything to win him back, but nothing worked. Then Elena appeared. He stopped sharing my drinks. He stopped kissing me. When a friend asked if we were together, he sneered. "Nora is just a sister. If it weren't for her dad, she wouldn't even be that." He told me I was only in the house because of my father. He told me to know my place. My mother told me the same. She told me to be careful, to remember we were just guests. I had buried my love for him. Then, right as those feelings were dying, my mother pushed me into his bed. The rest of my life was spent in a cycle of regret. I looked at Arthur. "There is nothing between me and Elias Sterling." Elias heard about it within hours. He was waiting by his car in the dark, smoking. The smoke curled around his expensive suit, making him look like a phantom. "Nothing between us? Nora, you bore my son." He still remembered he had a son. Arthur must have told him. I didn't care to investigate. I just smiled. "The son is dead. So the connection is dead, too." Elias choked on his smoke. He dropped the cigarette right before it burned his fingers. "Nora... we can have another child." No. There was only one Leo. "I’m sure you will," I said. "You and Elena will have plenty." I just wanted a quiet corner to spend my last days. "What about you?" Elias asked, his voice dripping with jealousy. "You and Arthur Miller will have children?" I was too tired to argue. I just wanted to be rid of him. If he wanted to believe I was with Arthur, let him. "Believe what you want." I turned to go, but Elias grabbed my arm. "Did you forget? You're still my wife." "Not for long." The wind was harsh, bringing the taste of copper to my mouth. Elias searched my face for a lie. "Nora, this game is getting old. You can't survive without me." A game? No one plays games with their own life. To force me back, Elias stalled the divorce settlement. He froze the accounts. He even took back the apartment I was living in. He left me homeless while he planned his wedding. Nobody gets remarried a month after their son dies. But Elias did. The news of his wedding to Elena was everywhere. I heard about Thomas’s rage and the family gossip. I didn't care. I wasn't part of the story anymore. Elena called me while I was trying to choke down my meds. "Nora, we're getting married at the end of the month." "Congratulations," I said, and hung up. I went to the train station. Elias called me. "Nora, I'll give you one more chance. Come home." His voice sounded like a dream. Maybe he was finally feeling guilty. But where was that guilt when Leo was alive? "Elias... I'm never coming back. Ever." I looked at the teddy bear in my hand. "I apologized for my mother. I apologized for everything. I'm sorry I stayed in the way of you and Elena for so long." I hung up.
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