Chapter 25%
Brynn wanted to speak, but his tongue had already gone stiff. The searing pain swallowed him whole, dragging his consciousness into the darkness with a heavy thud.
When he came to, it was already the next morning.
The sharp scent of disinfectant hung in the air. He stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind fogged, unsure of where he was.
“Brynn!” Odessa rushed over, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You finally woke up. You scared Mom half to death!”
“Mom?” Brynn tried to sit up, but a stabbing pain tore through his lower body. His face turned ghostly pale. “It was just a fall, right? How bad could…”
Before he could finish, Homer cut him off with a grim expression.
“That area, the sharpest edge of the stone, pierced clean through. It had to be removed.“}
“From now on, Solomon will be your only son.”
It was as if lightning had struck him. Brynn froze, his entire body stiffening in disbelief.
“No. That can’t be!” he choked out.
Odessa sobbed as she pulled him into her arms. “We didn’t want this either. But the doctor said that part had too many blood vessels. Once it starts dying, it has to come out. Just treat it as fate…“!
Brynn’s gaze drifted to the door.
Through the slightly opened gap, Sylvie stood silently, holding Solomon’s hand.
The child peeked in, expression unreadable, but there wasn’t a trace of guilt in his eyes. Only a dark, obsessive glint.
“You two…“D
The realization hit Brynn like a tidal wave. Rage surged up from his chest. “I’ll kill you!” he roared, struggling to leap from the bed.” But the moment he forced his body up, his right leg gave out without warning, completely unresponsive, and he collapsed straight to the floor.!
“Ah!!”
Odessa screamed and darted toward him. “Are you insane?! Your leg’s nerves are damaged! You can’t walk like this!”
Homer clenched his jaw, his face dark as iron. “This is the disaster you brought on yourself! Who else are you supposed to blame?“> Odessa sobbed, her voice trembling. “Didn’t I warn you? That master said it: your fate is cursed with misfortune in marriage. He said if we touched your marriage line, something terrible would happen! And look, right after you talked about divorce, this happened!“> Brynn lay slumped on the ground, his right leg completely numb, dead weight beneath him.
His whole body felt like ice.
In the back of his mind, the child’s whisper echoed like a haunting lullaby, “Daddy can’t leave Mommy.“>
“Only this way, Daddy will never leave Mommy.“}
He slowly turned his head and locked eyes with the small figure at the door.”
Solomon was staring right back, those innocent eyes empty of emotion yet filled with something far more disturbing.
Then he smiled.
A sweet, childish smile, one that sent a bone–deep chill down Brynn’s spine.
Sylvie held the child tightly, her face torn between fear and twisted joy.
She was afraid of what Brynn might do next, but at the same time, she was thrilled.
Brynn couldn’t walk now.
He couldn’t escape her anymore.
Who else would want a cripple like him but her?
I didn’t know what had become of Brynn, and truthfully, I didn’t care.
All I knew was that right now, I sat in the back of the wedding car, palms sweaty, heart racing, like that breathless thrill of holding hands during a teenage romance.
This was supposed to be the second wedding of my life. Logically, it should’ve felt calm, routine, even. But for some reason, I was as jittery as a wide–eyed girl stepping into her very first romance.
Outside the car window, the soft sunlight draped over the hem of my gown like a river of stars flowing just for me.
Theld the bouquet gently in my hands, the one Hayden had picked himself. Blush–pink and ivory roses nestled together, their scent fresh and delicate, just like him.
Beyond the chapel doors, the red carpet stretched out in solemn elegance, lined with rows of fresh blooms that nodded quietly in the breeze.
Then, my father walked up to me and took my hand.
His palm was rough, worn with years, but warm.
He had aged, deep lines etched around his eyes, but the moment he looked at me, his eyes turned red, filled with quiet emotion that took
má hy curnrise
