Chapter 8
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Malissa’s face had gone ghostly pale. She bit her lower lip, her voice soft and trembling with feigned innocence.}]
“Milo… say something, please. Are you really just going to stand there and let them humiliate us?”
This time, Milford didn’t fall for her usual act. His mind was stuck–looping over the image of me being kicked off a cliff, the horror frozen in that final frame of the video.
Without a word, he left.
Malissa lunged, grabbing his arm tightly. “Milo, wait–the wedding isn’t over! Where are you going?!“}]
“Lori’s in danger. I have to go now,” he said, voice tight.
“No!” she cried, holding on tighter. “I won’t let you! Those people are dangerous, Milo. They could kill you.”
She looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. “Please, Milo… you saw what happened the last two times. Lori made it back alive, didn’t she? She’ll be fine this time too. She always is.”
Fine?
Milford’s jaw clenched. Without meaning to, his mind flashed to the sight of my limp, to the twisted way I’d held my bandaged, hand- three fingers gone.
Was that what she called “fine“?”
Malissa, misreading his silence as hesitation, pressed on.
“And besides,” she said with a little scoff, “that video might not even be real.”
He blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”
She gave a dismissive shrug. “Come on, Milo. Lorraine’s always been jealous. She’s hated how close we are. Of course she’d pull something dramatic on our wedding day, just to ruin it. This whole thing–it’s probably just one of her games.“}]
She folded her arms, growing bolder. “You remember how Enid lied about me locking her in the dog cage? That girl’s been twisting the truth since the day she could talk. Like mother, like daughter. Lorraine’s just trying to steal you back from me-“}
“Enough!”
Milford snapped, cutting her off mid–sentence, staring at Malissa like he was seeing her for the first time.
“What are you even talking about? Lori is my wife. This wedding is just to give Eddy a proper name. I’ve never planned on leaving her. Does she really need to fight you for my attention?”
Tears welled up in Malissa’s eyes, making her look like the innocent victim, but this time, Milford wasn’t falling for it.
“You’re just my sister–in–law and that’s all you’ll ever be,” he spat, his words sharp and bitter.
“Lori is nothing like you make her out to be. She’s never once badmouthed you. Even when I repeatedly put her in danger for you–when she nearly lost her life–she didn’t complain once. And now you’re saying she couldn’t stand you?“}
He took a breath, his anger rising. “A few days ago, it should’ve been you they took, and in the end, Lori took the fall for you. Not only did she risk her life for you, but you can’t even be grateful. Instead, you’re saying this? What kind of conscience do you have?“}
It was the first time Milford had ever spoken to Malissa like that, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
Milford couldn’t understand how his once gentle and loving sister–in–law had turned into this repulsive version of herself. Or maybe, he wondered, had she always been like this?”
Malissa, her face a picture of hurt, began to cry.
“Milo, you’re misunderstanding me. That’s not what I meant, but today’s supposed to be our wedding and I… I just-“}
Milford pulled his arm away from her, his expression cold. “I’m not misunderstanding anything. I promised your brother I’d take care of you, but that doesn’t mean you can slander Lori. I’ll adopt Eddy as my own, but this wedding is over.”
He took a deep breath, his resolve firm. “I’ve already abandoned Lori twice and I won’t do it again. From now on, you and I will only have a sister–in–law relationship. I expect you to respect that.”
Without waiting for a response, Milford turned on his heel and walked out, ignoring Malissa’s desperate cries behind him.
He drove like a madman to the cliff, but by the time he got there, both I and Enid, as well as the people who had kidnapped us, were long gone
Milford pulled together all his resources, mobilizing everyone he could find to search. They scoured the base of the cliff for three days and nights, without rest, but there was no sign of my body.!
11:42 AM
