10
My last slap carried every ounce of strength I had. The impact sent a sharp jolt up my arm, leaving my wrist
numb.
“Emeric, Marie is a monster–but so are you!” My voice shook with rage. “You want to know what I have to say to
you? Just looking at you makes me sick! Listen to me, Emeric–I will never let this go. Every bit of pain you, Marie and the entire Ling family inflicted on me? I’ll return it a hundred–no, a thousand times over!”
Emeric stood frozen.
But only for a moment.
Then, he inhaled slowly. His face settled into something eerily calm, composed. But his eyes–his eyes told another story. They were glassy, filled with unshed tears.
Before I could react, he stepped forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry, Flora,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m a monster. This is all my fault. I was blind, I was a fool–but now I see. I know I was wrong. I know I failed you.”
His arms tightened around me, his body trembling.
“The house felt so empty without you. Every time I thought about what I did, I wanted to slap myself senseless. I blocked Marie, Flora. The day you left, I blocked her.” His breath hitched. “I swear, I’ll never speak to her again. If you
don’t believe me, look.”
He pulled back just enough to slip his phone into my hand, his grip lingering as if afraid I’d disappear again.
“Flora, come back with me. Please.” Emeric’s voice trembled. “Let’s start over–I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. We can leave Mirrencourt, go anywhere you want, start fresh in a place you love. Or if you want to stay here, that’s fine too. We’ll buy a little house near the university. You can go to work every day and I’ll stay
home, waiting for you.”
Fading Love, Fading Hate, A Forever Farewell
.
“Would that be okay?”
“Please… just don’t leave me. I’ll do anything–whatever you want.”
If he had said this months ago, I might have felt like the luckiest woman in the world.
But after everything I had seen–after every sickening glimpse of Emeric’s true nature–All I felt now was disgust.
I tore myself free from his grasp, my breath ragged, my hands shaking. Then, without thinking, I hurled
everything I was holding–books, a water glass–straight at him.
The glass shattered against his head.
Thin streams of blood trickled down through his hair, yet he didn’t move. He just stood there, letting me take out my fury on him.
“Emeric, stop pretending this means anything. You think I can forget? That I can ever forgive?” My voice shook
with rage. “The hatred between us–it will never fade. I will carry it for the rest of my life.
If I could ever live with you again, I wouldn’t deserve to call myself human.”
I took a step back, my hands clenched into fists.
“Now get out of my sight. The law will deal with you. I just never want to see you again.”
Without waiting for an answer, I pressed the call button for the police. Then, without looking back, I walked away.
As I walked away, I tilted my head back and let out a long, deep breath, staring up at the sky.
For the first time, I felt something close to relief.
Strangely enough, I had Emeric to thank for that.
If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have found the courage to finally face the past.
I had already made up my mind–this afternoon, I’d take a few days off from work and make sure the entire Ling family of monsters ended up exactly where they belonged.
Behind bars.
When Adrien heard I was going back home, he immediately took time off as well. Said he wanted to “revisit the beautiful landscapes of his motherland.”
But in reality?
For the entire trip, he stuck to me like a shadow, following me through every prosecutor’s office, courthouse and police station in Mirrencourt.
One afternoon, as we sat outside our old university eating bowls of noodles, I couldn’t help but tease him. “Adrien, do me a favor–when you get back, don’t go around saying you came home for the scenery. Last I checked, the prosecutor’s office, the courthouse and the police station aren’t exactly tourist attractions. Pretty sure that’s not the cultural experience you were going for.”
Adrien just grinned and kept slurping his noodles, not bothering to argue. Things went smoothly. I had gathered enough solid evidence to make sure of that.
life.
Three months passed. Marie, Emeric and Rémi were officially indicted for aggravated assault and battery. In court, I faced the people who had nearly destroyed my life. But the hatred I once carried was gone.
C
I no longer needed revenge–justice would take care of them. And as for me? It was time to start living my own
On the flight back to San Mirren, Adrien glanced at me and said casually, “Flora, you know… I’ve actually decided not to have kids. My parents are fine with it too.”
I adjusted the blanket over my lap and let out a small laugh, shaking my head.
“I have no idea why you’re telling me this, but honestly? Sounds like a good decision.”
(The End)
