At the funeral, extremists stormed the service. They ignored my pleas, trashed the venue, and hurled rotten eggs at my parents‘ urns.
“You know what? I was the one who leaked the funeral home’s address online,” said Colette. “Quite the spectacle, wasn’t it? You’re such an idiot. You never stood a chance against me-”
Before she could finish, she let out a scream and covered her face. A second later, she ran crying into Frederick’s arms.
She played the victim, sobbing to him just as he arrived, “Freddie, I made oatmeal for Ana. I don’t know what I did wrong, but she slapped me. My face hurts so bad!”
Karen, who was holding a bowl of oatmeal nearby, jumped in, “That’s right, Mr. Burke. I saw it all. Mrs. Burke slapped Ms. Reeves several times for no reason. I couldn’t stop her.”
At their accusations, Frederick’s expression hardened. He scooped Colette into his arms and addressed me coldly, “Anastasia, since you don’t want to attend the party, you don’t have to go anymore.”
Then, he turned to Colette. “You’ll come with me tomorrow. I’ll introduce you to some people.”
Colette nestled into his arms but glanced back at me with a smug smile, her eyebrows raised in triumph.
That night, Frederick didn’t come home,
The next day, the media was flooded with coverage of the Burkes‘ annual gala.
Colette stepped out of the car in a couture gown, arm in arm with Frederick. She looked like a rags–to–riches fairytale come to life, basking in the spotlight.
My lips curled into a sneer as I sent her a message.
I wrote, “Congratulations, Colette. You finally made it to Frederick’s side. Anyway, you’ve only got one month left before the radiation eats you alive. Enjoy your last moments.
“And tell Frederick he’s no different. The two of you are walking hand–in–hand toward the grave.”
1/2
Chapter 5
With that, I tossed my phone aside and ignored the wave of panicked calls that followed. Then, I got into the car I had called and headed to the countryside.
Five months had passed, yet nothing out here had changed. The bloodstains on the tracks had been scrubbed clean, not a trace left behind.
I stood at the edge of the rails, staring into the distance. When I heard the train coming, I stepped onto the tracks.
As consciousness slipped away, I thought I heard Frederick’s heart–wrenching scream.
“Anastasia!”
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