Then came Kelly’s fragile, sorrowful voice, brimming with just the right amount of helplessness.
“Sharon, you don’t need to remind me. I know… I don’t have much time left.”
“You’re right. Everything Carter has given me was fake… I’m sorry
The footage shifted.
Now it was the moment Sharon had “pushed” Kelly into the water, followed by another scene: Kelly soaked and trembling, apologizing over and over like a wronged child.
The clip ended with this morning’s incident–Kelly stumbling, nearly falling into traffic. A car screeched just in time to stop. It was enough. The internet erupted.
[What the hell? Kelly only has six months to live and that McKinzie bitch’s cursing her to die sooner?]
[She literally got pregnant to marry him? Gross. No wonder the real love interest got driven out.]
[Wait–so Carter and Kelly were the original couple, and this McKinzie woman just forced her way in? Seriously? She looks so classy, but she’s garbage underneath.]
[Classy? Please. My friend’s a plastic surgeon–he says that face is 0% artificial.]
[Kelly’s a saint. Not only did this homewrecker steal her man, she nearly killed her. Literally pushed her into the water.]
[That’s attempted murder. Let’s tag the police. This psycho needs to go to jail.]
[God, it’s always the beautiful ones that suffer. Kelly’s not just gorgeous–she’s a genius violinist. How could fate be so cruel?] [And that McKinzie bitch? She stopped working after she got married. Just a housewife. Completely useless.]
The moment the story hit the trending charts, the hate poured in like a flood. There was no debate, no nuance—no “maybe it’s more complicated” or “we don’t know the whole story.” Just a tidal wave of condemnation.
In the blink of an eye, Sharon became public enemy number one.
Sharon scrolled through the comments beneath the story, her face blank. Then she closed the app. Breathed. Once. Twice. Three times. She needed to think.
Her phone vibrated again.
She looked at the caller ID. Waited. Then answered.
Nate’s arrogant voice came through, full of self–importance.
“Kelly’s awake. Carter said you need to come to the hospital. Right now. To apologize.”
Sharon replied flatly, “No.”
Nate gave a sharp laugh. “Carter said if you don’t show up, you’ll regret it.”
Sharon’s voice turned cold. “Tell Carter–the thing I regret most in this life is marrying him.”
She hung up, then turned off her phone.
By the next morning, the firestorm had only grown. The story was everywhere, spreading through the internet like ink in water. Overnight, Sharon had become a household name.
Chapter 24
+25 BONUS
But not in the way anyone would want.
Still, at seven sharp, Sharon got out of bed. She made breakfast for Matty. Her hands were steady. Nothing about her rhythmn had changed.
When it was time for school, she took Matty downstairs.
But the moment they stepped out of the apartment building, something flew straight at her.
“Sharon! You disgusting witch! Murderer! How can you even show your face?!”
Instinctively, Sharon moved to dodge. But then she saw Matty standing right beside her.
If she stepped away, Matty would take the hit.
She didn’t move. Instead, she pulled Matty into her arms and braced herself.
Smack.
A raw egg burst against her forehead. It oozed down her skin–sticky, slimy, reeking.
A pack of young women, all dressed to the nines, came storming across the street. Each one carried something–rotten vegetables, eggs, tomatoes, bottles half–filled with murky water.
The moment they saw Sharon, they began to throw.
“Homewrecker! You tried to kill Kelly! Die, bitch!”
“You fake–faced freak! If a man saw your real face, he’d run for his life!”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 25
Chapter 25
