Chapter 3 · When Love Turned To Ash

Chapter 3

I couldn't even remember how I made it back to my crappy rental. The pain wracking my body dulled my thoughts until everything felt hazy.

Running on muscle memory, I dug out my emergency antibiotics, snapped off an entire blister pack—eight pills—and swallowed them with the leftover alcohol on the table.

I collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. Then my phone rang.

It was the underground doctor. "Ms. Payne, you said you'd pay up for the meds today. What, trying to ghost me and skip out on your bill? If you don't pay up, I'll tell everyone you know about your debts."

Everyone I knew? Did I even have anyone left? For four years, Andrew had made sure I couldn't take a single step in this city. Friends, coworkers, even landlords—he had warned them all not to help me. I was like a rat crossing the street, something everyone avoided. And now, even the nightclubs wanted nothing to do with me.

While I was still half-conscious, I opened up my phone notes: [To whoever finds this, please don't panic when you see my body. This was a suicide. Officer, please don't waste any resources on me.]

By the time I reached this point, my hands were shaking badly.

[If possible, there's one thing I want to say to Andrew again. Four years ago, I did not steal the money meant to save your mother. Sophia asked me to play along with her act. She said if I did, your mother would be saved. If you don't believe me, the specialist who performed the surgery should still be reachable.]

After I finished, I locked the phone and placed it face down on the table.

I lay flat on the bed. Every bone in my body ached dully, yet my mind had never felt so calm.

Soon, it wouldn't hurt anymore. Soon...

In my haze, I saw my mother. She stood far away, waving at me. "Emmy, come to me."

I tried to walk toward her, but my legs wouldn't move.

My mother said, "I will wait for you..."

I closed my eyes. I was so tired. I could finally rest.

*****

Three days later, my landlord found my body in my rented apartment. Based on the messages on my phone, the police quickly contacted Andrew.

At this moment, Andrew was holding a press conference to announce his engagement to Sophia.

"Thank you all for being here to witness this happy moment for Sophia and me," he said. He wrapped an arm gently around Sophia's waist. His expression was soft and tender—something I hadn't seen in years.

"I was once deeply hurt by a gold digger," Andrew continued. "It was Sophia who stayed by my side and helped me walk out of the darkness. She's the love of my life."

Sophia snuggled up to his shoulder, playing the perfect doting girlfriend.

The room erupted in applause.

Just then, Andrew's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, and answered.

"Is this Andrew Lawson? This is the Bay City Police Department. We need you to come in," the officer said, his tone flat and official. "Emily Payne died by suicide at home. Among her personal belongings, there was something addressed to you."

When Andrew heard that, his hand started shaking. The phone nearly slipped from his grip. "What kind of scam is this? Emily would never kill herself." He thought it was a fraud call.

"Mr. Lawson, this is the Bay City Police Department," the officer replied calmly. "Please come in immediately to assist with the investigation."

"That's impossible!" His eyes went blank, his arms stiffened, and the ringing in his ears was so loud he couldn't even hear Sophia calling out to him.

He muttered into the phone, almost to himself, "How could she have killed herself? She loved money too much. People like that don't give up on living."

Chapter 3

I couldn't even remember how I made it back to my crappy rental. The pain wracking my body dulled my thoughts until everything felt hazy.

Running on muscle memory, I dug out my emergency antibiotics, snapped off an entire blister pack—eight pills—and swallowed them with the leftover alcohol on the table.

I collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. Then my phone rang.

While I was still half-conscious, I opened up my phone notes: [To whoever finds this, please don't panic when you see my body. This was a suicide. Officer, please don't waste any resources on me.]

By the time I reached this point, my hands were shaking badly.

After I finished, I locked the phone and placed it face down on the table.

I lay flat on the bed. Every bone in my body ached dully, yet my mind had never felt so calm.

Soon, it wouldn't hurt anymore. Soon...

In my haze, I saw my mother. She stood far away, waving at me. "Emmy, come to me."

I tried to walk toward her, but my legs wouldn't move.

My mother said, "I will wait for you..."

I closed my eyes. I was so tired. I could finally rest.

*****

Three days later, my landlord found my body in my rented apartment. Based on the messages on my phone, the police quickly contacted Andrew.

At this moment, Andrew was holding a press conference to announce his engagement to Sophia.

"I was once deeply hurt by a gold digger," Andrew continued. "It was Sophia who stayed by my side and helped me walk out of the darkness. She's the love of my life."

Sophia snuggled up to his shoulder, playing the perfect doting girlfriend.

The room erupted in applause.

Just then, Andrew's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, and answered.

When Andrew heard that, his hand started shaking. The phone nearly slipped from his grip. "What kind of scam is this? Emily would never kill herself." He thought it was a fraud call.

"Mr. Lawson, this is the Bay City Police Department," the officer replied calmly. "Please come in immediately to assist with the investigation."

"That's impossible!" His eyes went blank, his arms stiffened, and the ringing in his ears was so loud he couldn't even hear Sophia calling out to him.

He muttered into the phone, almost to himself, "How could she have killed herself? She loved money too much. People like that don't give up on living."