It was the Goodrem Family who had orchestrated the Adam Family’s destruction.
Lisa Goodrem and her father were both involved.
But Adam’s mother didn’t want Christopher to bear the weight of that truth. She had knelt before me, begging me and my father to keep it a secret.
I understood. A mother would do anything to protect her child.
So even today, as Christopher held Lisa in his arms, pressing her beneath him, I kept my silence.
My mother-in-law pulled me into a fragile embrace, stroking my pale face with trembling hands.
“Honey… Chris doesn’t know what he’s lost. That’s his misfortune.” She wiped her tears and forced a small, bittersweet smile. “Your birthday is in seven days. After that, I’ll let you go…”
I gazed at the woman before me, her hair streaked with gray, her once-strong presence now fragile and burdened by years of regret.
Seven days.
I had endured eight years.
Seven more days wouldn’t break me.
My mother-in-law quietly left after buying me dinner, giving me one last lingering glance before stepping out of the room.
The suffocating silence settled over me once more.
Seven days.
Just seven more days.
Hotel Room…