“I’m not joking.” Her voice was ice. “Check with her doctor if you don’t believe me. The contract’s been signed, the preparations are done. Once she has my heart, you can live happily ever after with her. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
Christopher staggered back a step, his face pale. “Why… Why would you do this?”
“Why not?” Evelyn’s tone was indifferent. “I’m tired, Christopher. Tired of fighting, tired of being hurt, tired of hoping for something that’s never going to happen. If my death can give someone else a chance at happiness, then so be it.”
He stared at her, stunned, the weight of her words crashing down on him. For the first time, he saw the emptiness in her eyes, the scars she had hidden behind her quiet smiles and sharp words.
“Evelyn…” he began, but she cut him off.
“Don’t,” she said firmly, her gaze hardening. “Save your pity for someone who needs it. Go. Charlotte needs you.”
Christopher hesitated, torn between staying and leaving, but the sound of the ambulance fading into the distance made his decision for him. He turned and walked out the door, leaving Evelyn alone once again.