But it was already too late. William’s body, though pulled from the fire, was marred by charred patches of skin. The scent in the air was unbearable, a sickening mix of burnt flesh and desperation. Even now, in death—or the pretense of it—he was as repulsive as he had been in life.
Thomas, shaking with emotion, patted his son’s lifeless face. “William, wake up! Stop pretending! This crazy woman will burn you alive if you don’t!”
Nancy, sobbing uncontrollably, chimed in. “William, we can still fix this! Forget the fake death, forget everything! We’ll get a divorce and split the money... just stop scaring us like this!”
