He Faked His Death And I Came For Our Daughter’s Ashes Chapter 08

He Faked His Death And I Came For Our Daughter’s Ashes Chapter 08

Celeste’s face went white. She stepped back, shaking her head.

“I don’t believe you. I don’t! What does she have that I don’t? She has nothing.”

“She has me. That’s enough.”

Brandon’s voice was soft. He looked at me, and tears streaming down his eyes.

I wiped my face. My hand came away wet.

“Now get out of my house. You and your daughter.”

Celeste picked up Kelly and stumbled toward the door. As she passed me, she stopped, her voice thick with bitterness.

“Are you happy, Mandy? You got him back. You win. But don’t act so proud. Tessa is dead. You will never be together.”

I looked at her, still calm.

“Celeste, you’re beautiful, well-educated, talented. You have everything. But I don’t think you ever really loved Brandon.”

“I think you were a teenage girl who, for the first time, met a boy whose eyes didn’t follow you everywhere. You wanted him to fix your own fragile ego.”

She didn’t answer.

When the door closed, Brandon spoke. “When you heard I was dead… did you feel anything for me?”

He searched my face, and the disappointment in his eyes grew with every second of silence.

“Mandy, I don’t have a family. When we were at the children’s home, you were my family. When Tessa was born, I was so happy I didn’t know what to do with myself.”

“After the divorce, I thought you just needed time to cool off, and then we would get back together. I never imagined…”

He couldn’t finish. He sank to his knees, sobbing, his hands gripping his hair in anguish.

“Brandon, I never stopped you from repaying your debt. But Tessa and I didn’t deserve to be the price you paid.”

“I kicked them out. I’ll listen to everything you say from now on. I’ll change. I swear.”

His words came faster and faster, like a drowning man grasping for anything.

But I just shook my head.

“I came here for Tessa’s toy. If Celeste threw it away, then so be it. As for whether you change… what difference does any of that make now?”

I turned away.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

His voice broke.

I never looked back.

Outside the townhouse, a light rain began to fall, mixing with the tears still wet on my face.

I got into a taxi, and my phone buzzed.

It was Margaret.

She was worried about me and wanted me to come back for dinner.

“Brandon was always a good kid. He never forgot when someone was good to him. He just took it for granted that you would always be there.”

“But there’s nothing in love that should be taken for granted,” she said on the phone with a sigh.