He Killed Us Both Chapter 06

He Killed Us Both Chapter 06

Three days.

I cleaned diamonds until my fingertips were raw, until the owner, Marlena, grunted in approval. I wore a scarf to hide the healing burns on my neck, but nothing could hide the flatness of my abdomen beneath my work uniform. The other clerks ignored me, whispering “traitor” only when they thought I couldn’t hear.

Then, they walked in.

Lydia’s perfume arrived first-a cloying blend of jasmine and poison. She wore a Chanel dress that cost more than the shop’s monthly revenue. Linus’s arm was draped around her waist, possessive and smug.

She saw me immediately. There was no surprise in her eyes, only a predator’s glee.

“Darling,” she purred, holding up a delicate diamond necklace. “Look how this chain sparkles on me.”

Linus nuzzled her neck, his voice loud enough for the whole shop to hear. “Anything looks radiant on my Lydia. You like it? It’s yours. I only make money to spend it on you.”

I turned to get a cleaning cloth, but Lydia’s voice lashed out like a whip.

“You. Clerk. Get me that moonstone ring. The largest one you have.”

The other workers discreetly vanished. Cowards.

Cursing under my breath, I retrieved the ring from the locked case. My hands were trembling-not with fear, but with restrained fury.

Linus’s gaze locked on my abdomen, hidden beneath the cheap fabric of my uniform. His brow furrowed.

“Cassandra,” he snarled, taking a step closer. “Why are you wearing a girdle? Don’t you know that can harm the baby?”

I placed the ring on the counter. “I don’t know you, sir. If you harass me again, I’ll call the police.”

He grabbed my wrist, his nails digging into the unhealed scar tissue. “You think you can hide him from me?”

“Are you insane?” I wrenched my arm free. “Who told you I was pregnant?”

“Buy the ring or leave.”

He ignored me.

In front of the entire shop-Marlena, other customers, all watching-Linus grabbed the collar of my uniform and ripped it open.

Buttons scattered across the floor like broken teeth.

His eyes fell on my stomach.

Empty. Flat. The scarred, hollow womb that had once carried his son.

And on the side of my waist-the place where the Valeriano family crest had been tattooed, now a hideous, raised scar from laser removal.

The blood drained from his face. His hands fell limply to his sides.

“Where is he-” his voice was as hoarse as sandpaper. “Where is he? Where is my son?”

“Dead,” I said, my voice ringing out for everyone to hear. “Burned to death in the fire. The day you carried Lydia to the hospital, your son died. He’s dead.”

He staggered back as if struck by lightning, his face ashen.

“Impossible,” he whispered. “You were fine. You crashed the car-how could you burn your own child to death? You’re lying. Tell me you’re lying!”

Lydia caught his arm, steadying him, then turned to me with venomous sweetness.

“Cassandra, the child wasn’t just yours. How could you get an abortion behind Linus’s back? You’re so heartless. I told you I forgave you for crashing the car-why couldn’t you spare that innocent child?”

Her gaze fell to the scar on my waist, her eyes glinting with malice. “And you burned off Linus’s family crest? The same day you aborted the baby, you had it lasered off? What kind of hatred is that…

“Anger is no excuse for murder,” she whispered, twisting the knife. “That was a living soul, Cassandra. Not a toy for you to throw away in a fit of rage.”

Linus’s grief was instantly detonated by new fury. His hand shot out, clamping around my throat.

I choked, my face turning purple, my nails clawing uselessly at his hand. He squeezed

tighter, lifting me slightly off the ground as the entire shop watched in horror.

“You killed him?” he roared, spittle flying. “You dared to abort my heir?”

The clerks rushed in, pulling at his arms, but he was like a beast unleashed. When he finally let go, I collapsed, coughing up blood onto the polished floor, my hands clutching my empty womb.

I looked up, smiling through the blood.

“Aborted?” My voice was a rasp. “Linus, remember this: that baby died at your hands,

right there in that burning wreck! You walked past us. You made your choice. You

killed him!”

“You believe this woman next to you?” I laughed, a raw, broken sound. “Then keep believing her! Our dead son is watching. He’s watching his murderer of a father stand with his whore!”

Linus stood there, shattered.

Then Lydia leaned in, her lips brushing my ear, her voice à poisonous sting only I could

hear.

“You stole everything from me in our last life. Today is your punishment. That bastard child was never meant to be born.”

I gathered every last drop of strength in my broken body and raked my nails across her perfect face.

Beads of blood welled on her skin. She screamed, a dramatic, hysterical shriek.

Linus completely broke.

He lunged, grabbing my hair with both hands and, with savage, brutal force, slammed my head against the glass counter.

“Witch!” he howled. “Monster! How dare you kill my child? I’ll kill you!”

The glass shattered.

Shards embedded themselves in my forehead and cheeks. Blood flooded my eyes. I felt nothing but the sweet, dark taste of revenge.

The irony was sickening. In our last life, he killed our son for Lydia. In this one, he wanted to kill me to avenge that same son. You always want what you can’t have.

His bodyguards dragged him out, Lydia sobbing against his chest, playing the victim perfectly. I lay in the wreckage, bleeding on the broken glass, while Marlena screamed that I was fired, that I had ruined her shop, that I was trash.

Alone, I climbed out of the ruins.

Blood dripped from my chin to the floor.

I walked out onto the street, unemployed, but finally free to finish what I had started