My Valentine Surprise Exposed the Secret My Husband Was Hiding Chapter 08

My Valentine Surprise Exposed the Secret My Husband Was Hiding Chapter 08

Right there in front of everyone, I dialed my dad.

“Sweetheart, why aren’t you home for New Year’s Day yet? I know you don’t like your stepmom, so I sent her back to her folks’ place.”

I shot Susie a knowing smirk. Even though my dad had cheated on my mom and married her, I was still his top priority. Always had been.

“Dad, I got married. I’m at my husband’s house right now.”

His voice went sharp with shock. “What? What did you just say? Where are you? I’m coming over right now.”

“Sweetheart, don’t let some loser sweet-talk you. Anyone who convinces you to secretly tie the knot behind your family’s back—he’s no good.”

He was about to launch into a full lecture, so I cut him off. “Dad, I ran into stepmother at my boyfriend’s house. Guess why she’s here.”

There was a pause on the other end. Then, “Don’t start anything with them. I’m on my way.”

After I hung up, Susie’s face went pale. The desperation was written all over her.

“Why can’t you just cut me some slack? You have no idea how hard I worked to climb out of the gutter.”

“I never wanted to compete with you over the Lane family fortune. I just wanted someone to lean on—someone who could give me and my family a decent life.”

She was losing it now, firing questions at me like I was the one to blame. Like it was my fault she was born into that family. My fault she ended up here.

“Everyone’s pushing me—you’re all pushing me! Do I have to die before you leave me alone?”

“All I wanted was a better life. What’s so wrong with that? Why do you get to be born with a silver spoon while I got stuck with nothing?”

“What do you privileged people know about anything? You don’t understand what people like me need—you just toss us scraps from your high horse.”

Tears streamed down her face. But no one in the room seemed moved—except Zane, who looked like his heart was breaking for her.

“Don’t be scared, Susie. I’ll always protect you. Even if that old man divorces you, you still have me. I’ll marry you. I’ll take care of you and your family for the rest of your life.”

He got up, walked over to her, and pulled her into his arms, trying to calm her down.

His little speech nearly made Brenda stumble. She staggered back, steadying herself against the wall.

Just as she started looking for something to knock some sense into him with, Zane suddenly stumbled backward and crashed onto the floor. His hands flew to his stomach. He stared at Susie in disbelief.

“Why? Susie—why would you do this?”

A paring knife was buried in his gut. Susie’s hand was still wrapped around the handle. Then she yanked it out—and plunged it into her own stomach.

“Zane, you’re the only one in this world who ever really loved me. No one else understands—only you.”

“I can’t go back to the way things were before. Will you die with me?”

She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like dying for her was an honor.

It all happened so fast. No one had time to react. Both of them were already bleeding out.

People screamed. Someone called 911.

It was New Year’s Day. The roads were packed. The ambulance took forever to get there. Zane didn’t make it.

Right before he died, he seemed to finally snap out of it. He looked at me, regret flooding his eyes.

“Babe… I’m so sorry. This past year with you—I really did fall for you. But Susie… her life was just so hard. I couldn’t let go. I hurt you. If there’s another life… I’ll make it up to you.”

Then he was gone.

Brenda collapsed beside him, sobbing until she passed out.

Susie survived. They ran a psych evaluation—turns out she had a hereditary mental illness, and she was in the middle of an episode. Not criminally responsible.

She thought she was in the clear. She even had the nerve to smirk at me from her hospital bed.

“Your husband died for me. And your dad? He’s mine now. Doesn’t that mean I win? I’m the one who came out on top.”

She laughed like she’d lost her mind. I had her committed to a psychiatric facility. That’s where she’d spend the rest of her life.

Brenda was shattered. She fell into a deep depression after losing her only son. She didn’t see a reason to go on.

Until I told her I was about six weeks pregnant.

The whole reason I’d rushed over to see Zane in the first place was to give him that news.

Guess he gave me a much bigger surprise instead.

Now that he was gone, I decided to keep the baby.

Not because I couldn’t let go of Zane. Just because I wanted to. That was all.

(The End)