After Losing My Legs I Learned My Fiancé Had a Fake Heart Chapter 08

After Losing My Legs I Learned My Fiancé Had a Fake Heart Chapter 08

Simon tore Lakewood apart searching for Vera. It was like she’d been scrubbed from existence, her presence wiped clean from his life.

He returned to The Ridges Estate. Chloe was hosting afternoon tea with her girlfriends..

“You should’ve seen it. Vera just tumbled right off that wheelchair, flat on the floor like a dog. I nearly died laughing.”

“Our Chloe finally got what she wanted. You better make sure that doctor husband of yours sends some business my family’s way.”

“Obviously. If you hadn’t helped fake my psych evaluation, I never would’ve gotten back into the family so smoothly.”

“Oh, please. That’s nothing. My own high-and-mighty real sister? I knocked her down the exact same way. Now the whole family hates her.”

Bang.

Simon shoved the door open, his face thunderous.

The girlfriends exchanged panicked looks and fled.

Chloe floated over and nestled against him. “Baby, why didn’t you call before you came home?”

He pushed her off. “I heard everything.”

She blinked. “What? Oh, you mean Jenny asking you to support her family’s business? She’s my bestie. Can’t you just-”

“Before that. Your depression is fake.”

Chloe’s tears sprang up instantly. “What choice did I have? She’s so perfect. I couldn’t beat her any other way.”

“And I didn’t exactly lie. I was unhappy. That’s basically depression, isn’t it?”

Simon’s eyes went red. “So the day Vera’s experiment succeeded-when you ‘collapsed’ at home— that was an act too?”

Chloe’s mouth clamped shut. She’d never seen this Simon before. “You-you’re scaring me. Stop

it.”

He seized her arm. “Say the truth.”

Derek rushed in. “What the hell are you doing? Chloe’s just a kid. Let her go.”

“A kid?” Simon’s voice was a ragged roar. “She’s barely a month younger than Vera.”

Derek’s jaw tightened. “Have you lost your mind? You’re the one who always said Chloe’s the baby,

Vera needs to be the bigger person and stop picking fights. Vera’s taken this way too far this time—

she hasn’t even sent me a single text in days. Her attitude is completely out of line.”

Simon dropped into a crouch, pain carved into every feature. “She’s gone. I can’t find her.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I said she’s gone. I’ve searched the whole city. She doesn’t want me anymore.”

Derek laughed, incredulous. “That’s not possible. You and dance-that was her whole dream since

we were kids. She would never let you go…

He trailed off, a sudden, sickening realization hitting him. They’d already crushed her dance dream with their own hands. So… did that mean she’d let Simon go too?

The thought jolted him. No. No way. He reassured himself. Even if she threw Simon away, she’d still need her big brother.

He’d been leaning a little too hard toward Chloe lately and hurt her feelings. Once Chloe was better,

Vera would come back.

He turned to Simon. “It’s fine. I met Chloe’s attending psychiatrist. He says she’s recovering well, almost ready to stop her meds. Once Chloe stops having episodes, Vera will return.”

Simon’s voice was acid. “And what makes you so sure that when Vera comes back, Chloe won’t just have another ‘episode’?”

Derek frowned. “She’s getting better. Why would she-”

He stopped cold. “What are you saying?”

“Your precious Chole was never sick. There’s no depression. It was all a lie. She conned us, and it cost Vera both her legs.”

Derek staggered back as if he’d been shot. “That’s not possible. It can’t be. Chloe, tell me it’s not

true!”

Chloe scrambled backward. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t mean for it to go this far. You were all so

obsessed with her-I was so miserable.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. You drove me to this. I worked my ass off to be your sister and your wife, and you still only had eyes for Vera. She’s the fake. I’m the real blood daughter here!”

She shoved Derek aside and bolted.