Faking His Death Chapter 05

Faking His Death Chapter 05

Brooke was at the front, with several neighbors crowding in behind her.

She let out a sharp scream, her face tightening as her eyes locked onto Ethan’s hand on my wrist.

“Owen,” she shrieked, “what the hell are you doing?”

People behind her started whispering, their expressions turning strange.

“Aren’t they sister-in-law and brother-in-law?” someone muttered. “It’s not even sundown.”

“Unbelievable,” another voice hissed. “Ethan’s barely gone, and they’re already sneaking around and sleeping together.”

Ethan turned, saw the crowd, and panic flashed in his eyes.

He released me and hurried over to Brooke. “Honey, it’s not what it looks like. Lena came onto me.”

He jabbed a finger at me, righteous outrage on his face.

“She thinks I’m my brother,” he said loudly. “She wanted me to ‘take care of both households’ because she said she can’t live without a man.”

My stomach dropped.

The way he accused me was exactly the same as last time—disgust written all over his face while he stood pressed close to Brooke like I was something filthy.

Brooke’s expression twisted into something mean and sharp, and her voice turned shrill. “Lena Hart! You nasty bitch—trying to seduce my husband in broad daylight? You shameless slut!”

I hadn’t even spoken before she charged at me, her hand lifted high.

“Homewrecker,” she spat. “I’m going to tear your face up and see how you seduce my man then.”

No one stopped her.

They just whispered louder, feeding on it.

“So she’s after her dead husband’s brother,” someone said. “Shameless. People always have something to say about a widow.”

“Her husband’s barely gone and she’s already acting up,” another added. “God knows how messy she’s been behind closed doors.”

“She acted like she was devoted to Ethan,” someone sighed. “Who knew she’d start treating his brother like he was Ethan? What a damn shame.”

I dodged Brooke and tried to speak, desperate to cut through the lies. “That’s not true. It’s Ethan—”

Ethan cut me off.

He pointed at his own face, the red imprint of my slap still bright on his cheek, and shouted, “She tried to seduce me. I said no, and she hit me.”

The crowd’s eyes turned even uglier, their contempt immediate.

Brooke slapped me hard, then burst into loud, sobbing theatrics.

“Everybody look!” she wailed. “This widow’s husband just died and she’s already trying to seduce his brother. I’m pregnant—she’s trying to drive me to my death!”

She cried like I’d already taken her man.

Nora ran out and shoved Brooke away, wrapping herself around me.

“That’s not true,” she cried. “My mom didn’t do anything wrong. Uncle Ethan is the one who won’t let us leave.”

Ethan gave a short, scornful laugh, like he hadn’t torn up my ticket minutes ago.

“Lena, you’re something else,” he said coolly. “You’ve already brainwashed your kid. She believes anything you tell her, so what’s next—are you going to make her call me ‘Dad’?”

Nora started crying harder. “You’re not my dad. Mom said Daddy is gone.”

I pulled Nora tight against me and said flatly, “I’m not arguing with you people. Let me leave.”

Brooke wouldn’t let it go. Her long nails raked toward me.

“You seduce my husband and think you can just walk away?” she screamed. “Not today. You’re going to answer for this.”

I stumbled back, trying to avoid her.

Brooke dropped to the floor first and let out an exaggerated scream.

“Babe!” she shrieked, clutching her belly. “She’s trying to kill our baby. She shoved me so I’d miscarry.”

A figure rushed in like a storm.

My mother-in-law’s face was twisted with fury, her usual sharpness turning downright monstrous.

“You walking curse,” she spat at me. “Wasn’t it enough that you got my son killed? I still fed you under my roof, and now you’re trying to hurt my grandbaby.”

“I hope you rot,” she screamed. “Get out of my house right now, and don’t you dare take a single cent with you.”

She yanked the canvas bag off my shoulder and shoved me and Nora toward the door.

Ethan stood off to the side, lips parting like he wanted to speak, and then he said nothing at all.

In the scuffle, the bag tore open and everything spilled across the ground.

My mother-in-law snatched things up fast, and then her face changed in an instant.

“Well, well,” she said, eyes lighting up. “No wonder you’ve been stirring up trouble—look at all this money.”

“This has to be my son’s,” she declared. “You hid it, you little tramp.”

She grabbed my savings passbook and tried to stuff it into her pocket, grinning like she’d hit the lottery.

I lunged for it. “That’s the survivor benefit the unit issued for me and Nora after Ethan died. You already took what you could. You have no right to touch that.”

The moment Ethan was killed in the line of duty, she rushed to claim the death benefit, never expecting there would be money set aside for me and Nora too.

She shoved me hard and shouted so the whole room could hear.

“What do you mean, yours?” she screeched. “I’m his mother. All of it should come to me. Whoever approved that must be blind.”

I bit down until my mouth hurt, staring at the passbook in her hand and desperately trying to figure out how to get it back.

Then more people poured in from outside, and a deep, commanding voice cut through the chaos.

“The survivor benefits I authorized—what exactly is the problem?”