He Locked Me in a Dark Room for Her, Then Cried at My Funeral Chapter 05

He Locked Me in a Dark Room for Her, Then Cried at My Funeral Chapter 05

A vivid red handprint rose on Adrian’s face, and his ears rang from the force of it.

He turned and shouted at Mrs. Carter in fury.

“Mom, can you stop helping her put on this act?”

“What could possibly have happened to her? She’s a grown woman. Can’t she take care of herself?”

I stood frozen in place. It had never occurred to me that, in Adrian’s eyes, I was nothing more than some attention-seeking drama queen.

Tears slipped down my face on their own, and a dull, bitter ache spread through my chest.

Ever since I nearly gave my life helping Adrian escape and was left with severe claustrophobia afterward, Mrs. Carter had always felt that Adrian owed me.

From childhood until now, if I so much as seemed a little upset, she would immediately scold him and demand to know if he had bullied me again.

And every single time, I would rush to explain that it wasn’t his fault. It was my own problem.

So all that time, Adrian had thought I was just putting on a show.

I let out a bitter laugh and wiped away the tears at the corners of my eyes.

Mrs. Carter was shaking with rage from his words when she looked past him and saw Chloe lying naked on the bed.

Chloe had her head resting on the rumpled heirloom wedding gown.

The embroidered birds were stained, and threads had come loose in several places.

Mrs. Carter’s eyes turned red. She lifted her hand and slapped Chloe across the face.

“You shameless little homewrecker. Do you even know my son is about to marry Evie?”

The crisp sound of the slap cracked through the room.

Mrs. Carter stared in disbelief at Adrian as he rushed forward and intercepted the next blow meant for Chloe. Her fingers trembled violently.

I lowered my eyes with a self-mocking smile.

Adrian did know how to care about someone.

He would throw himself in front of any hurt meant for the girl he truly loved.

And me?

To him, I was nothing but a burden.

Adrian motioned for Chloe to get dressed and end the livestream.

Then he turned to Mrs. Carter with cold eyes.

“Mom, I’m going to marry Evie soon.”

“I just wanted to date the person I actually like before the wedding. Why do you have to stop me?”

Mrs. Carter looked up at him in stunned disbelief, her voice shaking.

“Isn’t Evie the one you love? When you were little, you said you were going to marry her one day…”

Adrian didn’t answer.

He simply scooped Chloe into his arms and walked out.

And I was forced to follow.

As we passed Mrs. Carter, I suddenly regretted ever saying yes to Adrian, ever agreeing to become her daughter-in-law.

Adrian pulled open the car door and carefully settled Chloe into the passenger seat.

Mrs. Carter came running after them, shouting in panic.

“Adrian, Evie’s medical alert watch is still showing no vital signs.”

“I’m begging you. Tell me where she is.”

Adrian got into the car irritably and started the engine.

Then he slammed his foot on the gas and left Mrs. Carter behind until she disappeared completely from view.

Chloe turned her livestream back on, pouting as she spoke in a spoiled little voice.

“Adrian and I almost got to really be husband and wife tonight, but his mom found us.”

“Good girls aren’t supposed to do bad things.”

Then she turned the camera toward Adrian and smiled sweetly.

“Adrian should make it up to me and take me to the amusement park to ride the carousel.”

Sitting in the back seat, I listened to Chloe’s syrupy, affected words and nearly threw up all the acid in my stomach.

My soul had grown a little more transparent, and inside, I felt strangely hollow.

Dad… did he know I was dead yet?