Three Hundred Sixty Letters And A Death Certificate That Was A Lie Chapter 05

Three Hundred Sixty Letters And A Death Certificate That Was A Lie Chapter 05

“Evelyn, my daughter… why did you suffer like this?”

It was my mother. She collapsed beside me, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

“Your father and your brother are here. Don’t worry, Evelyn. We won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

Several doctors in white coats rushed over and lifted me onto a stretcher.

I forced my eyes open one last time and looked at the house I had lived in for thirty years.

Goodbye, Gavin Mercer.

On the way to the County Medical Center, Gavin was still pushing the wagon when he heard people talking about the intruder.

“Did you hear? Maple Creek had a break-in tonight.”

“Yeah. And it’s weird-it feels personal. The guy didn’t steal anything. He went straight into the Mercer house through the window and stabbed his wife.”

“That vicious? And she’s pregnant too. If anything goes wrong, that’s two lives gone. Who would target them? The Mercers barely leave their house.”

The words “two lives gone” hit Gavin like a shock.

He suddenly stopped the wagon and shouted at them.

“Shut up! My wife is NOT going to die!”

“She’s not dying!”

An older woman flinched, then squinted at him and the woman on the wagon.

She let out a sharp laugh.

“Oh wow. Your wife is fighting for her life, stabbed up, and you’re here babysitting another woman?

Have some shame.”

“Exactly. Disgusting. If we didn’t know better, we’d think Vanessa Hale was your wife instead.”

The crowd erupted.

“Rotten behavior!”

“You make us sick, Gavin Mercer!”

Vanessa lowered her head, her face burning red.

“Gavin… let’s just go. My leg really hurts…”

Gavin’s expression tightened.

He cursed under his breath and pulled the wagon forward again toward the hospital.

At the County Medical Center, the night nurse was already irritated from being woken up.

She looked at Vanessa’s injury and frowned.

“You dragged me out for this? This wound’s practically healed already.”

“Please check again,” Gavin insisted. “There was an intruder in Maple Creek tonight. Vanessa said

she was attacked-please look carefully. There might be other injuries.”

Gavin sounded genuinely anxious, but the nurse checked her over again and again and still found

nothing serious.

She threw down the gauze and waved them off.

This isn’t even close to a serious injury. Honestly, it looks self-inflicted based on the angle.”

Thank you, that’s enough!”

Vanessa cut her off sharply, grabbing the supplies and pulling Gavin’s hand.

“Let’s go, Gavín. Evelyn is still at home waiting for us to save her. Her baby might not survive…”

Only then did something shift in Gavin’s expression.

He snapped back into focus and rushed out with her, putting her back on the wagon toward Maple

Creek.

But on the road, his thoughts wouldn’t settle.

The villagers’ words kept echoing in his mind.

The intruder went straight for his house and stabbed Evelyn so many times.

So why did Vanessa only get a shallow cut?

Was it… possible she did it herself?

The thought made Gavin’s spine go cold.

It felt like something was tightening around his throat.

He slowly turned his head toward Vanessa.

In the moonlight, he thought he saw her smile.

Just for a second, and it chilled him to the bone.

“Vanessa… tell me the truth. This whole thing tonight-did you have anything to do with it?” /

Vanessa froze. She dug her nails into her palm to steady herself, then forced tears into her eyes.

“Gavin, what are you even saying?”

“You already chose me. You’re taking me to Ashford to run away with you. Why would I go through

all this trouble?”

“If you don’t believe me, just leave me here. I’ll go on my own.

Her voice broke perfectly.

At that, Gavin’s doubt vanished instantly.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, kissing her hair, soothing her over and over until she stopped crying.