Chapter 7
Her words hit me like a physical blow, leaving my stomach twisted in knots. The hollow ache within me only deepened as her confession replayed over and over in my mind.
“Regarding your puppy” Sage’s voice was laced with mock sympathy, but cruelty never left her tone. “How tragic, isn’t it? Ryder made sure you lost it.”
She tutted with feigned regret, her gaze sparkling with malicious delight. “But what are you going to do? The Calloway brothers have always adored me more.”
Her words were a sharp knife, cutting deeper with each sentence. I stood frozen, unable to move as my anger boiled within me.
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“Remember when I wanted to attend school?” she continued, her voice thick with pleasure as she recounted her dark tale. “One brother stole your acceptance letter and took me instead, while the other let you rot in the woodshed with the pack. It was all a setup.”
Her words were poison, each one landing with the force of a blow, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. All I could do was listen as she continued.
“Oh, and do you know why Ryder saved you all those years ago?” she said, her voice dripping with fake innocence. “Because I wouldn’t let you die. I forced him to. That’s the only reason he ever bothered getting you to a doctor”
I could feel my nails digging into my palms,
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the rage searing through my chest.
“You’ll never beat me, Amber,” she breathed, moving closer, her perfume suffocating the air between us. “You never have and you never will.”
Without thinking, my hand shot up, a slap aimed squarely at her face. It wasn’t just for me–it was for the puppy she’d stolen from me, the life that should have been mine.
But before I could strike, my wrist was caught in a tight grip.
“Amber!” Ryder’s voice was cold, full of fury. “Have you lost your mind? Sage just had surgery, and you’re trying to harm her?”
His grip tightened on my wrist, his disgust clear as he looked down at me. “I shouldn’t have saved you all those years ago.”
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I looked at him, my voice trembling with the weight of my pain. “Ryder, the woodshed–it wasn’t an accident. You know it wasn’t.”
For a fleeting moment, I saw his face falter, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. But then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and he shook his head.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He turned away, pulling Sage into his arms. “But leave her out of this. She’s innocent”
“Innocent?” I spat, my disgust rising. “She’s lying to you. She was never pregnant!”
“Enough!” Ryder’s voice erupted, his anger boiling over. “Leave her alone. If you ever touch her again, I swear to God, I’ll divorce you.”
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The finality in his words hit me like a cold, crushing wave. It was over. I had no place left in his life.
I walked away, numb, as I visited the clinic for formal documentation of my miscarriage. I packed my things–memories that once felt full of love and promise, but now only served as reminders of what Ryder had taken from
- me.
With Nick’s help, I moved on. I withdrew my registration from the academy, packing my bags and heading south to Cypress Hollow, as Nick had advised. He’d told me there were opportunities in the south, and perhaps it was time I found my own. I wasn’t waiting for the next semester. I needed to sever all ties to the past–the Calloway brothers, the lies, the betrayal. It was all behind me now.
Third Person POV:
Chapter 7
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Ryder lay awake in bed for days, keeping Sage close, trying to drown out the gnawing unease deep within him. Where was Amber?
He finally made his way to the clinic, only to discover she had been released a week ago.
His restlessness only grew. Amber had no family or close friends. She never stayed away for long. And then it hit him–the school. Amber had always gone there whenever they fought.
He rushed to the school, not knowing what he would find, but hoping for some answers.
