Till Death Do Us Part... Or I Do - Chapter 4: Chapter 4
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I lifted my glass with practiced ease, taking a slow sip as I schooled my features into perfect neutrality.
Three days. That's all we had left to find out whether the curse was real or just some twisted family legend.
The ballroom hummed with laughter and the clink of champagne flutes—until Louis appeared at the top of the grand staircase. Silence crashed over the crowd like a wave.
Nicole stood beside him, her fingers locked tightly around his.
They descended together, moving in time with the music, graceful as if carried by the melody itself.
Then—without warning—Louis's face contorted in pain.
His foot slipped.
One second, he was there. The next, he was tumbling down the stairs, his body hitting the marble with a sickening crack.
A collective gasp tore through the room.
"Is he dead?" someone whispered, voice shaking.
People surged forward, dropping to their knees to check his pulse.
A beat of unbearable tension—then a relieved exhale.
"He's alive! Get him to the hospital—now!"
Just as they moved to lift him, Louis went limp. Chaos erupted. Within minutes, he was gone, whisked away in a blur of panic.
The wedding screeched to a halt.
But the curse?
Oh, it was just getting started.
My gaze flicked up to Nicole, still rooted at the top of the stairs, her face pale with horror.
No scream. No movement. Just frozen shock.
I didn't say a word. Just turned and walked away.
She'd been close enough to catch him.
She didn't.
And when he'd reached for her, desperate—she'd shoved him away.
"Elise." Nicole's voice cut through the air behind me, sharp with accusation. "Was this your doing?"
I didn't bother answering. Some truths didn't need words.
Later, when Louis finally woke up in the hospital, his first order was to have me dragged there too.
"Still pushing this curse nonsense?" he sneered, voice dripping with contempt. "You really think I'm stupid enough to fall for it?"
I met his gaze, unflinching. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Nicole stepped forward, eyes red and puffy. "Elise, we had people look into it. You drugged Louis's water—made his legs go numb. You humiliated him in front of everyone. He could've died."
Her voice cracked. "It's my fault," she whispered. "I was so scared for the baby… I didn't grab him in time."
Louis reached up, wiping her tears with a gentleness he'd never shown me. "Nicole, it's not your fault. The baby's what matters." Then his eyes locked onto me, turning glacial. "Be grateful they're both okay, Elise. Otherwise, you wouldn't be walking out of here. You've ruined my life—now you'll pay for it. Your mother's medication? Consider it cut off."
My breath seized. "Louis, no!" The words tore out of me, raw. "Punish me, not her! She saved your life! If you stop her meds now, she'll never wake up!"
His smile was ice. "Then you should've thought of that before sabotaging my wedding."
I yanked the divorce papers from my bag and shoved them at him. "It's the curse. Sign these now, and it ends here. Last chance."
Louis let out a bitter laugh—then ripped the papers to shreds. "You really think I'm that gullible? You want a divorce?" He tossed the pieces to the floor. "Keep dreaming."
With a flick of his wrist, he gave the order.
His men hauled me back to the estate and threw me into the confinement room. I slammed my fists against the door until my skin split.
"Let me out! I need to see Louis! My mother needs me!"
The guard's voice was flat. "Don't make this harder, ma'am."
Three days.
Three days of screaming until my voice gave out. Three days of choking on silence and despair.
When the door finally creaked open, Louis leaned against the frame, smirking.
"Grandfather's 80th birthday. You're coming." His tone left no room for argument. "And this time? Don't. Try. Anything."
As the maid hurried to prep me, I snatched my phone. Missed calls from the hospital lit up the screen. My hands shook as I dialed back.
"Ms. Jefferson, where have you been? Your mother passed last night."
The words hit like a knife.
I stood there, numb, as Louis's men led me out. He was already in his car, Nicole tucked against his side.
He rolled down the window. "Nicole's sensitive to the new car smell. You take another one."
As his car pulled away, I stared at the death notice glowing on my phone.
Rage burned through me, white-hot and consuming.
Then—
A deafening roar.
A runaway truck, barreling straight for Louis's car.
Fate, it seemed, had finally stopped playing fair.
Three days. That's all we had left to find out whether the curse was real or just some twisted family legend.
The ballroom hummed with laughter and the clink of champagne flutes—until Louis appeared at the top of the grand staircase. Silence crashed over the crowd like a wave.
Nicole stood beside him, her fingers locked tightly around his.
They descended together, moving in time with the music, graceful as if carried by the melody itself.
Then—without warning—Louis's face contorted in pain.
His foot slipped.
One second, he was there. The next, he was tumbling down the stairs, his body hitting the marble with a sickening crack.
A collective gasp tore through the room.
"Is he dead?" someone whispered, voice shaking.
People surged forward, dropping to their knees to check his pulse.
A beat of unbearable tension—then a relieved exhale.
"He's alive! Get him to the hospital—now!"
Just as they moved to lift him, Louis went limp. Chaos erupted. Within minutes, he was gone, whisked away in a blur of panic.
The wedding screeched to a halt.
But the curse?
Oh, it was just getting started.
My gaze flicked up to Nicole, still rooted at the top of the stairs, her face pale with horror.
No scream. No movement. Just frozen shock.
I didn't say a word. Just turned and walked away.
She'd been close enough to catch him.
She didn't.
And when he'd reached for her, desperate—she'd shoved him away.
"Elise." Nicole's voice cut through the air behind me, sharp with accusation. "Was this your doing?"
I didn't bother answering. Some truths didn't need words.
Later, when Louis finally woke up in the hospital, his first order was to have me dragged there too.
"Still pushing this curse nonsense?" he sneered, voice dripping with contempt. "You really think I'm stupid enough to fall for it?"
I met his gaze, unflinching. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Nicole stepped forward, eyes red and puffy. "Elise, we had people look into it. You drugged Louis's water—made his legs go numb. You humiliated him in front of everyone. He could've died."
Her voice cracked. "It's my fault," she whispered. "I was so scared for the baby… I didn't grab him in time."
Louis reached up, wiping her tears with a gentleness he'd never shown me. "Nicole, it's not your fault. The baby's what matters." Then his eyes locked onto me, turning glacial. "Be grateful they're both okay, Elise. Otherwise, you wouldn't be walking out of here. You've ruined my life—now you'll pay for it. Your mother's medication? Consider it cut off."
My breath seized. "Louis, no!" The words tore out of me, raw. "Punish me, not her! She saved your life! If you stop her meds now, she'll never wake up!"
His smile was ice. "Then you should've thought of that before sabotaging my wedding."
I yanked the divorce papers from my bag and shoved them at him. "It's the curse. Sign these now, and it ends here. Last chance."
Louis let out a bitter laugh—then ripped the papers to shreds. "You really think I'm that gullible? You want a divorce?" He tossed the pieces to the floor. "Keep dreaming."
With a flick of his wrist, he gave the order.
His men hauled me back to the estate and threw me into the confinement room. I slammed my fists against the door until my skin split.
"Let me out! I need to see Louis! My mother needs me!"
The guard's voice was flat. "Don't make this harder, ma'am."
Three days.
Three days of screaming until my voice gave out. Three days of choking on silence and despair.
When the door finally creaked open, Louis leaned against the frame, smirking.
"Grandfather's 80th birthday. You're coming." His tone left no room for argument. "And this time? Don't. Try. Anything."
As the maid hurried to prep me, I snatched my phone. Missed calls from the hospital lit up the screen. My hands shook as I dialed back.
"Ms. Jefferson, where have you been? Your mother passed last night."
The words hit like a knife.
I stood there, numb, as Louis's men led me out. He was already in his car, Nicole tucked against his side.
He rolled down the window. "Nicole's sensitive to the new car smell. You take another one."
As his car pulled away, I stared at the death notice glowing on my phone.
Rage burned through me, white-hot and consuming.
Then—
A deafening roar.
A runaway truck, barreling straight for Louis's car.
Fate, it seemed, had finally stopped playing fair.
End of Till Death Do Us Part... Or I Do Chapter 4. Continue reading Chapter 5 or return to Till Death Do Us Part... Or I Do book page.