Twice Betrayed- Reborn in Flames - Chapter 11: Chapter 11
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Before the officers could react, Gerald grabbed Joanne by the collar, his eyes burning with fury. "The security footage doesn't lie. Joanne, why did you frame Eleanor?"
Terrified by Gerald's unhinged rage—something she'd never seen before—Joanne shrank back, trembling. "Officers, I confess," she stammered, desperate. "Just arrest me. Lock me up. Please."
She knew exactly how ruthless Gerald could be. He'd once been willing to operate on me without anesthesia just to prove his loyalty. Now, to punish me, he might drag out Joanne's suffering until her last breath. The memory of that horrific scene sent a chill down her spine. Right now, jail felt like her only safe haven.
But Gerald wasn't done. He yanked her up, his grip tightening around her throat. "Joanne, I swore I wouldn't have children with Eleanor after we married. So why? Why did you take her brother's life? Why try to kill her—and our baby?"
Joanne's face went deathly pale as she clawed at his hand, her lips twisting into a bitter smirk. "Why? Gerald, Eleanor was just some naive country girl. She had no right to marry into the Riverton family!"
She choked out, "What does it matter if the child was yours? Eleanor's gone. You strapped her to that table and cut her open yourself. She bled out—nothing can undo that."
Gerald's mind spun. He couldn't bear the image—me, restrained on that cold table, my blood spreading… everything drowning in red.
It clung to him like a curse, dragging him toward damnation, as if my last breath could shatter his world.
He remembered my tears, my begging—pleading with him to spare me, to save our child. But what had he done? He'd been too wrapped up in Joanne's schemes, her plans for an overseas marriage. He'd ignored my cries. And to ease Joanne's mind, he'd sliced into me without a second thought.
The realization hit him like a knife. He knew how much I feared pain.
That night after graduation, when I'd nicked myself trying to cut a watermelon for him, I'd crumpled into his arms, sobbing, swearing I'd never touch a knife again.
He'd bandaged my hand, blowing softly on the cut. "Then I'll do it for you," he'd promised. "I'll cut your fruit for the rest of our lives. And if we ever have kids, I'll do it for them too—for as long as I live."
I'd fake-pouted, teasing, "Oh, so you want sons that badly? What if I give you a daughter?" Back then, Gerald had truly loved me.
Panicked I might be upset, he'd pulled me close. "Eleanor, boy or girl, I'll love them. Let's have a whole houseful. When we're old, we'll have a pack of grandkids calling us 'Grandpa' and 'Grandma.' Just thinking about it makes me happy…"
"Gerald, keep dreaming! Who said I'd give you kids?" Those sweet words from our past rang clear in my mind—now shattered, like soap bubbles popping in the wind.
Tears blurred my vision as Gerald slammed his fist against his head, whispering, "I was wrong. God, I was so wrong."
Terrified by Gerald's unhinged rage—something she'd never seen before—Joanne shrank back, trembling. "Officers, I confess," she stammered, desperate. "Just arrest me. Lock me up. Please."
She knew exactly how ruthless Gerald could be. He'd once been willing to operate on me without anesthesia just to prove his loyalty. Now, to punish me, he might drag out Joanne's suffering until her last breath. The memory of that horrific scene sent a chill down her spine. Right now, jail felt like her only safe haven.
But Gerald wasn't done. He yanked her up, his grip tightening around her throat. "Joanne, I swore I wouldn't have children with Eleanor after we married. So why? Why did you take her brother's life? Why try to kill her—and our baby?"
Joanne's face went deathly pale as she clawed at his hand, her lips twisting into a bitter smirk. "Why? Gerald, Eleanor was just some naive country girl. She had no right to marry into the Riverton family!"
She choked out, "What does it matter if the child was yours? Eleanor's gone. You strapped her to that table and cut her open yourself. She bled out—nothing can undo that."
Gerald's mind spun. He couldn't bear the image—me, restrained on that cold table, my blood spreading… everything drowning in red.
It clung to him like a curse, dragging him toward damnation, as if my last breath could shatter his world.
He remembered my tears, my begging—pleading with him to spare me, to save our child. But what had he done? He'd been too wrapped up in Joanne's schemes, her plans for an overseas marriage. He'd ignored my cries. And to ease Joanne's mind, he'd sliced into me without a second thought.
The realization hit him like a knife. He knew how much I feared pain.
That night after graduation, when I'd nicked myself trying to cut a watermelon for him, I'd crumpled into his arms, sobbing, swearing I'd never touch a knife again.
He'd bandaged my hand, blowing softly on the cut. "Then I'll do it for you," he'd promised. "I'll cut your fruit for the rest of our lives. And if we ever have kids, I'll do it for them too—for as long as I live."
I'd fake-pouted, teasing, "Oh, so you want sons that badly? What if I give you a daughter?" Back then, Gerald had truly loved me.
Panicked I might be upset, he'd pulled me close. "Eleanor, boy or girl, I'll love them. Let's have a whole houseful. When we're old, we'll have a pack of grandkids calling us 'Grandpa' and 'Grandma.' Just thinking about it makes me happy…"
"Gerald, keep dreaming! Who said I'd give you kids?" Those sweet words from our past rang clear in my mind—now shattered, like soap bubbles popping in the wind.
Tears blurred my vision as Gerald slammed his fist against his head, whispering, "I was wrong. God, I was so wrong."
End of Twice Betrayed- Reborn in Flames Chapter 11. Continue reading Chapter 12 or return to Twice Betrayed- Reborn in Flames book page.