CHAPTER 5 — The Truth Evelyn Could Never Forgive
CHAPTER 5 — The Truth Evelyn Could Never Forgive
The room fell silent.
Every heartbeat seemed to echo through the walls.
Evelyn stared at Adrian, unable to breathe.
"...Me?"
Her voice was barely audible.
"No."
She shook her head violently.
"No... you're lying."
Adrian wished he were.
"I've spent three years hoping I was wrong."
"You are."
"I've replayed that night thousands of times."
"You are!"
Her scream cracked through the room.
"I would never hurt Grace!"
"I know."
Adrian's answer came without hesitation.
"You loved her more than anyone."
"Then why would you say that?"
"Because loving someone doesn't stop tragedy."
Evelyn's knees weakened.
She sank into the chair beside the hospital bed.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Richard slowly stepped forward.
"That's enough."
"No," Adrian replied.
"It isn't."
He looked at Evelyn with tear-filled eyes.
"You deserve the whole truth."
Richard suddenly grabbed Adrian by the collar.
"You'll destroy her!"
Adrian didn't fight back.
"I've been destroyed every single day since that night."
The two men stood inches apart.
Years of hatred burned between them.
Then...
Anna spoke.
"Stop."
She looked at Evelyn.
"There's one thing Adrian still hasn't told you."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"You don't have to."
"Yes, I do."
Anna reached into her purse and carefully removed a small velvet box.
She placed it on Evelyn's lap.
"What is this?"
"It belonged to Grace."
With trembling fingers, Evelyn opened it.
Inside was a silver necklace.
The moment she touched it—
The world disappeared.
Rain.
Wind.
The cliff.
Grace stood only a few feet away.
She was crying.
"I'm leaving."
Young Evelyn grabbed her wrist.
"You can't!"
"I have to."
"We'll fix this together."
"There is no 'we' anymore."
Grace gently pulled away.
"Evelyn..."
"You've always seen the best in people."
"But one day that'll destroy you."
Young Evelyn burst into tears.
"Please don't go."
Grace smiled sadly.
"I love you."
The words were soft.
Not romantic.
The love between sisters.
Between best friends.
Then—
Another voice.
Richard.
"Grace."
He stepped forward.
"Give me the envelope."
Grace backed away.
"No."
"You don't understand what you're doing."
"I understand perfectly."
She looked directly at him.
"If the truth comes out..."
"...your empire is finished."
Hospital Evelyn gasped.
Another memory crashed into her.
Richard reaching for Grace.
Grace stumbling backward.
The edge of the cliff.
Young Evelyn screaming.
"DAD!"
Richard tried to grab Grace—
But his hand slipped.
Grace fell.
Not over the cliff.
Onto a narrow rock ledge several feet below.
She was alive.
She looked up.
"Evelyn!"
Young Evelyn immediately rushed toward the edge.
"I'm coming!"
Adrian grabbed her arm.
"Don't!"
"It's too dangerous!"
Grace stretched one trembling hand upward.
"Evelyn!"
Without thinking—
Young Evelyn pulled free from Adrian.
She dropped to her knees.
Reached as far as she could.
Almost...
Almost touching Grace's fingertips.
Then...
The wet grass beneath Evelyn shifted.
Her foot slipped.
Instinctively, she grabbed the only thing within reach.
Grace's wrist.
For one impossible second...
They held on to each other.
Eye to eye.
Friend to friend.
Sister to sister.
Grace smiled through tears.
"It's okay."
The mud gave way.
Evelyn lost her grip.
Grace disappeared into the darkness below.
Her scream echoed against the cliffs.
Then...
Silence.
Evelyn opened her eyes with a violent gasp.
"No..."
Tears flooded her face.
"I remember."
She buried her face in her shaking hands.
"I tried to save her..."
Adrian knelt beside her.
"I know."
"I couldn't hold on."
"I know."
"I let her fall."
"You didn't."
Richard suddenly interrupted.
"She slipped."
Evelyn looked at him.
"No."
Richard's voice cracked.
"Listen to me."
"You were trying to save her."
"It wasn't your fault."
She stared into his eyes.
For the first time...
She saw not a powerful businessman—
But a broken father.
A father who had spent three years carrying two unbearable burdens:
The death of Grace...
And the destruction of his daughter.
Richard slowly sank into a chair.
"I lied because I couldn't lose you too."
"You stopped eating."
"You stopped speaking."
"You kept saying you killed your best friend."
"So I made everyone believe something else."
He looked at Adrian.
"I made him carry your guilt."
Adrian lowered his head.
"I agreed."
Evelyn stared at him in disbelief.
"...What?"
"I let everyone blame me."
"Why?"
"Because I loved you."
Silence.
"I knew if you remembered everything then..."
"...you would've died with Grace."
Anna closed her eyes.
"So that's why."
Adrian nodded.
"I let Anna hate me."
"I let the world call me a murderer."
"I let you believe I betrayed you."
"Because hating me..."
"...was easier than hating yourself."
Evelyn completely broke down.
She sobbed uncontrollably.
Not because Adrian had lied.
Not because Richard had lied.
But because every lie...
Had been told to save her.
Or so she believed.
Anna suddenly looked toward Richard.
"There's still one problem."
Everyone turned.
She took a slow breath.
"Grace didn't die from the fall."
The room froze.
Richard's head snapped upward.
"What?"
Anna looked directly at him.
"The autopsy."
"I found the original report."
"Grace survived the fall."
Evelyn stopped crying.
"...No."
Anna nodded.
"She was alive."
"For nearly twenty minutes."
Adrian's face turned white.
"That's impossible."
"The official report was changed."
Anna slowly pulled a folded document from her coat.
She placed it beside Grace's letter.
"The original coroner's report."
Evelyn unfolded it.
Her eyes scanned the final paragraph.
Then...
Her entire body went numb.
Cause of death: single gunshot wound to the chest.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody breathed.
Richard stood motionless.
Adrian looked as though the earth had vanished beneath him.
Evelyn whispered,
"Someone..."
"...shot Grace?"
Anna slowly nodded.
"Yes."
"The fall didn't kill her."
A cold silence settled over the room.
Then came the question none of them wanted to ask.
If Grace survived the fall...
Who walked down to the rocks...
May you like
And pulled the trigger?
End of Chapter 5
