“For things to go so far with Addy… I was just emotional back then. My health wasn’t great, and you hadn’t visited. I lost my head, that’s all—”
“Is that your excuse?” Ernest shook her off, his eyes settling on her with a cold, distant glare. “We’re not talking about a minor thing—someone died because of you.”
His words weighed heavily. “Elissa is Locke’s mother, and she’s carrying our second child. The man you hurt was her grandfather, the one who raised and loved her for years. I can’t overlook something like that.”
Shock paralyzed Linda, icy fear rushing through her veins until sweat dotted her brow. “What are you saying? What are you going to do to me?”
Part of her clung to the hope that he would never hand her over to the authorities. She kept telling herself it was only words with Addy, nothing more. No court would blame her for that.
“Ernest!” Linda pleaded, uncertainty rattling her nerves.
Srixby had always been Ernest’s domain, and he knew how to handle things quietly and legally. Linda wondered if he would actually go after her and make her disappear. Panic tightened her voice. “You won’t… you wouldn’t treat me like this. Doesn’t our history mean anything to you?”
“I remember everything.” Ernest didn’t hesitate. He straightened, eyes cast downward, his presence colder than ever. “Over the years, I’ve done everything to pay the debt I owed you. I think I’ve done enough.”
He let the silence stretch before he added, “I won’t go after you. But for the two of us…”
His next words carried a finality she couldn’t ignore. “We’re finished.”
That declaration shattered her composure. Linda’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her lips parted, stammering the question. “You… you… what did you just say?”
“I’ll say it again.” Ernest didn’t look away. “This is the end for us. The wedding’s off.”
He left no doubt, refusing to show her even a shred of sympathy.
Tremors racked Linda’s body, and her teeth knocked together, the sound echoing in the quiet room. Barely audible, she muttered, “No… this can’t be happening. You wouldn’t do this to me.”
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Ernest caught her words, but he kept his silence. He saw no reason to argue further; talking any more felt useless. Words had never been his way.
After finishing what needed to be said, he spared her one last look. “Take care of yourself.”
He didn’t waste another second. Turning away, he started down the hallway at a measured pace.
“Ernest!” Linda’s voice rang out from behind him, shrill and desperate. “Don’t walk away! You can’t just leave me here. You can’t do this! Listen to me!”
Her cries only grew louder, but nothing made him pause or turn around. Every plea fell on deaf ears.
While Linda screamed, a wave of panic washed over her, heavy and suffocating. Fear settled in, gripping her with an icy dread she had never known. That sinking feeling made everything clear. Ernest would not be coming back. She understood this was truly goodbye.
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