Page 71 of Vengeful Lies

Although as she tugged the material away from where it was stuck to her puss-filled wound, wincing as it ripped and tore her enflamed flesh, Gabriella realized that was probably a mistake.

She should have done something about the bite mark earlier.

Honestly, she didn't remember if a doctor had looked at it while she’d been in the hospital after being rescued. Considering she’d been covered in bruises and they’d known she’d been beaten, she assumed that they had, but she couldn’t remember if they’d warned her about infection, or given her cream to put on it.

That whole day was a blur because she’d been too worried about Cade and him trading himself for her.

By the time she’d managed to pry away the material from the wound, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and blood was dribbling down her chest.

Tossing the ruined top onto the floor she flinched at the sight of the wound. The entire left side of her chest was swollen and bright red. An angry red. Kind of like how she was sure her facehad looked after the shock of Cade’s words had dulled a little and the anger had come roaring in.

There was no question about it, she definitely should have attended to this wound earlier.

Too late now.

It was a major note to how far her mental state had deteriorated and how deep into depression she was sinking that there was almost a bit of glee as she looked at her ruined flesh.

Infection was settling into not just the wound but her body as a whole. It was evident in the fiery feeling of her skin and the glassy look of her eyes. There was zero doubt she was running a fever, she was sick, and there was a little part of her that actually hoped she was getting sick enough to die.

That would solve all her problems.

She wouldn't have to think about what John Gaccione and those men had done to her, and she wouldn't have to live with this gaping Cade and Essie-sized hole in her heart.

Maybe it was for the best, Gabriella thought as she stepped under the shower spray and moaned in pleasure as the cool water danced across her overheated skin.

No one would miss her if she was gone. She was already out of Essie’s life, and Cade had never loved her. His whole family would quickly adjust to her not being part of them anymore, even more so when he hired a new nanny for his daughter.

The thought of someone else cooking Essie breakfast, driving her to school, playing games with her, and tucking her in at night sent such a shaft of pain through her chest that Gabriella dropped to her knees.

Cade would fall in love one day too.

A woman would share his bed and his life and be a mother to his daughter.

Just not her.

Never her.

No one ever wanted her.

Curling up in a ball on the shower floor, Gabriella sobbed until she passed out.

Chapter

Eighteen

September 20th

10:22 A.M.

“What is this place?” Essie asked, curiosity in her voice, and since it was so nice to hear something other than anger or fear, Cade relaxed for the first time since he’d broken all three of their hearts by firing Gabriella and kicking her out.

“It’s a cemetery,” he answered as he parked the car in the small lot and turned off the engine, shifting in his seat so he faced his daughter.

Essie’s little face scrunched up in confusion. “What's a semirary?”

Chuckling, he felt another little piece of peace slip back into his life. The more he made decisions about his future and what he wanted it to look like, the more he felt the panic tightening his chest begin to ease.

“Not semirary, cemetery,” he said slowly.

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