(The Remains of Summer) Chapter 25
Memories flooded her mind.
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Six years old, Ethan holding her hand, defiantly telling her parents, “If you
don’t want her, I do.”
Sixteen, his nervous confession, his vow of eternal love.
Twenty–two, his extravagant proposal, his desperate plea for her to stay.
Twenty–three, the eve of their wedding, his betrayal, the lies, the sleepless
nights.
Twenty–four, her “suicide,” their final goodbye.
Twenty–five, their reunion in death.
The last vestiges of her anger dissolved. Not because she’d forgiven him, but
because he no longer mattered. He was a ghost from her past.
Two weeks later, Amelia attended another funeral.
Chloe’s.
The news of Ethan’s death had broken her. She’d lost her protector, her meal
ticket. Fear and despair consumed her, triggering a psychotic break. She’d been
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transferred to a psychiatric hospital, where she’d jumped to her death.
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Their marriage certificate, though incomplete, had been filed. Officially,
they were still husband and wife.
Chloe was buried beside Ethan.
Looking at their adjacent headstones, Amelia couldn’t help but feel a flicker
of ironic amusement. Entangled in life, entangled in death. May they torment
each other for eternity and leave everyone else in peace.
Amelia and Liam returned to New Zealand.
Back in their villa, Amelia sat curled up on the sofa, staring blankly at the
television. Liam watched her, his eyes filled with concern. She’d been listless
since their return, a shadow of her former self.
He’d taken her on a whirlwind tour of the world – lavender fields in Florence, ski slopes in the Alps, scenic drives through Canadian forests.
Finally, a spark of her former vibrancy returned. She turned to Liam, his smile warm as he drove, and took his hand. The funerals had changed something
in her. She finally understood her feelings for him.
As the sun set over Fifth Avenue, she leaned in and kissed him.
“Liam, marry me.”
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A year later, they were married in a small chapel. As the pianist played,
Amelia walked down the aisle towards Liam, radiant in a white gown
When he placed the ring on her finger, tears welled in his eyes. “Thank you
Hope, for marrying me.”
Amelia smiled, her own eyes glistening. Thank you, Liam, for loving me, for
giving me a home.”
They kissed as the church bells rang
Married life wasn’t drastically different from before. She still woke up to Liam’s loving gaze, still fell asleep to his goodnight kisses. They still shared meals, explored the world, savoring each moment.
The rest of her life, with him.
Every turn of the page is a new beginning.
I look forward to meeting you again in the next story!
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