Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

"I'm sorry..." My voice broke the silence after what felt like ages. "Believe it or not, I never intended to hurt Dexter."

I looked up at Hailey. "You know what Caleb is going through. When he loses it, he sometimes hurts himself, even talks about ending it all. I can't just abandon him, and divorcing him isn't an option for me. And..." I took a deep breath, my gaze fixed on Hailey as I finally let out the thoughts that had been suffocating me. "Do you honestly believe that abusers regret hurting their victims?"

Hailey seemed taken aback, her brows furrowing. "What are you getting at?"

"To Phoebe, Dexter was the abuser, and you... you were a bystander. You could have intervened but chose to turn a blind eye. That makes you complicit." My voice was trembling.

"You're not oblivious to what Dexter did to Phoebe, right? The acts forced upon her without her consent, what do you call that..."

Hailey's face soured. "Don't speculate about Phoebe like that. She loved Dexter. They were in a consensual relationship."

I clenched my fists, managing a bitter smile. "Love shouldn't be used to justify any form of hurt. Phoebe might have loved him, but that doesn't mean she consented to being possessed, violated, belittled, tormented by him... When Phoebe first suspected she was pregnant, she used a pregnancy test and then threw it in the trash out of fear. Later, worried the maid might find it, she went to retrieve it, only to discover it was gone." I murmured, looking at Hailey. "You took it, didn't you?"

Hailey was momentarily stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief as if she couldn't fathom I knew such a specific detail. Could Phoebe really have disclosed this to someone so precisely? She regarded me with suspicion but remained silent.

"You knew Phoebe was pregnant, yet you did nothing to stop Dexter from harming her. So... if Dexter is regretting his actions now, or even if he's gone as far as to take his own life, you bear full responsibility for that. It's not on me."Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

It all seemed so absurd to me. Why do they always avoiding reality?

"I believe, even if Phoebe were still here, she'd never forgive Dexter. The hurt is real and present. If his self-harm and guilt could magically undo all that's been done, then all of Phoebe's suffering would be in vain."

My voice shook as I pushed the card back toward her. "I'm sorry, but I'm not Phoebe. I can't help you. You'll have to find another way."

I stood up, ready to leave.

Hailey leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath. "You could have rejected me right at the Langley family's doorstep. Why come at all?"

I remained silent, perhaps out of some sense of gratitude for the years of support. After all, she took me in when I was at my lowest.

"It's not too late to change your mind, otherwise..." Hailey was threatening me.

I didn't respond, just walked away.

"Hand it over to the authorities,"

Hailey said into the phone as I

l

entered the elevator. Her gaze followed me, a mix of pity and something more intense, almost as

if she was looking at someone doomed.

On my way home from the diner, I stopped to buy a bag of mini doughnuts, thinking for some reason Colin would like them.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn't quite understand why. I just couldn't stop them from falling t never thought Dexter would take his own life, nor had I ever considered forgiving him.

What was the point of everything he did now?

"Phoebe, don't trap me with this engagement. Ask yourself, do you really want to marry me?"

Dexter used to ask me this after he'd had a few drinks, questioning if my desire to marry him was genuine.

"Phoebe, you're disgusting."

"Your love is so cheap."

"Why don't you just die."

"Phoebe, you belong to me, remember?"

Dexter's actions, each one leaving a

mark like a brand on me, his

nes

contradictory desires to possess me while simultaneously pushing me away with mistrust.