Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

Perched above the scene, I watched Dexter with a mocking smile. “Dexter, should you not be thrilled that I’m gone? Who are you trying to fool with that act? It was you who brought me down!”

“Just go back and wait for the results, Mr. Fitzgerald,” Robin said, clearly not a fan of Dexter. His disdain for Dexter’s two–faced behavior was palpable.

“Dexter, you’re truly despicable!” Stella was still charged with emotion as she pointed at him. “Aren’t you getting married? Go back to your precious Melody and get married!”

I stood by Stella, my gaze icy as I looked at Dexter.

At this point, I had no energy left to hate him. I was just a sacrificial lamb for Melody, taking the brunt of a disaster meant for his beloved.

With that, the debt I owed him was now paid in full.

Dexter remained still, his belief in my misfortune evident.

“Dexter…” Stella handed her coat back to Robin and pulled a wrapped gift from her purse. “I’m sorry; I didn’t want to give this to you because I don’t think you and Melody deserve Phoebe’s wedding gift.”

Her voice broke as she spoke. I wanted to wipe away her tears, to embrace her, but I was powerless.

“Three months ago, Phoebe came to me,” Stella’s whole body shook, “she talked about studying abroad, and asked me to keep it a secret.“.

She must have been thinking that if I had left the country sooner, I wouldn’t be lying here.

“She wanted to escape from you, Dexter. Every moment, she dreamed of leaving you, yet you believed she was desperate for your affection.” Stella’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “Your pitiful ego, it’s tragic.”

“Enough…” Dexter frowned, clearly not fond of this talk.

“She tolerated and indulged you not because she was weak, but because she was repaying a debt! That day. Phoebe told me that it’s easy to repay money, but a life, a relationship? She didn’t know how to settle that.”

Stella extended the gift to Dexter. “These past years, she worked multiple jobs, sold her designs, tutored, all without spending a dime of the Fitzgerald family’s wealth, saving every penny to pay back what she owed you.”

Stella pulled out a card from her purse. “This is Phoebe’s savings, over a million in four years. Ever since her parents passed, she’s been scrimping and saving, believing one day she could pay off her debt to you.”

15:04

Dexter averted his eyes, refusing to take the card. NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

“Take it. Didn’t you always say I owed you too much? Take it…” My voice was hoarse as I questioned Dexter.

But he didn’t accept it.

“Do you know how hard Phoebe worked for this wedding gift? She tutored those spoiled brats in the wealthy districts, enduring their tantrums, often coming home battered. She worked night. shifts at 24–

hour diners, barely sleeping five hours if it wasn’t too busy.”

Stella’s laugh was bitter. “She worked over a month to scrape together this thousand dollars for your wedding gift, wanting to earn it before she left for abroad.”

Dexter didn’t want to hear it, but Stella insisted on telling him. “This card holds her life’s savings, a testament to her determination to repay you.”

Frustrated, Stella tossed both the gift and the card at Dexter.

“Take your damn money and get lost. Never show your face to Phoebe again. She despises you; she never wants to see you.”

I nodded in agreement with Stella’s words.

Indeed, ver wanted to see him again, not even in death.

“She’ll be fine. I’ve said it before, if something happens to her, I’ll die with her. She’ll be okay.” Dexter murmured, his voice gravelly with emotion.

I thought he was utterly ridiculous, to a ludicrous extent.

Die with me? Why? Are you even worthy?

“Dexter! Get back here! The hotel just called–Melody… she tried to take her own life at the hotel!” Hank, who had stepped aside to answer a call, rushed back in a panic, announcing Melody’s attempt.

I watched as Dexter’s face turned even paler, his expression increasingly complex.