Chapter 10
Would I still remember the man who once shattered me?
After we rescued the professor, he stayed in the hospital for three days, and I visited him every day.
“Georgia, you saved my life,” he said gently.
“No, Goodwin. I dragged you into this,” I replied.
He shook his head. “Georgia, you didn’t do anything wrong. The ones who wronged you are those heartless monsters.”
He held my hand. His palm was warm, steady.
Back home, I pulled out everything that had anything to do with Jordan: the matching couple’s outfits still hanging in the closet, the necklaces and rings he gave me still sitting in my jewelry box, and the photos of us were plastered across the wall, snapshots of what used to be “us.”
I stood in front of it all, and suddenly started laughing. Then tears followed soon after.
Georgia… you were really something. Naive to the bone.
With tears, I tore through it all, ripping the clothes, burning the photos one by one.
But when I reached the last picture, I stopped.
It was from our first date.
I looked so happy. He did too. His smile looked sincere back then.
But now I knew better.
It was all fake. From the very beginning, it had been a lie.
With emptiness in my eyes, I tossed the photo into the flames, watching it curl, blacken, and disappear.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. It was a courier. He handed me an envelope with my name on it, and the sender was Jordan.
My hands began to tremble.
He still had the nerve to write to me?
I tore it open. Inside were several pages, each packed with his handwriting.
[Georgia, I know you hate me. I hate myself too…]
[I really did love you. I swear I wasn’t pretending…]
[My mom forced me. I was a victim too…]
[Please, come see me. I’m sorry… I really am.]
Reading it made my stomach turn.
A victim?
Did he really call himself the victim?
Then what was I?
I shredded the pages without hesitation and dumped them straight into the trash.
Three days later, Lonnie’s company threw a celebration party.
The place was packed with business partners, friends, and associates. People came up one after another, praising me for being smart, brave, decisive.
I smiled and made polite conversation. But inside, I felt calm.
“To the past, and to the future,” Lonnie said, raising his glass.
I looked at him and shook my head. “No, just to the future.”
The past was dead. I wasn’t going back.
Just then, my phone rang from an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Georgia, you bitch!” Mrs. Dawson’s screech tore through the speaker.
My heart instantly sped up.
“You think it’s over just because we’re locked up? I’ll tell you right now. We’ve got people inside, too! You’d better watch your back. We’re going to get you. You, your brother, that old man-none of you are safe!”
Unbothered, I let out a cold laugh and ended the call. Then, without missing a beat, I called the police.
“Hello, this is Georgia Fuller. I need to report a threat…
The next day, Mrs. Dawson had her sentence extended by two more years for issuing threats from prison.
While the news report played, I sat in a quiet café, sipping coffee.
My lips curled into a subtle smile.
Jordan, Mrs. Dawson… you really thought you could scare me?
How childish.
I was not the same weak, gullible Georgia anymore.
The woman I was now would make sure you both pay an even steeper price.
Sunlight poured through the window.
I lifted my coffee and took a slow sip. Bitter but with just a hint of sweetness.
Just like my life.
It took walking through the darkness to finally see the light.
And my light was only just beginning.
