Chapter 5 - The Ashes of Deceit
The silence that followed the doctor's announcement was heavy,
thick with the stench of death and ruined lives.
A nurse stepped forward,
pulling the crisp white sheet over Victor's face,
erasing him from the world forever.
Melissa let out a theatrical wail,
throwing herself onto the floor,
pounding her fists against the linoleum tiles.
"My love!" she screamed,
a disgusting display of fake grief,
"What will I do without you?"
I looked at her in absolute disgust,
sickened by the performance.
"You can stop acting,
Melissa," I said coldly,
my voice cutting through her fake sobs like a razor blade.
"He's dead,
he can't hear you,
and he certainly can't buy you another handbag."
She stopped mid-sob,
glaring at me with venomous eyes,
her makeup smeared across her face like a clown.
"You bitch," she spat,
scrambling to her feet,
pointing a shaking finger at me.
"You planned all of this,
you set me up!"
I laughed,
a dry,
humorless sound.
"I didn't force you to open your legs for his lawyer,
Melissa."
I glanced at Sterling,
who was furiously shoving papers into his briefcase,
trying to make a silent escape.
"And I didn't force you to sign documents without reading the financial disclosures."
I took a step toward her,
and she instinctively shrank back,
finally realizing the monster she had awakened.
"You thought you were stealing a rich man from his naive wife,
but all you did was steal a sinking ship from a very patient captain."
I turned my back on her,
dismissing her entirely,
and faced the doctor who was holding a clipboard.
"Mrs. Vance," the doctor said sympathetically,
"I am so sorry for your loss,
is there a funeral home you would like us to contact?"
I smiled politely,
taking the clipboard from his hands.
"No funeral,
Doctor," I said smoothly,
signing the release forms with a flourish.
"Cremation,
direct and cheap."
Victor's mother gasped from the corner,
her face pale.
"You can't do that!" she cried,
"He needs a proper burial,
a headstone,
a legacy!"
I handed the clipboard back to the doctor.
"His legacy is sitting in this room,
Alice," I replied,
gesturing to the weeping mistress,
the cowardly lawyer,
and the illegitimate child.
"And as for his ashes," I added,
looping my arm through Ethan's once more,
"I hear the local landfill has lovely sunset views."
Without another word,
May you like
I turned and walked out of the hospital room,
my son by my side,
