Chapter 8
Barbara had the call on speaker.
As her dirty laundry was aired for everyone to hear, Layla completely fell apart.
“No, that’s not how it happened! Axel, just let me explain…”
She lunged for Axel’s hand, but he jerked away from her touch.
Axel glanced at me lying weakly in the hospital bed and laughed bitterly: “So you were bullied because you were sleeping around with taken men? And you had the nerve to blame Ember for it?”
“I actually bought all your bullshit and ended up destroying my own family!”
Seeing the revulsion in his eyes, Layla went into full meltdown mode. She rushed to the
window and swung one leg over the sill, the classic suicide threat position.
“Axel, you promised to protect me. Are you bailing on me now?”
Her eyes filled with tears, putting on that same vulnerable act that had manipulated him so many times before.
But this time, Axel didn’t bite.
He turned to me with guilt written all over his face.
“Ember, I’m so sorry, I was wrong.‘
“I fell for her lies and hurt you in so many ways.”
“But I still love you. Please, can we try again?”
Before I could respond, Layla–realizing she was losing her power–shrieked.
“Axel! You love her? Then why the hell were you in my bed two nights ago?”
“You’re such a pathetic piece of shit!”
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Chapter 8
Axel’s face drained of color; he never expected her to drop that bomb.
As he scrambled to explain, he noticed my completely unfazed expression.
I arched an eyebrow, my voice dripping with contempt: “You seriously think I didn’t know?”
“Your sweet, innocent Layla sent me pictures every single time. I told you this repeatedly.”
Axel’s jaw dropped.
Before, he could have claimed he was just “helping” Layla. After learning about her lies, he could have played the victim. But now? Game over.
Under my scornful gaze and his mother’s disappointment, Axel stood completely exposed. His carefully constructed image had crumbled to dust.
Humiliated and cornered, Axel turned on Layla like a rabid dog.
“You fucking seduced me!” he snarled. “Calling me over every night, parading around in
lingerie, throwing yourself at me–what was I supposed to do?”
“Don’t give me that crap!” Layla spat back. “Nobody forced you to come running every time
I called. You knew exactly what you were doing, you spineless asshole!”
The argument exploded, both of them tearing each other apart with venomous words.
Layla had positioned herself at the window from the start, using the suicide threat as leverage to keep Axel on her side.
But as their screaming match intensified, she lost her balance and slipped.
“Help me! I don’t want to die! Please, help!”
Her fingers desperately clawed at the window ledge.
Everyone in the room froze in horror.
“Axel, move it! Save her!” I shouted.
Axel snapped back to reality and lunged toward the window.
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But whether it was karma or simple misfortune, Layla’s grip failed a split second before his
hand could reach her.
The sickening thud that followed said everything.
The woman who had weaponized suicide threats for years had finally died from a fall.
I took a deep breath, feeling strangely empty–neither satisfa
