Chapter 224
Deep into the night.
I chucked the pile of letters into the fire and then grabbed the photos.
There were Antonio and Tyler, grinning from ear to ear on either side of
me.
But looking at it now, all I felt was a bitter laugh.
The photo went up in flames, those grins turning to dust.
My eyes were filled with the fire’s light.
As they burned, I saw bits of the letters.
Tyler promised, “I’ll always look out for Grace, keep her as my princess. forever.”
Antonio’s words were there too. “I’ll make Grace my bride, and we’ll start a family, with a son and a daughter.”
They each made their promises to me, so full of conviction.
to
They both said I was more important than anything them.
But now, the letters were faded and yellow.
The ink, once bold, had started to vanish.
Like those empty promises, they turned out to be nothing but hot air.
The letters turned to ash, and the heat bit my fingers.
I dropped them, and they landed on the dress below.
The fire sprend, catching the curtains and the wooden crates. Smoke poured out into the night.
I stood there, my face hot from the flames, my eyes stinging from the smoke.
And then, Antonio called out of the blue.
I let the call go.
Before long. Tyler was dialing again.
I hit the hang–up button once more.
Right as I was about to block their numbers, Antonio dropped me several WhatsApp messages, “Grace, no matter what, Michelle is your sister.
“I’m hoping you’ll be there to cheer her on during her big moments. She’s hoping to feel your support.
“I’ll grab some jewels you’d love tomorrow, and I’ll bring them back to you. Let’s keep things cool, alright?”
Then Tyler’s messages popped up, “Grace, I promise that I’ll make it right in the future.
“As for Mom’s necklace, I’ll get a new one, just the same. Can you forgive me?”
I felt a laugh welling up, but it was drowned out by the tears.
I sent off two replies.
To Antonio, it was, “No way I’m blessing her. Instead, I’ll curse both her
Chapter 24
and her mom to hell.”
To Tyler, I typed, “Why don’t you ask Mom to forgive you?”
Once I sent those messages, I wiped them from my contacts.
I towed my bag, cast a final glance at the villa brimming with memories, and walked away without turning back.
All the loose ends were tied up, and I was ready to move on.
Just after I walked away, a gust of wind blew over the candle that was still burning.
It started off as just a little spark.
But the dry air made the fire catch on, and it began to spread.
Pretty soon, the whole place was up in flames.
The villa, with all its memories, burned down to the ground.