Niamh’s heart was conflicted. Her feelings were mixed with a little frustration but also largely relief.
Ava shot up energetically as she took in the daze Niamh was in.
She quirked a proud brow at Niamh.
“Are you finally admitting me to be your good friend, Miss Vera Quinn?”
“…” Niamh was speechless.
Amidst the silence, Niamh felt someone approach her from behind.
Straightening herself and turning her head, she watched Daniel enter the room. His elegant and poised features were tinted with a subtle hint of excitement as his eyes glistened with tears.
It dawned on Niamh that this was indeed a test.
Despite having her doubts, she had decided to trust them in the end.
It was because she was truly afraid that the people she cared about would leave her for real.
“You’ve finally admitted it, Niamh.” Daniel’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice shook as he walked toward Niamh. “It’s great to see you again.”
He spoke gently, slowly reaching out to touch Niamh’s cheek.
However, she only slapped his hand away. “Is this funny to you?”
Her tone was cold, laced heavily with admonishment.
Both Ava and Daniel were shocked. They had not expected Niamh to be so angry.
“Niamh…”
“Niamh, I…”
“Is joking about death funny to you?” Niamh asked furiously before turning to leave.
Realizing that they had gone too far with the prank, Ava turned to look at Daniel anxiously, urging him to chase after her.
“Niamh!” He caught Niamh before she could get too far away. “I’m sorry we took it too far. Although, I’m sure you must know why we did it.”
Daniel’s grip tightened on Niamh’s arms, expectations and earnestness seeping from his eyes.
“Do you know how sad we were when you left three years ago? Ava and I refused to believe that you were dead.
“Could you imagine how we felt when we saw you again? Yet all we got was you insisting that you weren’t Niamh. You were too indifferent to even spare us a glance.”
Daniel’s tone thickened with emotion as he stared at the flawless appearance in front of her. Finally, he reached out to caress her cheeks.
The realness and warmth at his fingertips had his eyes watering.
“We missed you so much, Niamh.”
Tears began to trickle silently from the corners of Niamh’s eyes at Daniel’s words.
Ava made her way slowly to Niamh’s side with her injured leg in tow, tears also streaming down her face. “Don’t be upset anymore, Niamh. I didn’t lie about the car accident. It’s just that I only hurt my leg.”
Choking slightly, she tugged on Niamh’s sleeves.
“Didn’t you lie to us too, Niamh? We’re even now, okay?”
Despite having not done anything wrong, the two apologized to her anyway.
Biting her lip, Niamh looked up with eyes that were brimming with tears.
She was no longer able to hold back her own emotions as she stared at Ava’s tear-streaked face. She then reached out to pull Ava into her arms.
“Ava…”
“Niamh…”
Ava felt a rush of elation wash over her due to this reunion with a lost friend as she hugged Niamh tightly.
‘Thank goodness.’
‘You’re still alive, Niamh.
‘Not to mention that your life’s great now.
‘Thank goodness…’
Having admitted her identity, Niamh told the two of her experiences the past three years as well as what she planned to do.
With reddened eyes, Ava sniffed and turned to look at a despondent Daniel. “No way, Niamh. Don’t tell me you’re actually going to marry Kendrick again! He almost killed you! It’s because of the news of your marriage to Kendrick that forced Dan and me to use such a way to get you to admit that you’re Niamh.”
With that, Ava proudly bumped her shoulder with Niamh’s.
“I knew you still cared about me, Niamh. You get full marks for this test!”
Niamh smiled before gathering her emotions, becoming serious. “My marriage with Kendrick is a must. I have to marry him.”
“Why?” Ava could not understand. “Did you forget how he and Nevaeh used to treat you?”
“It’s because of how they used to treat me that I must marry him again.” Niamh’s gaze was determined. “I’ll let those who hurt me know of the pain that I felt.”
Ava and Daniel knew better than to persuade Niamh when they took in the determination in her eyes.
Ava had to stay in the hospital due to her leg injury, so Daniel sent Niamh to the intersection instead.
Under the warmth of the autumn sun, he recognized the hints of youth from his memories in Niamh’s defined brows and the small smile that graced her lips.
“Would you give me the chance to take care of you when your plan for revenge is over, Niamh?”
While remaining quiet, she found the telltale signs of a confession in Daniel’s eyes.
Niamh gave a regretful smile. “Thank you for caring about me, Dan, but I’ve come to realize that timing matters too. Perhaps you were the right person at the wrong time.”
“Do you still love Kendrick?”
“Love?” The word was extremely ironic when used with Kendrick.
Oh, how she had loved him, so much that she threw away her dignity and sense of self in the name of love. Yet all she got in return was the loss of her firstborn. Thinking about it now, her love was almost pitiful.
As such, she no longer loved him.
Every inch of her humble love had died the moment he scattered their child’s ashes…
After parting ways with Daniel, Niamh made her way to the detention center.
Delight flooded her as she stared at a hollow-looking Nevaeh who sported dark circles under her eyes.
Turning on her phone, the entire screen was filled with news of hers and Kendrick’s impending wedding.
Nevaeh’s eyes immediately glowered as she read the news, envy and hatred bleeding from her gaze.
“You btch! Niamh, you btch! Don’t think that you’re off the hook already! Kendrick will strangle you to death if he finds out that you’re Niamh! He would!”
Niamh kept her phone away casually. “I wouldn’t be standing here with you if he actually wanted to strangle me.”
“You…”
“What? How’re you doing inside? Tsk, tsk. It’s only been a while and you already look so haggard.”
“Niamh, you… You’re the one who made me like this. I’ll definitely take my revenge!”
“Revenge?” Niamh found it hilarious. “Who are you to use such a word? You’re the one who made you like this. This is your consequence for everything you’ve done to me! You’re the one who threw me in jail and had inmates torture me. You even induced my pregnancy and stole my child! Your punishment is already light enough compared to all you’ve done to me!”
“You only spent three years in jail while I’m spending 12 years in here!” Nevaeh tightened her jaw.
“12 years for the three lives you took is light enough, isn’t it? My grandfather, Brittany Montgomery, and my child. What are 12 years in jail compared to the three lives you took?”
Niamh’s sharp gaze pierced into Nevaeh.
“You’d better believe that I won’t stop at 12 years. With the three lives you took, I can promise you it’ll only be a matter of time before you’ll have to go and repent for the lives you’ve taken. It won’t be any longer now.”
The hands that held her pant legs tightened as a spark of fear flared in Nevaeh’s eyes.
Nevaeh grew frantic as Niamh turned to leave.
She believed that the moment Niamh’s true identity came to light, neither the Montgomeries nor Kendrick would let her go so easily. If that happened, she would have a painful death waiting for her.
She did not want to die, let alone never see the light of day again!
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply