Chapter 145
Had I known I was going to die on my wedding night, I would have exposed everything, regardless of the cost. Compared to Nicole, I was far too lenient. Chase had already abandoned the wedding, and Nicole was also missing. The whispers of the crowd were deafening, their eyes filled with pity, glee, and outright disdain.
Honestly, I never intended to go through with the marriage. I didn't anticipate Chase and Nicole orchestrating such a stunt and derailing my plans. My palms were sweaty, my mind racing. I was conflicted about revealing the truth then and there. I thought of my grandmother, too ill to leave her bed, despite wanting to be present. Exposing the truth would have been a devastating blow to the Kennedy family, a family she had championed her entire life. After agonizing over it, I did nothing.
That split-second decision to be kind spared my enemies but plunged me into a world of trouble. Now, regret consumes me. Given another chance, I would make that dreadful duo pay tenfold for their cruelty! I would ensure their utter ruin, leaving them nowhere to hide their shame.
But sadly, I didn't get that chance. I listened to Nicole's lies and couldn't even confront her. And, of course, Chase, in his naiveté, believed every word.
“Amanda, how could she do this?”
“Consider this. The signs were always there. Haven't you noticed Amanda's coldness these past few months? She blamed you for her miscarriage and sought revenge for her child, orchestrating this entire scheme.”
Nicole conveniently omitted our argument, placing all the blame on Chase. She essentially claimed he betrayed me; her involvement was irrelevant. He pushed me, and I was merely seeking revenge. Nicole absolved herself of any responsibility.
Chase was clearly shaken, clutching Nicole's phone. “She knew the consequences of her actions, and now she's ignoring the Reyes and Kennedy families?”
“Fortunately, a friend of mine was at the wedding. They alerted me to Amanda's plot, providing me with the evidence, preventing her from exposing everything. Fearing she had more tricks up her sleeve, I called you away to disrupt her plan.”
She had clearly taken my phone after I died, found the evidence, and twisted it into her own narrative. Thankfully, I'm already dead; otherwise, I'd die from rage hearing Nicole's lies.
Chase felt immense guilt about leaving me at the altar. Now, Nicole had assuaged that guilt, lifting a tremendous weight from his conscience.
“Why didn't you tell me all this sooner?”
Nicole feigned hurt. “I knew how much you cherished Amanda, and I didn't want to ruin things between you two. I hoped, upon her return, you could be happy together. But who knew it would end like this? She actually cheated before the wedding. You almost took your life for her, and I couldn't stand idly by. Don't blame her. It's all my fault. She hates me so much! That's why she was so reckless.”
Chase pulled Nicole close. “You've been through so much.”
He took Nicole's hand. “Did it hurt badly?”
Tears welled in Nicole's eyes as she shook her head. “My hand didn't hurt, but my heart did. It broke me when you didn't trust me, even though I love you deeply. But you only saw Amanda. You never saw me…”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Can you trust me a little more from now on? I love you more than anyone else ever could.”
Chase stroked her hair. “Didn't you say you’d taken pregnancy precautions?”
Finally, he addressed the baby.
“It was my first time that night, and I heard it’s difficult to conceive the first time. It was my safe period, so I didn’t think I needed to worry, but it happened.”
“It’s not your fault. What are you planning to do with the baby?”
Nicole blinked through her tears. “What do you mean?”
Chase met her gaze, speaking plainly, “We can't keep the baby. It has to be… terminated.”