Chapter 100

Chapter 100
The distance from the couch to the desk was barely thirty feet, yet Noreen had to cling to the wall for what felt like ages just to make it
across.
Her hands trembling, she fished some painkillers from the drawer, tossed them into her mouth, and swallowed them dry.
When she touched her forehead, it was slick with cold sweat.
Dr. Harrison had warned her that her body was severely weakened. Even with careful treatment, she might never return to how she was before.
A broken heart could heal, given enough time.
But physical damage–that was permanent, irreversible.
Noreen curled up on the bed, her mind foggy and blank.
Thankfully, the painkillers began to work, and the ache in her abdomen gradually dulled.
Still, she couldn’t shake the cold. A bone–deep chill crept over her.
It was that kind of cold that dragged her straight back to that rainy night.
The heavy door slammed shut,/
A black umbrella shielding her from the storm. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ
A hand pulling her out of the mud.
A sudden, frantic knock at the door startled her awake. Noreen jerked upright in bed.
The empty room reminded her it had all just been a dream.
Before she could collect herself, the knocking came again–louder, more
insistent.
Thud, thud, thud. Each knock pounded against her skull, making her want.
to scream.
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She glanced at the clock. It was well past midnight.
Who on earth would be knocking at this hour?
Before she could even go check, her phone blared urgently from the nightstand.
“Sex partner” flashed on the screen.
Half–asleep, Noreen didn’t immediately register it–she’d changed Seth’s contact name in a fit of anger after he’d left her miserable that night.
It wasn’t until she heard Seth’s voice outside the door that she snapped to
attention.
“Open the door! Noreen!”
Who let their dog out in the middle of the night to bark at her door?
Noreen had no intention of dealing with him. She pulled her blanket over her head, determined to go back to sleep.
But Seth wouldn’t give up. His knocking only got louder and more
relentless.
If he kept this up, he’d wake the entire building.
Unwilling to get a complaint from the neighbors, Noreen stomped out of bed to open the door, muttering curses under her breath.
But she wasn’t stupid–she cracked the door open just enough to block him, glaring out with one eye.
“It’s the middle of the night, Mr. Harcourt. Are you sure you’ve got the right address?”
He’d never set foot in her dumpy little apartment before, but lately, he’d started showing up again and again.
It was absurd, really.
Didn’t his gorgeous wife care? Was she really that forgiving?
“Open the door,” Seth demanded, as if he owned the place.
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Chapter 100
Noreen wasn’t about to indulge him. She held the door firm. “You know this counts as harassment, right? Keep it up and I’ll call the cops
“Go ahead. Call them.”
It was the first time in her life anyone had ever asked her to do that.
Fine. Noreen called his bluff and dialed 911. “Hello, officer? There’s someone harassing me. Please send someone right away!”
Seth: “…
“1
The police arrived quickly, and by the time they did, the two were still locked in their little standoff.
Noting Seth’s clean–cut appearance, the officer’s tone was polite as he asked, “What’s going on here?”
Without missing a beat, Seth replied, “Just a lovers‘ quarrel.”
The officer’s expression soured instantly. He turned to Noreen and scolded, “You realize it’s a crime to waste public resources at this hour?” Noreen protested, “We’re not a couple! Officer, don’t believe him!”
Seth’s smirk was icy. “She’s got a red birthmark on her left breast and a mole on her inner thigh—”
“Sorry! I was wrong, I’ll never call in a false report again!” Noreen yanked him inside, slamming the door behind them, and offered the police a mortified apology.
She was terrified that if she hesitated a second longer, Seth would spill every last one of her secrets right there in the hallway.
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