When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 80

Nelly used to think Sheila was just the kind of girl who’d toss aside her own boundaries for love. After all, she had Brody completely hooked, and even Carrie liked her. How bad could she really be?

But after seeing her yesterday, Nelly realized Sheila was anything but simple.

“I can figure things out for myself,” Brody said. “Sheila doesn’t want to hurt you, so she told me not to come after you.”

“Come after me? For your precious Sheila, what exactly are you planning to do?”

Nelly lifted her chin, meeting Brody’s cold, bloodshot gaze. For a second, she was almost curious about how far he’d really go.

“You don’t want to find out,” Brody said, his voice turning even colder as her steady stare made him restless.

“Brody, if I told you I didn’t do any of those things, would you believe me?” Nelly asked suddenly.

Brody didn’t even hesitate. “If it wasn’t you, did she just throw herself down the stairs?”

Disappointment flickered on Nelly’s face. She knew she was hoping for the impossible, but people always hold out for a little hope, don’t they?

“Fine. It was me. Happy now?” She smiled at him, bright and sharp, but the tears in her eyes gave her away.

Brody watched her and felt a sharp pain in his chest, and he didn’t even know why.

“All these years, you put on a good act. I never realized you could be so cruel.” He paused, his words icy. “You don’t deserve to be Carrie’s mom.”

Nelly just nodded, taking everything he said. “Yeah, I’m cruel. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“So can you just sign the divorce papers already? I hate both of you. If you and Sheila can’t disappear from my life for good, I can’t promise I won’t go after her again. This time it was a broken bone… Who knows what it’ll be next time…”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Before Nelly could finish, Brody grabbed her face. His grip was harsh, making her whole body tremble with pain. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, dropping hot onto the back of his hand, making him pause for a split second.

“Try me,” Nelly said, her voice just as stubborn as his. She was crying, but her expression stayed fierce.

Brody’s emotions tangled inside him. For the first time, he felt completely helpless in front of Nelly. But then he thought of Sheila, lying weak in that hospital bed. He thought of the heart beating in his chest, the one that belonged to Sheila’s father. How could he go soft on Nelly, this wife who barely mattered and had shown just how ruthless she could be? That wasn’t who he was.

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