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Chapter 80
Irene’s POV:
The applause still echoed in my ears long after it had died down like the dull thud of a heartbeat I couldn’t escape. It was so frustrating.
My hands ached from clapping, but the ache in my chest was far worse. The conversations buzzing around the room- Lenora’s laughter, Damien’s deep voice, and the sum of excitement–felt distant, almost muted. All I could focus on was Eva. The devil. The witch.
Eva, standing in the center of the room, smiling as if she hadn’t just lied to everyone’s face. As if she hadn’t just mocked their concern and their care. She wasn’t a miracle; she was a fraud, and I was the only one who knew it besides George.
Only a few hours earlier, I had found out the truth–that Eva had never been paralyzed. That she had been lying all along. manipulating everyone, including me. The realization hit me like a freight train, and the shame of it still clung to my skin. like a thick, suffocating fog. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have fought so hard to keep her here, convinced that she was helpless, that she needed us?
And now, as I stood there, pretending to celebrate her so–called recovery, I felt trapped. Trapped by her lies, by her threats, and by the weight of the truth that I couldn’t reveal. Not yet.
Eva’s face was wet with crocodile tears, but her eyes–her eyes gleamed with triumph. She knew I was pretending, and she didn’t care. She had me comered, trapped in this sick game of hers.
The room hummed with admiration, with awe. Lenora was practically beside herself, already talking about throwing a party, about how this was a miracle. And Damien, who had once shared my suspicions, who had once seen through Eva’s charm. that I didn’t believe then–now stood there with a look of pure disbelief and awe on his face. He believed her.
And I hated it. I hated how she had twisted everything around, how she had turned this entire thing into one where she was the hero, the fighter, the one who had beaten all the odds. And me! I was left standing on the sidelines, biting my tongue, swallowing the truth like a bitter kind of drink.
I had to get out of there. The room felt too small, too suffocating, it was closing in on me. The weight of the lies pressed in on me, making it hard for me to breathe. She had turned me into a liar too one way or the other. I slipped out of the living room when no one was paying attention, my heart racing, my mind spinning and my blood boiling. I needed space. I needed time to think.
Fuck! I internally screamed.
I found myself in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, gripping the edges so tightly my knuckles turned white. The air felt thick in my lungs, and I struggled to calm the storm raging inside me. I was furious–furious with Eva for her lies, furious with myself for not seeing through them sooner, and furious with the helplessness I felt.
How could I let this happen? How could I let her win like this?
I had to do something. I couldn’t let her stay here any longer. The thought of living under the same roof as her, watching her manipulate everyone, pretending to be this helpless victimit made my skin crawl.
She needed to leave. I couldn’t stand it any longer.
I felt like puking.
My stomach churned so hard. But I had to keep it in. I couldn’t let anyone suspect anything or see into the crack of my real demeanor.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned, startled, to see Damien walking into the kitchen. His face softened when he saw me, but there was concern in his eyes.
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Chapter 80
“You okay?” he asked, leaning against the counter beside me. “You seemed a little off in there” How could I think he wouldn’t notice no matter how hard I could act
I forced a smile, though it felt strained. “Yeah, just.. a lot to process. It’s a big night.” I tried not to stutter.
Damien nodded, running a hand through his hair. “It really is. I still can’t believe it, you know? After everything Eva’s been through. I mean, I never thought she’d walk again.” He said and I could really see that this time, Damien was believing what his eyes were seeing.
Eva was truly winning this and it sucked so hard.
I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting with guilt and frustration. He had no idea what was really going on. None of them did. And I had to keep it that way–for now. To protect them.
We stood in silence for a moment before I finally spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. “We need to talk about Eva.”
Damien looked at me, confused. “What about her?”
“I want her out of the house.” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “It’s time. She needs to leave. My voice me out even more firm than before.
“Leave! What are you talking about? She just stood up for the first time in months, Irene. She’s been working so hard to recover, and now you want her out? Why?” Damien’s face twisted in confusion, then disbelief.
I turned away from him, unable to meet his eyes. My chest felt tight, and I struggled to find the words. How could I explain this without telling him the whole truth? Without revealing that Eva had been lying about her paralysis the entire time? That she had threatened me to keep quiet? But if I said that, if I told him the truth now, everything would fall apart. And I wasn’t ready for that yet. Not until I had more proof.
But if I can get Damien to make her leave the house then, that would relieve some of the danger.
y voice
trembling
za bit.
“I don’t want her with us anymore. She’s not all she seems to the eyes, Damien.” I said, my
Damien shook his head, clearly baffled. “What? Irene, you’re not making any sense. Eva’s been through a lot lately and you of all people know that. You are the one who has been on her side and taking care of her. So why suddenly you don’t seem to want her anymore?” He asked.
“You don’t understand.” I insisted, my frustration building. “She’s lying, Damien. There’s more going on here than you realize” I said, trying not to reveal so much.
He stared at me for a moment, his expression hardening. “Irene, you were the one who wanted her to stay here in the first place. You fought for her and told me she needed our help. And now, suddenly, you want her out? Why? What’s changed? I need to know, wifey” He ended his in a softer tone that made me almost blurt out the truth.
I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words press down on me. He was right. I had been the one who pushed for Eva to stay, who argued that we couldn’t abandon her when she needed us the most. And now, I was the one saying she had to go. How could I explain this without sounding insane?
“You can’t understand.” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I have been seeing some things lately.”
Damien’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering across his face. “What are you talking about? What things? Irene, if there’s something going on, you need to tell me. You can’t just accuse her of being a liar without any proof.”
I bit my lip, my mind racing. How could I explain this without revealing too much? How could I make him understand without telling him the truth that I wasn’t ready to share yet?
God, this was so hard.
Can’t he just do things without questioning? But this is Damien we are talking about. He’s just as stubborn as me
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Chapter 80
“She’s now what we think, Damien,” I said, my voice firmer this time. “I don’t trust her. I can’t explain it right now, but you have to believe me. We can’t let her stay here any longer.” I pressed, hoping he would believe my words and just take it as it
- is.
Damien stared at me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought he might believe me, might understand the urgency in my voice. But then, he shook his head, his disbelief turning into something more bitter.
“Irene, this doesn’t make any sense,” he said, his voice tense. “Eva has not done anything wrong. She’s been changing, she’s been working so hard to recover, and now, finally, she’s getting her life back. And you want to throw her out because of what? A feeling? You’re asking me to kick her out of the house without any explanation, without any real reason. This isn’t who you are. Irene. I don’t believe that you would be cruel in a situation like this.”
I could feel the walls closing in on me, the weight of the situation pressing down harder and harder. I was losing him. I was losing the battle.
“She’s
he’s not just what she seems, I said desperately, my voice cracking. “She’s not
“Not what?” Damian cut in, his voice rising but he immediately reduced it so the people outside the kitchen wouldn’t happen to hear us. “What are you saying, Irene? You keep talking in circles, but you’re not telling me anything. If Eva is not what she seems, then tell me why. Give me something, anything, to explain why you’ve suddenly turned against her.” He demanded and I never ever thought a situation like this would ever come up where I would be arguing about Eva with Damien
But this time. I seem to be the bad guy.
I opened my mouth, ready to spill the truth, ready to tell him everything. But then, I heard Eva’s voice in my head, her cold, venomous words from earlier: “Say anything, and everyone you care about will suffer.”
I couldn’t do it. Not yet. Not without more proof, without something to back me up. If I told Damien now, without anything concrete, it would be my word against Eva’s. And she was too good at playing the victim, too good at manipulating the situation to her advantage. If I went against her now, I’d lose.
“I can’t,” I whispered, my voice hollow,
