𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘿𝙪𝙤 ; 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮 [ BOOK 2 ]

THIRTY ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE; NO ORDINARY LOVE

She should've been used to her life flashing before her eyes, but on this occasion, her heart ached in her chest at the thought of losing everything she fought so hard to keep, especially now that she was on the verge of redemption.

"Go outside 'til it's done. 'Til it's done, brother." Thomas repeated to Arthur.

The man was still in a state of confusion as the blood of his wife seeped into the skin on his fingertips. On the brink of confusion also, Caroline could only stare at Linda's writhing body with pure hatred. If she was so unhappy, she should've left rather than foolishly attempting to take matters into her own hands. Now, she'd only be a beacon for revenge and an outlet of anger, regardless of what Arthur had to say on the matter. He was still blindly in love against the woman he married who despised him and his family enough to try end his life.

Arthur pushed him aside and cradled his wife's head as she lay on the table during a quick operation. "Linda, I would've taken your bullet! I deserved that bullet!"

"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!" Linda's voice bellowed as she fought to remain still.

Without thinking twice, Caroline slapped the cheek of Linda's face so hard that it turned the head of the injured woman completely sideways, creating a pool of messy golden locks and yelps of utter pain.

"You evil bitch!"

Caroline only smirked down to the pitiful woman. "At least I don't pretend to be otherwise."

"What the bloody hell did you do that for?" Arthur hissed.

She shrugged. "I felt like it. I wouldn't blame you if you expressed the same urge to do so."

"That's my wife!"

"Ah, yes, dear brother-in-law. The same wife whose purpose is to put a bullet through that thick skull of yours."

Thomas drew their attention away from their minor conflict. "Linda, Linda. Look at me! Linda, you've got a kid. If you die, he'll come to us to raise. You hear me?"

Caroline only rolled her eyes, shot Thomas a glare and folded her arms arrogantly. She couldn't understand why the Shelbys' were putting so much time into the woman they thought very little of. She presumed they had to keep her afloat for a business matter, but that was no longer her concern, and so, she proceeded towards the door.

"Caroline, where are you going?"

"There is no reason to be in this room." Her cold words barely send a shiver down their spine. "She could bleed out for all I care. If she is knocking on hell's door, send for me. I want to watch the life leave her eyes."

The dark hallway held no souls for the host to greet. Instead, she was welcomed into the void she recognised all too well. Something about the silence seemed eerie, and with each stride she took into the dining area, she couldn't shake the feeling of another looming tragedy in the near future.

Caroline sighed as she sat on a lonesome chair and crossed a leg over the other. Perhaps it was the insanity of the night toying with her thoughts, but she couldn't seem to get rid of the cloud of doom that hung over her head, releasing a downpour of a churning stomach and a stammering heart. With ease, she poured their finest of gins into a glass and chugged as though she hadn't tasted the burning of alcohol. It hit her throat and she winced, almost forgetting about the pain in her mind in the process.

What was this, a pity party? Caroline Shelby didn't feel remorse, she laughed drily, scolding herself whilst pouring yet another glass. but yet, the guilt sat not on her chest but inside her brain. What she had done she could not un-do. She could make amends in subtle ways, but confession was out of the question, even to her priest. Only in her silent prayers could she speak her heart to God and beg for His mercy. She didn't feel like she deserved the love of Jesus Christ but she clung to it and hung the shreds of her sanity on it. She prayed that one day she would feel removed from her sin, washed clean of it, but the guilt was a stain on her, an ugly scar. She had to believe in redemption and rebirth, she had to leave her deeds in past and move on.