How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

She turned her head, hastily wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. That's when she suddenly realized something was on her finger.

Looking down, she saw it-the wedding band she'd taken off long ago.

Now it was back, slipped onto her finger as if it had never left.

The rush of old memories made her dizzy for a moment.

Jarrod noticed her surprise. "I didn't get to put that ring on your finger myself the first time. After all these years, Elodie... don't take it off again, okay?" A heaviness settled over Elodie's heart.

To be honest, she'd worked through a lot during Jarrod's days in the coma.

Seeing the ring now, she didn't even feel the urge to reject it anymore.

But at the moment, her mind was somewhere else entirely.

She'd pushed herself down so hard for so long, never letting herself break or cry, never giving herself an outlet.

The tears had caught her off guard, triggered by Jarrod hitting a nerve she'd kept hidden for years.

All her life, there'd never been anyone who chose her-truly chose her-without hesitation.

Not even Malcom, not even Ivan.

Mahad always given his attention to his illegitimate daughter; Ivan's love always cwith conditions.

So, for as long as she could remember, the only thing she'd truly wanted was her own child, someone who would be bound to her, someone who'd always choose her in return. She and her child, forever facing the world together.

But Jarrod This was the man she'd fallen out with so badly, yet here he was, unwavering when she least expected it. Suddenly, her life felt absurd. Things never lined up the way she thought they would.

"Why are you crying?" Jarrod followed after her as she turned away, and when he caught sight of her tear- streaked face, something inside him cracked. He couldn't help but reach out to gently wipe a tear from her chin. "You want to keep testing me? Go ahead-I'll take whatever you throw at me, I promise." Elodie brushed his hand away, her fingers unconsciously tracing the diamond ring on her left hand. "You've got a lot of patience, I'll give you that." Jarrod didn't care that she pushed him away. He leaned in again, cupping her face in both hands, carefully wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "You need to focus on getting your strength back. The wound might be small, but after being sick for so long, you need tto recover. Once you're feeling better, I have sgood news for you." "What news?" "I can't say yet. It's not the right time." Elodie rolled her eyes and gave up trying to get a straight answer out of him.

Still, after Jarrod's gentle persistence, the storm inside her began to calm.

Later that afternoon, Rosemary stopped by.

Elodie was already on the mend-she could get out of bed on her own and take care of herself without much trouble.

Around the stime, she heard snews about Malcom.

1.n "That bastards in a hospital now too," Rosemary grumbled, her hands shaking with anger. "He got himself into trouble-someone finally decided to get back at him. Broke every bone in his arms and legs, I heard. He's in bad shape, and after they patch him up, he's headed straight to prison." Elodie paused, her spoon hovering over the bowl of soup.

"Revenge?" "With someone like him, it's no surprise. He's made plenty of enemies. Now that he's fallen from grace, there's a long line of people waiting to finish him off." Rosemary's anger was palpable.

But Elodie suspected it wasn't that simple.

The timing was too perfect-right before Mawas about to be arrested, someone made sure he'd never recover.

Multiple fractures at his age? He'd never be able to care for himself again.

His life was over.

And honestly? She'd stopped hoping for anything from Maa long tago.

Not even the memory of him kidnapping her, forcing her over that ledge, could make her feel sad anymore. The only thing that bothered her was that Jarrod had gotten caught up in the whole mess too. sŵ She ended up staying in the hospital for another week.

They ran every test imaginable, double-checked everything, and finally pronounced her fit to leave.

Her wounds had healed.

Tto go home.

Jarrod, on the other hand, had a tougher road-his injuries, both inside and out, were slower to mend. Still, he was well enough to manage.

On the day she was discharged, Jarrod was also cleared to leave, so they left the hospital together.

Elodie had told Rosemary and the others not to bother picking her up. Physically, she was fine, though she'd need plenty of rest to get her strength back. Andrea stopped by to pack Jarrod's things and help him get ready.

Jarrod's back and ribs were still healing, and he'd need tbefore he was fully recovered.

In fact, just days ago he'd been able to stand on his own, but now, suddenly, he needed a wheelchair again.

Elodie was startled when she saw him.

"What's going on? Maybe you should let the doctor check if you're really ready to go home."

Jarrod pressed a hand to his chest, looking at her with a faint smile. I'll need help for a while, you know that. I can't even get out of bed without someone there." Elodie's brow furrowed. "So?"

He lifted his head, his eyes gentle and steady. "Are you really not going to eally me? I'm going take responsibility for back to our house, and if you're there, I'll feel a lot better."