Shirley never really meant to kill me. It was just a show, a way to scare Tristan and get a reaction. If she truly wanted me dead, she wouldn’t have bought such a convincing fake knife. “Shirley, put down the knife. Do you hear me?” I tried to keep my voice steady, but my pulse raced, fear creeping up on me.
Just as I finished speaking, Tristan appeared, his expression frantic, with the police right behind him, surrounding the area.
When he saw Shirley raise the knife toward my neck, he panicked. Without thinking, he grabbed a gun from one of the officers and pointed it directly at her forehead.
“Put down the knife, do you hear me?” His voice shook with rage, a far cry from the calm, composed man he once was. “If you don’t, I’ll shoot!”
At that moment, his eyes revealed no sign of affection–only pure anger directed at the woman he had once loved. Honestly, his intensity surprised me.
Shirley, heartbroken and furious, snapped back, “So Lauren is the woman you love most? I’m nothing to you? The more you try to hurt her, the more I’ll hurt you!”
As she spoke, she raised the knife higher, slashing the air in front of me.
Without hesitation, Tristan fired.
The bullet hit her directly in the forehead. Her body collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide with shock, still staring at Tristan in disbelief. She never expected the man she loved–her knight in shining armor–to be the one to end her life.
Tristan, still shaking, rushed over to me, pulling me into his arms, speaking softly, like he was trying to comfort a child.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s over now. No one will hurt you again.”
He didn’t spare a second glance at Shirley. She was nothing now.
To Tristan, it was like she’d never existed.
And that delayed affection–was it only after blood had been spilled that it became unforgettable?
The police quickly realized that Shirley’s machete was a fake, their disbelief filling the room. Tristan froze for a moment, his shock evident in his eyes. He was arrested for accidentally killing her while trying to save me.
They took him in for questioning, his life now hanging in the balance.
Before he left, he tried to reassure me, but it felt empty. “Lauren, don’t worry. Nothing will happen to me. I’ll be out soon. Please stay at home with our son, okay?”
I gave him a faint smile, playing the part I needed to. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to stay at home with our son. My husband would disagree.”
He looked at me, utterly confused, as if he hadn’t a clue what I meant.
And just then, the large screen at the nearby intersection lit up, broadcasting Felix’s press conference.
5:14 pm. DI
Felix stood tall, holding up our marriage certificate for the cameras.
“Lauren is my wife,” he said confidently. “We got our marriage certificate in March of last year. She divorced Tristan in February. Our child was conceived in April. Everything is legal and proper.”
He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing. “The reason for the divorce, as you can see, is that Tristan was unfaithful during our marriage. He even fathered two illegitimate children…”
Tristan’s face went pale as if he’d been struck by lightning.
He looked at me, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Lauren, you?” Tristan’s voice cracked, caught somewhere between anger and shock.
The thrill of revenge surged through me. I couldn’t help but smile.
“What, you can’t handle me treating you the same way you treated me? You can’t bear it? That’s exactly how it should feel.”
“You….” Tristan’s words faded out as his face flushed with frustration.
But I didn’t look at him again. Instead, I turned and walked away, heading for the car.
Honestly, even if the police hadn’t shown up, nothing would have changed. Felix had already set up my protection behind the scenes.
Tristan would never know that everything that happened that day had been a carefully orchestrated plan, one I made with Felix from the start.
The internet exploded again, but this time, the blame wasn’t on me.
The anger,
the fury, was all directed at Tristan and Shirley.
When Arthur and Eleanor found out, they were so furious that they ended up in the hospital with heart attacks. But even in their rage, they didn’t try to reclaim the assets they had given to my
son.
They knew that if they tried, the McAllisters‘ name would face even more embarrassment. And honestly, those assets had never truly belonged to them in the first place. Those shares had always been my family’s, and I had just taken back what was rightfully mine.
It wasn’t long before Tristan was sentenced to one year in prison for manslaughter.
The media couldn’t get enough of the story, and reporters flocked to me for interviews.
One of them asked, “Miss Lauren Carmichael, do you think you’ve married down by marrying Atty. Felix Armstrong? What if you regret it later?”
I just shrugged and smiled politely, my answer casual. “Are you suggesting that marrying the heir of the wealthiest family is a downgrade?”
As soon as I finished speaking, Felix appeared, smiling at me as he approached.
As for our love, it arrived suddenly, but it burned intensely. It lasted through the years, stronger than I ever imagined.
The End.
