Chapter 6
My last life didn’t have a moment like this, as far as I could remember.
But Finn always did the same choice, choosing Madeline over me. Except that last time I didn’t survive.
When I woke up, everything hurt.
My head was pounding, my ribs felt like they were lit on fire, and the fluorescent lights above me made it clear I was in a hospital.
No one was sitting beside me. Not a single familiar face, just a doctor with a clipboard and a bored expression.
He looked up. “You’re awake. That’s good news.”
I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my side.
“Careful,” he added quickly. “You’ve got a mild concussion and three cracked ribs. Nothing life-threatening. We’ll keep you here
for a few more days, just to be safe. Though if you’re really itching to get out, I can clear you sooner.”
“Who paid for this?” I croaked out.
He flipped a page on his chart. “Someone named Leo. Friend of yours? Husband?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “No. Definitely not my husband.”
He didn’t ask any more questions after that, just scribbled something down and walked out. Silence returned.
I didn’t tell anyone in my family. What was the point? They’d just worry or lecture me or both. I figured I’d lie low, recover in
peace, and check myself out in three days.
Leo texted me once. Just once.
Leo: “Hey, just checking, when do you plan on leaving the hospital?”
I didn’t answer. What was I supposed to say? “Thanks for cleaning up after your boss again”? I didn’t care if Finn sent him or if Leo did it on his own. Either way, it didn’t change a damn thing.
But the next day, the door creaked open and I looked up.
And there he was, Finn Gallagher, walking in like a ghost from my past.
Sharp suit. Cold eyes. Same detached look he always wore when I needed him most.
And right behind him? Madeline. Of course.
She stepped into the room like she belonged there, holding her fake concern like a badge of honor.
“Oh, Jillian…” Her voice was soft, sugary, like she’d practiced it in the mirror. “I didn’t realize your injuries were that serious. I feel awful. I told Finn we had to come check on you. And don’t worry, Henry’s safe, he’s with the nanny.”
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Chapter 6
I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t. All I could do was look at Finn. Straight in the eye.
The man who once held my hand at the altar, now stood across from me like I was a stranger in his world.
He shifted uncomfortably, clearly not used to me staring back without flinching. Finally, he spoke.
+25 Bonus
“Madeline’s a pianist,” he said, like that explained everything. “Her fingers are… her whole career. You understand that, right? I know you’ve been through a lot, but it’s not like you’re paralyzed. You’ll recover. And the maids can help you with day-to-day
stuff.”
My chest tightened, not from the pain, but from the sheer emptiness of his words.
So I asked quietly, “Would you care, Finn? If I died?”
His eyes flicked away. “Don’t talk like that. The fall wasn’t that bad. Don’t make this into something it’s not.”
That was it. That was all I got.
“Now that you’ve seen she’s okay,” he said, turning to Madeline, “we should go.”
I snapped. “Yeah. Great idea. Run back to her like you always do.”
He turned back, jaw clenched, trying to keep his face calm. “Jillian… as long as you stop making trouble, I promise you, you’ll
always be Mrs. Gallagher.”
I almost laughed. The irony was too much.
You really don’t know, do you, Finn?
We’re not even married anymore.
I wanted to throw it in his face. I wanted to scream it until the walls cracked. But just as I opened my mouth, Madeline slid her
hand into his like she owned him.
“Henry said he’s waiting for us,” she chirped, so sweet it made my stomach turn.
Then she looked at me, tilting her head like she pitied me. “Get well soon, Jillian. We’ll be waiting to welcome you back.”
Back? To what?
They turned and left. I stared at their backs until the door shut behind them.
I stared at the IV in my arm, the hospital gown on my body, and I knew, none of it meant anything anymore.
I was getting out of this place. Out of this life.
I didn’t want the packages waiting at home, didn’t want the designer shoes he bought me after every argument, or the perfume he gave me to cover the stench of betrayal. I didn’t want a single thread that tied me to the Gallaghers.
So the morning of my discharge, I dressed myself.
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Chapter 6
Alone. Signed the paperwork. Alone.
Caught a cab to the airport. Alone.
No goodbyes. No second thoughts.
I was Jillian Carter now.
Not Mrs. Gallagher. Not some Mafia wife clinging to a title that came with nothing but cold glances and shared lies.
Just Jillian. And for the first time in a long time, I was finally choosing myself.
Not interesting at all
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