How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue novel Chapter 123

For a long moment, Rosemary struggled to process what she was seeing. She stared at Elodie's calm, steady expression—so serious, stripped of any trace of sorrow or joy.

It took her several tries before she managed to speak, her voice trembling. "So that's it… That explains everything…"

The truth was, they'd always sensed how things stood between Elodie and Jarrod. How could they not? But still…

"Elodie, tell me honestly—did you divorce Jarrod because of… Ivan?" That was what Rosemary feared most.

After all these years, after everything Elodie had been through, why wait until Ivan was released from prison to end her marriage?

"No, it has nothing to do with him." Elodie could see her grandmother was overthinking, so she patiently explained, "There wasn't any particular reason. I just realized there's no point forcing something that was never meant to be. There's no need for us to keep hurting each other."

Whether it was Jarrod or Ivan, she was finally at peace with it all.

That's just human nature, and she couldn't fight it anymore.

Better to let herself go—finally focus on her own life.

Rosemary's eyes filled with tears as she squeezed Elodie's hand. "You managed to break free from what was holding you back. I'm proud of you, truly. As for Jarrod, well, he never gave any sign. The fact that he bothered to show up at all… that's more courtesy than the Thorne family ever deserved."

She hesitated, her gaze drifting to Elodie's abdomen. "But… that scar of yours. Has Jarrod ever asked about it? Not even once?"

Elodie dropped her gaze, unconsciously brushing her hand over the old wound.

She remembered that night—throwing herself in front of Ivan, saving him from a fatal blow.

She shook her head. "There was never any real feeling between us. Jarrod was never curious about me. Even when he saw the scar, he never once asked where it came from."

The more she thought about it, the more surreal it seemed.

They'd spent countless nights together—he'd once been obsessed with her body, more than anyone else. He must have noticed the scar on her stomach. But not once did he ever ask about it.

A total stranger would have been curious, at least.

But not Jarrod.

He never cared to know her.

Suddenly, Rosemary understood just how much Elodie had suffered all these years.

In the past, as her grandmother, she hadn't interfered. Now…

"Maybe it's for the best. If you can't go on, you're brave enough to walk away. You're stronger than your mother ever was—she wasted her whole life inside a loveless marriage. I'll support you, whatever you decide!"

A weight lifted from Elodie's heart.

With her family's support, she no longer had anything to fear.