Ribbons Unbound: My Fiancé's Lingering Regret novel Chapter 74

Laria's façade crumbled completely. Her voice climbed into a desperate。

"Please, Hektor, don't hurt me," she sobbed, mascara streaming down her face.

Hektor swayed on his feet, his shirt soaked crimson. He seemed not to hear her pleas at all.

Instead, he plunged the knife into her stomach. Once. Twice. Again and again.

Blood spattered across my face and clothes.

Kira burst through the doorway at the sounds. Seeing the carnage before her, she froze mid-step, her hand flying to her mouth.

Only when Laria collapsed into a lifeless heap did Hektor finally stop. He turned to me, his eyes fevered and unfocused.

"She can't hurt you anymore," he whispered, his voice eerily calm. "I killed her... for your mother. For you. That's what you wanted... right? Am I forgiven now?"

His legs gave out and he crumpled to his knees, dropping the knife with a clatter. His blood-slicked hand reached toward me.

Slowly, deliberately, I walked forward.

A flicker of desperate hope lit his face as I leaned down, my lips almost brushing his ear.

"I will never forgive you," I whispered softly. "Not in this lifetime or any other."

The light in his eyes died with my words. He closed them slowly as his body pitched forward onto the concrete.

Hektor didn't die that day.

The art world welcomed back its prodigal daughter with open arms, critics falling over themselves to praise my "resilience."

But I made a decision: for the rest of my life, I would never sell another painting.

Instead, I chose to stay in that small town and accepted a position teaching art at the local elementary school.

Watching the innocent expressions on my students' faces gave me a reason to keep going.

Having lost everything I once valued, I chose to use whatever time I had left to contribute something meaningful to the world.

Even when life drives you to the darkest depths, you can always choose to turn your face toward the light.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.