Beyond Goodbye: No Us Anymore

Eleanor studied the phone's contents carefully, her expression unchanged. After a long moment, she set it down gently.

"I didn't do any of that," she said evenly.

"Then who was it, if not you?" Harrison snapped, refusing to believe her. "Besides you, who would have the motive to target her like this? Who else would use such vicious methods?"

Winona's quiet sobbing beside him only fueled his anger further.

A sudden wave of exhaustion crashed over Eleanor. Even defending herself felt unnecessary now.

She looked calmly at the man she'd once loved and watched him glare at her for another woman.

A faint, almost imperceptible, smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "What now?"

"You're going online right now and posting a statement to tell everyone this was all a misunderstanding and clear Winona's name," Harrison said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Eleanor laughed in disbelief, as though she'd just heard the biggest joke of the century.

"Harrison, are you out of your mind?" she said slowly and clearly. "I didn't do it. Why should I bother to clarify things for her?"

"Harry…"

Winona's timid voice cut in at just the right moment.

She stood behind him in a plain hospital gown, her face devoid of color.

When she saw Eleanor, her body recoiled instinctively before she forced herself to step forward, swaying as though she might collapse at any second. "Eleanor, please stop arguing. This is all my fault… I'll leave after the baby's born. Don't argue with Harry because of me."

The chill around Harrison vanished instantly. He caught Winona as she wavered and spoke gently, "Don't say things like that. I'll take you back to rest."

He turned to Eleanor. "Think it over carefully and apologize to Winona. Otherwise, you won't like the consequences."

Without another glance, he left with the sobbing Winona in his arms.

The mansion fell into dead silence.

Eleanor stood there for a long time before bending down and sweeping the shattered phone into the trash with a blank expression.

It felt like clearing away something utterly insignificant.

…

Three days later, it was Eleanor's scheduled prenatal checkup.

Eleanor changed into loose clothing and drove out on her own. The car had barely left the neighborhood when an out-of-control truck slammed into her vehicle from the side.

The world spun violently.

In the instant before she lost consciousness, her hands moved instinctively to shield her abdomen.

…

When she woke again, she was in a dusty, abandoned warehouse. Several thugs surrounded her, their gazes full of ill intent.

"You're awake? Tough luck that you survived."

Eleanor tried to run, but one of them grabbed her hair and slapped her hard across the face.

"Where do you think you're going?" the leader scoffed. "Mrs. Luther, don't waste your energy."

Blows rained down on her as she struggled desperately, only to be met with even more brutal violence.

A sharp pain tore through her abdomen. Eleanor's face went white as she curled up on the ground, clutching her stomach with everything she had.

"Please… Don't hit my stomach…"

Her voice shook as she begged. "Please… I can give you all the money you want…"

The leader paused, crouched in front of her, and patted her face with malicious amusement. "Oh? There's something valuable in there, too? Too bad. Someone else paid more than you."

He leaned close and whispered, "Mrs. Luther, next time, remember not to offend the wrong people."

Eleanor's pupils shrank.

Was it Winona, or was it…

Before she could finish the thought, she was hauled up and thrown down a staircase.

Her body tumbled over the cold concrete steps, her bones feeling as though they were shattering piece by piece as agony consumed her.

In the final moments before everything went black, she faintly heard the leader making an impatient phone call.

"Mr. Luther, everything's been handled. She's been dealt with. Don't worry. We made sure she learned her lesson, and we made sure Ms. Birch got her revenge."