Chapter 7 - The Confrontation at the Pier
Two months after the eviction, Raymond finally tracked Elena down. She wasn't at a high-end cafe or plotting with a lawyer; she was sitting on a bench at the old city pier—the exact spot where Raymond had proposed to her.
She looked pale, her signature blonde hair tied back loosely, stripped of the expensive makeup and designer clothes. When she saw Raymond approaching, she didn't flinch or look angry. She just gave a tired, sorrowful smile.
"Are you here to serve the final divorce papers, Raymond?" she asked, her voice raspy.
Raymond stood before her, his hands buried deep in his trench coat pockets.
"I came to ask you a question, Elena. And for once in your life, I need the absolute truth. Was any of it real? The smiles, the warmth, the way you looked at Lily... was it all just an act for the money?"
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Elena stood up, stepping closer to him. The arrogance she displayed in the bedroom that fateful day was completely gone. Tears welled up in her hollow eyes, reflecting the grey horizon of the ocean.
"In the beginning, yes. It was all a calculated game," she confessed, her voice trembling. "I wanted the Vance fortune. But Raymond... you can't fake the way my heart raced when you walked into a room. You can't fake the maternal warmth I felt when Lily fell asleep on my chest. I got greedy. I wanted to secure the wealth so badly that I let my paranoia and malice consume me. I became a monster to the people I secretly grew to love. I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't deserve it."
