Chapter 3 - Flowers and False PromisesWhen Richard burst into Laura’s room, he was breathless, his hair slightly disheveled, holding the massive bouquet of crimson roses like a shield.
Laura was sitting up in bed, dressed in a simple cotton cardigan, reading a hardcover book. Beside her sat a sleek, dark-leather legal folder stamped with the seal of a prestigious downtown law firm.
"Laura! My god, Laura!" Richard cried out, rushing to the bedside with an expression of intense, frantic concern. He dumped the expensive flowers onto the foot of her bed and reached out to grasp her hands.
Laura pulled her hands back smoothly, resting them in her lap. "Richard. What are you doing here?"
"I was a fool, Laura! An absolute fool!" Richard fell to his knees beside the bed, squeezing his eyes shut as if fighting back tears. "Ever since I left this room, I haven't been able to sleep. Chloe was a mistake—a temporary madness brought on by the stress and terror of losing you! I was terrified of watching you suffer, Laura. My fear made me act like a monster!"
Laura watched him with a cool, detached curiosity. It was a remarkable performance, worthy of a stage actor, but she saw right through the performance to the desperate panic beneath.
"You don't need to lie, Richard," Laura said quietly. "You left because you thought I was a burden."
"No, no! I love you! I’ve always loved you!" Richard insisted, raising his face, his eyes wide and wide-open with faux earnestness. "I don't care about the money, Laura! I heard about your uncle, but that doesn't matter to me! I just want my wife back. We can rebuild our life. We can travel to Europe for your recovery. We can buy that house by the lake you always wanted. Just tell me you forgive me, and I’ll tear up the divorce papers today!"
Laura looked down at the dark-leather folder sitting on her nightstand. A small, subtle smile touched the corners of her lips—a smile that sent a sudden, inexplicable chill through Richard's spine.
"You really don't care about the ninety million dollars, Richard?" she asked softly.
"Not a single cent!" Richard lied smoothly, placing a hand over his heart. "I only care about you and our family."
May you like
"That's very convenient," Laura said, reaching over to pick up the legal folder. "Because if you had paid attention to my family history instead of complaining about your dinner, you would have known that my uncle Arthur never trusted me with money. And he certainly didn't leave ninety million dollars to me."
Richard’s theatrical expression froze. The color slowly drained from his face. "What... what do you mean?"
