?strongChapter 61:/strong

Mny shifted her attention back to Carrie with an inviting smile. “Carrie, are you full?”

“Yes, thank you,” Carrie replied with a polite nod. “Is there something you need?”

Mny stood, her tone warm and encouraging. “I have an ointment for scars that I think might be helpful. Come to my room, and I’ll show you how to use it.”

Rising quickly to assist, Carrie replied, “Of course, Mny. I’d be happy to.”

Billie watched them leave, snorting her disapproval before turning her motherly attention to Kailee. “Kailee, stay over tonight. I want to hear how you’ve been doingtely,” she said, her tone softening as if Carrie’s departure had cleared the air.

Carrie nced briefly at their harmonious interaction before guiding Mny upstairs, her steps slow and deliberate.

Once inside Mny’s cozy bedroom, Mny closed the door and walked to a wooden table, lifting a delicate box adorned with intricate carvings. Inside was an array of small, ornate bottles that seemed to carry the weight of a hundred years of tradition.

“These were prepared by an old traditional medicine doctor in Isonridge,” Mny said, her voice filled with quiet reverence. “Modern medicine has its ce, but true treasures like these remind us of the wisdom of our ancestors.” One by one, she exined the uses of the ointments before carefully returning them to their ce.

Carrie epted the box with both hands, its weight matched only by the burden in her heart. “Thank you, Mny,” she murmured, her voice soft with gratitude but tinged with unease.

Mny’s kindness felt both like a balm and a thorn. Carrie knew it was rooted in her role as Kristopher’s wife, a role she was preparing to leave behind. The thought of epting such genuine care while harboring secrets made guilt pool in her chest like lead.

Taking a deep breath, Carrie finally broke the silence, her voice trembling slightly. “Mny, there’s something I need to tell you…”

“Kristopher and I haven’t consummated our marriage.” The words tumbled out of Carrie’s mouth, leaving behind an uneasy silence. As the confession lingered in the air, she felt both a flicker of vulnerability and the release of a heavy weight she’d been carrying for far too long.

Mny’s warm smile faltered, freezing like a picture caught mid-frame. She thought back to Billie’s earlierments about Carrie and children. Suddenly, it all made sense—this was Carrie’s exnation for the absence of any baby news in the past two years. Her expression shifted to one of empathetic sorrow, tinged with rising anger at Kristopher.

Taking Carrie’s hand in hers, Mny’s grip was firm yetforting. “Kristopher married you, and with that, he took on the duty to cherish you. I can’t believe he dared to treat you like this—for two entire years! Don’t you worry, Carrie. I’ll make sure he hears a piece of my mind this time!”

Carrie, feeling the warmth of Mny’s hands, squeezed back gently, her voice steady. “Please, Mny, don’t be upset. There’s something more I need to tell you.”

With a deep breath, Carrie began to recount the scars of her marriage—the endless ways Kristopher had hurt her in his blind devotion to Lise, and how the two were now inching closer to rekindling their rtionship. Each word felt like reopening an old wound, and before she realized it, tears spilled freely down her cheeks, betraying the calm she tried to maintain.

Mny tenderly wiped away Carrie’s tears with her scarf. “Don’t cry, dear. We failed to raise Kristopher properly. He’s always been stubborn, keeping secrets. But I never imagined he could be so cruel to you…”

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