The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 316

Chapter 274: Jade’s Letter

Bella POV

I was standing by the kitchen island with a steaming mug of tea, wiping down the counter with a damp cloth. The house was quiet, save for the hum of the refrigerator.

Clack-clack.

The sharp metal rattle of the front door’s mail slot echoed down the hallway, followed by the soft thud of paper hitting the hardwood floor.

I set my cloth down, walked to the foyer, and picked up the small pile of mail. Among the glossy magazines and corporate notices sat a thick, plain white envelope.

I turned it over in my hands.

The paper felt soft and worn at the edges, as if it had traveled a long road. My thumb brushed over the return address stamped in bold black ink on the top left corner: State Correctional Facility for Women. Below it was a prisoner ID number and a name: Jade Hart.

My heart gave a single, hard thump. I walked back to the kitchen and set the letter flat on the island.

I looked at the envelope for five full minutes while my tea grew cold. Then, taking a steadying breath, I slid my thumb under the seal and pulled it out.

Bella,

I am not writing this to ask you for help, and I am certainly not writing to ask you to forgive me. I know I don’t deserve either.

Living in this cell gives you nothing but time to think. For years, I blamed you for my downfall. I told myself you stole Caleb, that you stole the life that belonged to me. But sitting here in the quiet, looking at concrete walls, I finally see the truth.

Our parents built a cage for both of us. You were the shadow, but I was the favorite. I thought being the favorite meant I was special. Now I know it just meant I was their puppet.

Mom and Dad taught me that love was something you traded, something you weaponized. Every smile from Mom came with a price. Every praise from Dad was leveraged. It was a lonely, suffocating way to live, and I was too weak to break free.

I always hated you for taking my place-for just existing and making me feel like an imposter in my own home. You weren’t even Mom and Dad’s biological child, yet every time they looked at you, it felt like a reminder that I had to work twice as hard to keep their favor.

I wanted Caleb because he was untouchable. I thought if I could have him, I would finally be safe. I didn’t care who I hurt, because I was taught that other people’s feelings didn’t matter.

I ruined your life, fed your husband lies about you, and helped throw you out into the street without a single thought for you or your baby.

I see it clearly now. The cruelest thing I ever did was pretend I was the victim.

1/3

<Chapter 24 des Letter

Cler

don’t expect anything from you. I just thought you should know I understand now what you lost. Even if I helped take it.

Jade

I read the final line, folded the pages carefully along their original creases, and walked upstairs to our bedroom. That night, after the kids were sound asleep, I walked into the kitchen.

Caleb was sitting at the table, his laptop open in front of him as he reviewed financial reports.

The moment I pulled out the chair across from him, he closed his laptop screen completely, giving me his full attention.

“Everything okay with the kids?” Caleb asked softly.

“The kids are fine,” I said, resting my hands on the cool wooden table. “I got a letter today. From Jade.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened slightly, his grey eyes searching my face. “Jade? From prison?”

“Yes,” I said.

Caleb leaned forward, his hands folding together. “What did she want, Bella? Is she asking for money? Is she trying to appeal her sentence?”

“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “She didn’t ask for anything. She just… explained things. She wrote about her parents, about how they raised her, and about what they did to us. She said she finally understands what she took from me.”

Caleb listened quietly, his face calm, waiting for me to finish without cutting me off.

“How do you feel reading that?” he asked gently.

“I feel like I’ve been dragging a heavy bag behind me for a long time,” I said, looking at him. “I don’t want to carry her choices anymore. They don’t belong to me. What she did is hers to carry, not mine.”

“Do you want to ignore it?” Caleb asked.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I want to write back. Just once. So I can lay it all down and walk away for good.”

Caleb reached across the table and squeezed my hand firmly. “Then write back. Take all the time you need, Bella. Whatever you need to say, I’m right here.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Do you want me to read it when you’re done?” Caleb asked softly.

“No,” I said, smiling faintly.

“I understand,” Caleb said, nodding. “I’ll make us some fresh tea.”

I sat at the kitchen table for two late nights after everyone went to bed, drafting my reply on a crisp piece of paper.

Jade,

213

Chapter 224de’s Letter

Hreceived your letter.

Claim

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