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Chapter 50, Part 4
Back to: Chapter 50, Part 3 Next: Chapter 50, Part 5

Ophelia scoffed. “Spoiler,” she repeated mockingly. “Look, all that crap might have worked if you were talking to Emily. Or, you know, someone who gave a damn. But you're not. You're talking to someone who you basically tricked into doing your dirty work. So you might not be born in this time line. Oh, boo hoo.” Ophelia rolled her eyes. “I wasn't even supposed to be born. My mom had all kinds of health problems when she was growing up. She got knocked up not long after Charise's mom did, and they figured I wouldn't make it. Or, you know, that it was a fluke. I've basically lived my whole life knowing that I somehow beat the odds and exist. So, don't talk to me about that crap. You existed and were wanted, and, hey, you got things to go the way you wanted. Better place for Charise and all. Look, she and S even got married. No apocalypse, no evil Diggory line ruling the country. Isn't that enough for you?”

Gabby swallowed hard. She took a deep breath, then said, “But, you don't understand. If my mother--”

“--Artemis is doing fine, Gabby,” Ophelia interrupted, scowling. “Better than fine. I bet she'd do even better if you stopped bothering her in her dreams. I'm surprised Charise hasn't figured anything out yet. You're lucky your grandma is as dumb as a box of rocks, in some ways. How long do you think it'll take before Charise, say, takes out her old yearbook, and little Missy points to your picture and says, 'That's the lady from my dreams' or some crap like that?”


“Charise will chalk it up to coincidence,” Gabby responded.

“Coincidence that her kid is dreaming about some woman she's never seen again. A woman who probably said something about being related?” Ophelia made a face. “Get real, Gabby. All it would take is for her to compare pictures of you with pictures of her, our grandma, and Jade... and then, I bet she'd think something was up. Maybe not that you're her granddaughter-- no one in their right mind would immediately jump to that conclusion-- but I bet she'll start wondering.”

“Let her wonder,” Gabby blurted out. “That's not important right now. It's Artemis. She's going to have a bit more of a choice in this time line than in mine. I couldn't have foreseen this.”

“So, she gets a few more choices,” Ophelia responded. “Good. Better than being forced to do someone else's bidding.”

“But, if they...” Gabby stammered out. “They... look, Ophelia, they cannot be together.”

“Who?” Ophelia asked impatiently.

“I can't say.”


“Spoilers?” Ophelia asked mockingly.

“Yes. And unfortunately, I suspect that if you tried to prevent it, you might actually make it happen.”

“Do you really think I would screw it up? I did your bidding pretty damned well, all things considered!”

“Ophelia, you don't understand. The future rests in the hands of several major family lines, either by blood or marriage: Marlow, Gibson, Diggory, Paxton, Verona, Royale, Desjardin, Desidiro, Foley... don't you get it?”

“But most of the people you listed were dead before they could impact your time line,” Ophelia blurted out.

“Not everyone in their families,” Gabby responded, smirking slightly. “Just because one or two people died before reproducing-- and I know some people did manage to have a kid before dying-- doesn't mean the lines died out.”

Ophelia turned away from Gabby. “I'm not doing it. I'm not helping you anymore,” Ophelia said calmly. “I don't know what you expect of me, but I'm tired of being the kind of person you want me to be. I've been feeling... I don't know... numb. It's hard to feel enthusiastic about your life when you're not living it for yourself.”

Gabby rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she snapped. “I see that you're beyond me, anyway. Do whatever you want. Not like it matters, anyway. Not to you.” She waved her hands, as if casting a spell or blessing Ophelia. “I give you my blessing. I hope you get exactly the life you want. Hell, double blessings upon you. May you never live to regret your choice.”

Click Next: Chapter 50, Part 5 to continue...

 
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