All Chapters of SHATTERED VOWS : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

RACHAEL’S POVI managed to dodge Dean’s question for now, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he asked again. And when he does, I need to have come up with a good explanation. He’ll want to know why I told him his father was dead. And if Jake finds out about that lie, hell will break loose.After some coaxing, I get Dean to bed. I watch his chest rise and fall as he drifts to sleep, giving me a fleeting moment of peace.I return to the living room, where Jake is sitting on the couch. His elbows are on his knees, and his head is bowed as if in deep thought. When I enter, he straightens, his piercing gaze locking onto mine.“So, have you made up your mind?” he asks, his voice steady but laced with impatience.I cross my arms over my chest, my resolve hardening. “I don’t think going back is a good idea. We can disappear again,” I reply, though the word disappear feels like a grenade between us.Jake’s jaw clenches, and his fists curl slightly at his sides.“No, Rachael. That’s

RACHAEL’S POVAs I watched Dean in Jake’s arms while being dragged away by the police, my heart shattered into a million pieces. His confused, frightened expression mirrored mine. I had no idea what was happening, and the panic only grew when they took me into a small interrogation room.One of the officers place a file in front of me and opens it, revealing a stack of papers. My signature is on multiple documents, but I can’t make sense of what I am looking at.“What is this?” I ask, my voice trembling.The two officers exchange a glance before one of them replies, “Take your time. Read.”I flip through the pages. They are invoices and other official documents, though I don’t recognize most of them. My name and signature are everywhere, yet I have never seen these papers before.“I... I don’t know what these are,” I blurt out, shaking my head.The officers begin firing questions at me, their frustration growing with every answer I can’t provide. I have nothing to tell them—I am just a

RACHAEL’S POVOrange Is definitely not my color. I contemplate as I lie on the thin, uncomfortable mattress of my jail cell. My thoughts spiral, and I wonder how my life got to this point. I replay the last few years in my head.I allow myself to reminisce about the fleeting moments of peace and connection I had shared with Jake before it all went to hell. If I had walked away from Jack for good, maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess now.But if Jake hadn’t come into my life, there would be no Dean. That thought alone soften the edges of my regret. Dean is my blessing in disguise, the one thing that makes my mistakes feel almost worth it.My relationship with Jake, though—that is another story. Complicated doesn’t even begin to describe it. Before I left, it was clear we had something between us, something unspoken but undeniable. Now, I am not so sure. I know he cared about me— otherwise, he wouldn’t be fighting so hard to help me—but can he ever forgive me for taking Dean and disappearing

RACHAEL’S POVI was transferred to the house Jake had bought four years ago after our fake marriage. The one in Oakwood. The moment we arrived, i felt like I had just stepped into a time capsule. Nothing had changed. The furniture, the curtains, even the art on the walls—it was exactly as I had left them. It was eerie, almost as if time had stood still in this place.The police escort me to my old room and attach an ankle monitor to my leg."Remember, you're being monitored 24/7. If it blinks more than three times, you'll be back in your old cell before you know it," one of the female officers warns in a harsh tone.I nod to acknowledge avoiding her steely gaze. They scan the room briefly and then leave, leaving me alone to soak in my current reality.Minutes later, Jake and Dean come in. Dean's face lights up as he jumps onto the bed, his small body radiating excitement. Jake stands by the doorway, his eyes scanning the room as if revisiting some old memory."You kept everything intac

RACHAEL’S POVJake was in denial, and it bothered me deeply. He refused to see this situation in any other way, clinging to the hope that everything would work out perfectly. That wasn’t me. I believed in preparing for every possible outcome, no matter how unpleasant. To avoid being blindsided. That’s why I’d asked those questions earlier. I might have gone a bit overboard with the one about him marrying someone else—it was petty and uncalled for, and I knew that.Peter had called earlier with some promising news: the judge said he will consider bringing in a handwriting expert. It was a glimmer of hope, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the storm in my mind.I am playing a video game with Dean, trying to keep myself distracted, when I hear quick, heavy footsteps from upstairs. Jake comes rushing down, his expression unreadable."Rachael, can we talk for a second?" he calls out, urgency in his voice.I hand the controller to Dean and stand, following Jake to a quieter corner of the room.