This was the explanation Jarrod had promised! Nicole realized she should never have trusted him.

Jarrod's heart clenched, a suffocating sensation overwhelming him.

He yearned to explain, but words failed him.

Nicole, meanwhile, had lost all expectation of an explanation. She gazed skyward, seeing a world devoid of hope.

"Jarrod, do you love to see me suffer?" A bitter smile crossed her lips. "Shall I make your wish come true?"

Jarrod's face blanched as Nicole suddenly dashed toward the concrete flower bed.

Thump! The sound of impact echoed, her blood staining the flowers.

Jarrod, frozen momentarily, rushed to her, his mind a blank slate.

"Nicole!" he cried, grasping her shoulders. “Have you lost your mind?!"

Nicole, overcome with self-loathing, lacked the strength for self-harm.

Her face, marred by blood streaming from her temple, was a tragic yet haunting sight.

Jarrod was seized by panic.

“Jarrod, I'll give my life to you. My life..." Nicole murmured weakly.

Blood dripped down from her face.

Jarrod's heart raced, his voice icy with fear. “Don't be foolish, Nicole! Remember your mother. If you're gone, what will become of her?

Have you considered that?"

In Nicole's eyes, Jarrod was no less than a monster. But if it would prevent her from harming herself, Jarrod was prepared to say anything.

Jarrod's words struck Nicole like a venomous blade, piercing her heart. He knew exactly how to manipulate her.

Her resolve to resist him weakened, knowing she still had someone she cared about in the world. Her hatred for him intensified.

“I'll kill you, you monster!" Nicole seethed, her grip tightening around Jarrod's neck.