He picked up a damp cotton swab and gently dabbed it on my cracked lips. His touch was soft, but his words cut deeper than any wound. "I promised Kimmy. She has to win this modelling contest. I won't let anyone stand in her way."
My mother let out a small sigh and turned to the doctor. "At least ease her pain. Just clean and disinfect her burns. Be gentle, don't let her suffer too much."
No one noticed how hard I was shaking as my soul had just been stabbed right through. So, it wasn't an accident after all. The fire that nearly killed me was all part of their plan. The man I loved set me up just to clear the way for Kimberly. Even my usually doting mother was an accomplice.
They stood at the door, indifferent to my desperate cries for help from the other side, their minds filled with relief that I was finally ruined. The pain crushed my chest. My raw throat convulsed and I coughed up a mouthful of blood. My mother hurriedly reached out but then realized there was nowhere on my body she could touch. Her eyes welled up with tears of distress. "Baby, Mommy's here. It hurts, doesn't it? Don't be scared. Mommy's not going anywhere."
Jacob lost his temper and snapped, "Where the hell are those skin specialists? If anything happens to my wife, your whole hospital is done!"
The doctor, who had obviously been briefed, explained obsequiously, "Mr. Todd, we've been urging them. There was a traffic accident on the way and the road was blocked. The earliest they can arrive is tomorrow."
Jacob kicked him out of the way. "Get lost!"
Jacob turned back, a face full of fake guilt as he squatted down in front of me. "Babe, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault for being so late and making you suffer so much. Don't worry. No matter what it takes, I'll definitely fix your skin and face. I'll get you back on that runway."
I stared blankly at his Oscar-worthy performance, a bitter taste in my mouth. "Can I really get better?"
"Yes, you absolutely can." His confidence lies just made me feel like a complete idiot. To get rid of me, this obstacle in Kimberly's way, this man who went from school uniforms to wedding vows with me, who swore he'd love me forever, used lie after lie to push me to my breaking point. Even my mother, who'd treasured me like a princess since I was little, had chosen to raise the knife for Kimmy, the two-faced adopted daughter she favored more than her own blood.