Just as I moved to wheel myself away, a pair of hands suddenly gripped the handles of my wheelchair.
Scarlett pushed me toward the garden, her grip firm on the handles of my wheelchair.
“Sister, long time no see,” she purred, smugness lacing every syllable.
“Did you notice? When they sang the birthday song earlier, every single pair of eyes was on me.”
“So many years have passed and yet they still love me more than you.”
“You should’ve just stayed an orphan,” she sneered. “Why did you come back, trying to compete with me? Look at you now, crippled, stuck with a husband who was never yours to begin with. If I were you, I wouldn’t have the dignity to live another day.”
I tilted my head up, my gaze steady as I met hers.
“The only one who should be ashamed is you.” My voice was calm, but every word hit like a blade.
“The man you wanted was set to be engaged to me, so you resorted to the lowest tactics to steal him, nearly landing yourself in prison in the process. And now?” I let my lips curl into a faint smile. “You’re nothing but a ghost. Forced to live in hiding, change your name and never dare to show your real face. Even now, just to stand in front of me, you have to disguise yourself like this.”
“Tell me, Scarlett, who’s really the pathetic one here?”
Scarlett’s expression twisted at my words, her pride taking a direct hit. Without warning, she raised her foot and kicked my wheelchair hard.
“What’s a cripple like you so smug about? Dad and Mom erased all the evidence for me. No matter how arrogant you act, you can’t touch me!”
Seething, she pushed me forward again, her grip tightening. A slow, eerie smile curled on her lips as we neared the pool's edge.
“Let me show you who they truly care about.”
Before I could react, she shoved my wheelchair forward. The world tilted and the next instant, ice-cold water swallowed me whole.
The sharp chill surged into my lungs, stinging my skin. My limbs flailed uselessly as the weight of my chair dragged me down.
“Wife!”
“Daughter!”
The frantic shouts of Elijah and my parents cut through the chaos. Water splashed violently as Elijah swam toward me. I reached out, my fingers desperate to grasp onto something, someone.
But just as I thought he was coming for me, he bypassed me without hesitation. His hands found Scarlett instead, pulling her into his arms.