On the edge of the pool, my parents leaned forward, their hands outstretched, not for me, but for her.
A bitter smile curved on my lips as my hand fell away, my body sinking deeper into the abyss.
As darkness threatened to pull me under, Elijah’s hands yanked me back to the surface.
Coughing and gasping for air, I lay on the ground, water pooling beneath me. Beside me, frantic voices filled the night.
“Scarlett, wake up! Wake up!” My parents’ anxious cries rang out thick with desperation.
A soft gasp broke through the commotion. Scarlett’s lashes fluttered and with a feeble voice, she murmured, “She… she suddenly sped up her wheelchair. I tried to save her, but… I got pulled in with her…”
Whispers rippled through the crowd like an uneasy tide.
“I heard her foster sister shattered her legs on her birthday five years ago… Could the memories have been too much? Did she try to end it all?”
Elijah’s gaze flickered, a fleeting trace of guilt flashing across his face.
My father’s expression twisted with something that almost looked like regret. My mother, sobbing, threw herself at me, clutching my drenched sleeves.
“Daughter, why would you do something so foolish? We’ll take care of you for the rest of our lives!”
I looked at them, my lips curling into a cold, humorless smile.
Not long ago, all their worry had been for Scarlett. But now, under the scrutiny of the guests, they put on this grand performance, one dripping with feigned concern.
Bitter resentment coiled in my chest.
Truly, what a spectacle.
How laughable.
Before leaving, Scarlett cast me a triumphant glance, her smirk brimming with satisfaction.
My birthday banquet had turned into a complete disaster. In the end, my oh-so-loving family escorted me straight to the hospital.
When the doctor declared I was fine, a sigh of relief filled the room.
Moments later, my phone buzzed. Another message from Scarlett.
[Did you see? He saved me first.]
[Even your parents called out for me as their daughter. If you still don’t get it, you’re truly pathetic.]
[Their love for me runs deeper than it ever did for you. After all, I was the one who lived with them the longest.]
[So tell me, who’s the real fool here?]
I didn’t reply. Instead, I took my time saving every single message, taking screenshots one by one.
That night, my family dropped me home, only to rush straight to Scarlett’s villa to care for her.