The fire trucks arrived in a few minutes.
They put out the fire.
But my parents and Ashley had passed out.
My dad was burned badly.
His skin had melted.
My mom’s hair was gone.
Ashley couldn’t open the door, so she covered
く
her face with a wet towel and climbed to the
window.
She jumped.
She didn’t die, but she broke her leg.
She cried.
“I don’t know why there was a fire.
“I feel bad for my parents. I couldn’t protect
them…”
“Emily wasn’t home. I think she started the
fire!”
She screamed.
All the equipment in the house was destroyed
in the fire.
The public didn’t know the truth.
They started blaming me.
I was ready.
I looked at Ashley.
“I don’t know why she’s saying this.”
“I went to the store. Ashley bought a can of
gasoline and poured it around the house.”
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I showed them the footage.
Ashley poured the gasoline in the video.
She said she wanted to kill everyone.
People were shocked.
“That adopted daughter is evil. She tried to
kill her family for money.”
“She’s a monster! Emily was lucky to be out.”
“Why didn’t Ashley die? She should have.”
“I feel bad for the parents. They did nothing
wrong.”
Ashley saw the comments.
She looked bad.
She tried to explain.
I laughed.
I called the police.
She would go to jail for arson and murder.
But I was barely ten years old.
My arms were too weak.
The police arrested her.
My parents were taken to the hospital.
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But it was too late.
My dad had burns on 60% of his body.
He died on the operating table.
My mom survived, but she was paralyzed.
She couldn’t talk or walk.
She woke up and looked at me.
She was counting on me.
I remembered how she had treated me last
time.
I raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“You got what you deserved.”
I said.
She was shocked.
I didn’t explain.
I waved goodbye and left the room.
I wanted her to feel hopeless as she waited to
die.
- 21.
