- 4.
I couldn’t breathe, and everything was getting
blurry.
Then Maria screamed, “Sir, let go of her!
You’re killing her!”
I gasped for air, choking.
Nick scoffed, his voice as cold as the snow
outside.
“Can’t breathe? Suffocating? What about
Sarah? How hopeless did she have to be to
jump into the ocean?”
<
“Laura, everything you have, you stole. You
stole Sarah’s life!”
“Don’t act like you’re the victim here. I don’t
believe your tricks. They’re disgusting.”
My throat was killing me, but I looked up at
Nick.
“You’re more disgusting than Mom, Dad, and
Tom. At least they’re honest. You’re just a
coward.”
“They didn’t try to hide that they favored
Sarah. What about you?”
“If Sarah meant so much to you, why didn’t
you say something? Why didn’t you tell your
parents that you loved Sarah?”
Nick’s face turned white. I laughed at his
expression.
“Did I hit a nerve? Are you admitting that
you’re a coward?”
“You’re just trying to blame a woman. The
Andersons were the ones who wanted to
marry the Miller’s real daughter. Now that
Sarah’s dead, you’re pretending to be
heartbroken?”
“You’re a coward, Nick. You’re a coward who
blames women for his problems.”
Nick raised his hand to hit me.
I just looked at him, smirking.
His hand fell to his side.
“You’re sick. You’re saying crazy things. Go
to bed.”
“It’s Grandpa’s birthday soon. We have to go
to the Anderson’s mansion. Get ready.”
Nick left.
I smiled bitterly.
Sick? Crazy?
Okay, I’m sick.
But I wasn’t saying crazy things. I was just
telling the truth.
I used to blame myself for Sarah’s death. I put
up with the anger and the accusations.
く
But I’m dying too. Now that we’re both going
to be dead, I’m not going to give her an
advantage.
Nick didn’t come home for the next few days.
I was actually grateful for the peace and
quiet.
On the day of Grandpa Anderson’s birthday,
Nick came to pick me up.
I had to admit, even though the Millers and
Nick treated me like dirt, Grandpa Anderson
was always good to me. He really treated me
like his granddaughter–in–law.
When we got to the Anderson’s mansion,
there were a lot of guests. The Millers were
there too.
When they saw me, everyone started
whispering.
“Is that the Miller’s daughter with Nick? She
looks different than I remember.”
“You haven’t been around in years. That’s the
Miller’s real daughter, Laura. She came back
three years ago. Sarah was the adopted
daughter.”
“Didn’t you hear? This Laura is bad news. She
came back and stole Sarah’s marriage and
drove her to suicide. She’s something else.”
I looked at the person who said I drove Sarah
to suicide and smiled.
“I don’t know where you got the idea that I
stole anything. The Andersons and the Millers
planned the marriage. Nick is the Anderson’s
only son, and I’m the Miller’s only daughter.
Who did I steal from?”
“And as for driving her to suicide, that’s
ridiculous. I came home, but I didn’t force her
to move out or kill herself. How did I drive her
to suicide?”
“Everyone here is important, so please, don’t
act like a gossiping housewife.”
I said it softly, but everyone could hear me.
No one dared to speak.
Mom snapped. She walked up to me and
slapped me.
“You ungrateful brat! What are you talking
about!”
<
“Sarah is dead! She’s dead! You have
everything now, and you’re still talking about
her!”
“Why did I have to give birth to you? Give me
Sarah back!”
Tom helped Mom and glared at me. “Laura,
you’re a terrible person!”
I was on the ground, looking up at them.
Dad, Mom, Tom, Husband.
They were my family, but they weren’t.
Then a woman’s voice said, “Mom! Dad! Tom!
I’m back!”
“Sarah’s back!”
く
