Chapter 1%
Five years after reuniting with my wealthy biological family, the so–called heiress Scarlett Harrison ran me down with her car, shattering my leg.
My parents and my childhood sweetheart, Elijah Parker, rushed me to the hospital in a panic. When the doctor solemnly declared that I might never walk again, Elijah dropped to one knee without hesitation, vowing to take care of me for the rest of my life.
My parents had severed all ties with Scarlett and taken charge of the evidence, assuring me that justice would be served. With that, I could finally rest and focus on my recovery.
Later, they claimed Scarlett had drowned accidentally while fleeing in guilt and I believed them.
It wasn’t until five years into my marriage that I unexpectedly saw Scarlett, the woman who was supposed to be dead.
She cradled a little boy in her arms, her voice soft yet brimming with emotion as she spoke to Elijah.
“These past years, I’ve been so grateful to you and Mom and Dad. Without you, I would have ended up in some run–down sewing factory cast aside by Azalea.”
“That cripple never would have imagined, even in death, that you and I have a son. That Mom and Dad were in on it all along, wiping away the evidence, switching out her medication for worthless vitamins.”
“Don’t say that,” he murmured. “Marrying her was the only way I could keep issuing those forgiveness letters. It was the only way to keep you safe.”
“As long as you and our son are happy, none matters.”
So that was the truth.8
The marriage I had once clung to as my salvation had been nothing more than a cruel illusion. My parents had betrayed me and discarded me, all for the sake of fraud.
Fine.
If I was nothing to them, then I would walk away.
–8
I stood in silence in the hospital lobby, watching as Scarlett held her son. Elijah stood beside her, his family beaming with joy.
It felt as if someone had hollowed out my chest, leaving behind nothing but a raw, gaping wound. The pain was suffocating; I could barely breathe.
The husband who once vowed to stand by me, to cherish me, had loved the very woman who nearly ended my life.
And my parents, after erasing the evidence, still refused to believe me. Instead, they had Elijah marry me, not out of love, but to keep issuing letters of forgiveness, shielding Scarlett from the consequences of her actions.
My phone rang.&
It was my mother.
“Azalea, why didn’t you wait for us to go to the hospital together? We’re on our way. Where are you?“>
Hearing the urgency in her voice, fury surged through me, burning away the last remnants of my restraint.
I curled my fingers into fists, my nails digging deep into my palms.
“Oh, I just thought I shouldn’t inconvenience you my whole life,” I said, my voice light, almost mocking. “So this time, I decided to come for rehabilitation on my own.”
“We’re family! How could you ever be a burden to us? Have you reached the hospital yet? We’re nearby, we’ll be there right away!”
Family.
Before, every time I came for rehabilitation, my parents had always been by my side.
I had once mistaken their actions for love and concern. But now, the truth lay bare before me.
“Hmm, I just arrived. I’m about to enter the lobby.”
I maneuvered my wheelchair around the corner and deliberately paused.
As expected, their voices turned sharp with panic. They told me not to go inside, saying it was too crowded and too unsafe. They reassured me they were close and that they would come to find me right away.
A cold smile tugged at my lips.2
I replied indifferently and ended the call.
Just then, I saw Elijah answering his phone. His expression tensed immediately. He whispered something to Scarlett, handed their son over to her and then slipped out through the back door in a hurry.
Scarlett, too, disappeared into the crowd.
Understanding struck like a blade to the chest.
The call had come from my parents.
They weren’t stopping me out of concem for my safety.”
They were afraid I’d see Elijah and Scarlett together.
A wave of shock and sorrow crashed over me, threatenin
