Chapter 6.
“If you keep tearing yourself up like this, you’re gonna end up with permanent damage.” I told her. “Seriously, you should stop messing
Her face twitched with a flicker of guilt, but it was gone in a second. “Aren’t you supposed to be some famous OB–GYN? This kind of injury should be easy for you, right?”
I almost laughed. My face stayed neutral, but inside, I was enjoying every second of this.
“Alright,” I said with a sigh, “T’ll fix it this time. But don’t come crying to me if you mess yourself up
She nodded, completely unfazed and told me to get on with it.
again.”
Once the anesthesia kicked in, she was out cold. The surgery wasn’t something I could handle alone, so a few nurses assisted me.
Aunt Hannah had slipped them all a generous hush fee and whispered extra instructions: Keep an eye on her. She was terrified I’d take revenge on the operating table.
What she didn’t realize was that Alison didn’t need me to ruin her. Her own body was doing that just fine.
The surgery went smoothly. I cleaned up the internal wounds and disinfected everything thoroughly.
When the anesthesia wore off, Alison screamed so loud the walls could’ve cracked. She wasn’t ready for the pain.
Last time, I wamed her about the after effects and she backed out. But this time, she’d insisted on going through with it–and clearly had no idea what was coming…
ling with agony. And
d when she found out she had to wear a
wear a mold to keep things in
Her forehead was soaked in sweat, her lips trembling place, she completely lost it.
“Mom… it hurts… it hurts so much! I—I shouldn’t have done this!“;
She wailed like a banshee for days, popping painkillers like candy, curled up in bed and sobbing into her pillow
But Aunt Hannah stayed calm and gentle, whispering promises of wealth and luxury. “All this pain will be worth it. Just get that ring on your finger. Lock him down.”
I played along, offering her hope wrapped in venom.
“Honestly, Alison, you’re lucky. The surgery went so well you’ll be able to conceive naturally. Just imagine once you give Soren a baby, you’ll have him wrapped around your finger”
That got their attention.
Aunt Hannah practically snatched the ultrasound report from my hands and scanned it with wide, gleaming eyes.
Aunt Hannah practically jumped with joy. “Amazing! No need for surrogacy after all! You carry his child yourself and he’ll worship you”
Drunk on dreams of power and luxury, Alison stopped whining.
I used the moment to ask about moving out and changing my family status. S
“You can move later, Aunt Hannah said with a smile. “After the wedding. We don’t want people thinking we kicked you out.”
“Yeah, Fran,” Alison chimed in, for once speaking to me kindly. “It’ll look better if you bring it up in front of Soren–he won’t question it then 2
The irony nearly choked me, but I just smiled and nodded.
Perfect. I wanted a front–row seat to the biggest disaster of her life.
Over the next two months, Alison’s wounds healed and the scars faded. But something else began to go wrong. New symptoms started showing up. Rashes, discomfort, unusual discharges. At first, she brushed it off. The night before the wedding, she knocked on my door, shaking like a leaf
Time was short. I helped her clean up and patch herself together.
The ceremony was held at a picturesque garden resort outside the city. Aunt Hannah went all out invited every friend, every distant relative–anyone who might witness her triumph.2
Alison secretly bribed her makeup artist with triple the usual rate. The woman worked her magic, turning Alison into something out of a dream
When she walked out in her wedding gown, gasps filled the venue.
al embrace and murmured
She looked radiant–angelic, almost. Even Soren couldn’t take his eyes off her. He pulled her into an emotional his vows like they were sacred promises.
I, of course, was the bridesmaid. And per Alison’s orders, the makeup artist messed with my shade. I look complete ugly duckling standing next to her Soren glanced at me, his eyes flickering with something that looked like relief. It was as if it resolve his decision that he had chosen the right one. Being the gentleman he is, he tried to keep it polite, dancing around the topic like it might offend me.
“Fran, is everything alright? You look different“][
139 PM E
