Chapter 50 I Accidentally Poisoned Myself
Scarlett’s situation could amount to intentional attempted murder. If only Eugene would lose his temper, just like in the old days–and lock her up in that dark little room again.
That would give Rebecca a chance to tamper with something, to make sure Scarlett would never be able to rise above her again.
But instead, Eugene suddenly stood up, hands planted firmly on the table, looming over her.
“You’re serious?”
His voice was trembling.
Inside, his thoughts were spiraling out of control, John had said Rebecca’s condition had steadily improved over the past two years.
Thinking back, it had been shortly after Rebecca returned to the Joyner family that Scarlett started making her those herbal supplements.
He’d always assumed it was just a placebo, something to make her feel useful.
Scarlett had probably been afraid of getting kicked out of the Joyner family, so she worked hard to prove her worth.
And to avoid hurting her pride, he’d let her “dote” on them every day.
So even after Scarlett cut ties with the Joyners and stopped making the supplements, he hadn’t thought much of it.
Who could’ve guessed those herbal supplements were the key all along? And how many times had Scarlett tried to share the formula with me, only for me to shut her down with an annoyed look? He was so furious, he slammed his fist against the table.
Rebecca jumped in shock and shot to her feet.
“Eugene, don’t blame my sister! I’m not even feeling anything serious right now. Maybe the supplements weren’t the problem. We shouldn’t point fingers without investigating, okay? She probably just wanted more attention, that’s all.”
But Eugene was too deep in his own remorse to hear a word.
He didn’t even say goodbye–just turned and walked out.
“Eugene? Where are you going?”
Rebecca put on a concerned act as she followed him to the door, watching as he disappeared through the campus gates. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. Looks like he’s going to confront Scarlett.
Scarlett might be enjoying her moment of glory now, but Eugene had always been ruthless—he’d definitely make sure she paid for it.
1/
“That drug you gave me–it was supposed to trick the testing machines. Why is it actually harming my body?”
The voice on the other end was unidentifiable–clearly distorted through a voice changer.
“All medicine is at least a little toxic. But it won’t kill you.”
Rebecca snapped, “You clearly said there would be no side effects!”
But the call was cut off.
No matter how hysterical she got, the person on the other end chose not to listen.
Fuming with nowhere to vent, she kicked the nearby trash can hard.
It wobbled and spilled garbage everywhere.
She ignored it and dialed another number, but it just kept ringing with no answer.
Her anxiety flared. What’s going on?
She hadn’t been able to reach him since the fire.
Did something happen? Her steps faltered, and her face went pale.
No. No way. Stop scaring yourself. She’d given him so much money–he had to be off partying somewhere.
Eugene stormed toward Calvin’s lab.
But before long, he remembered, Scarlett had probably been kicked out of the lab by now.
And as her brother, he hadn’t even asked where she ended up.
“You mean Scarlett? She’s kind of a legend.”
A few students nearby were chatting quietly.
The moment he heard her name, he instinctively followed behind them.
“She escaped a fire, you know? Barely made it out alive. They say people who survive disasters are destine for something greater.”
Eugene’s brow furrowed tightly. Barely made it out alive? It sounded impossible…
But then, his mind flashed back to how disheveled Scarlett had looked the day she severed ties with the family.
He’d always assumed it was just part of her act. But now, the image of that trail of blood across the floor hi him hard, rising sharply in his memory.
Scarlett. A fire.
2/
Survived against the odds.
Piece by piece, the picture came together in his mind–he could practically see how horrific it must have been. But then, why? Why hadn’t Scarlett asked me for help?
Even just one message would’ve been enough. The Joyner family wouldn’t have ignored her.
For some reason, panic crept in.
It felt like something precious–something he’d once held tightly–had slipped from his grasp…
And no matter how hard he tried, he’d never get it back.
“But what’s strange is, that fire barely made the news. I only saw it through a local firefighter bulletin.
“Yeah, stories like that usually get buried. Don’t want to scare the public.”
Hearing that, Eugene’s hands moved faster than his brain. He immediately searched for the news on his phone.
Even though the photo had been pixelated-
From the clothing, he could tell, the girl being carried out by the firefighter was Scarlett.
The article said that if they’d been a few minutes later, the fire exit would’ve warped–and she wouldn’t have made it.
His mind flooded with memories of every moment he’d shared with Scarlett.
So young, yet always thinking about him. Always bringing him food, organizing his files so he could leave work earlier.
Every time he hit a roadblock in his research, that girl was the one helping him find solutions, quietly, persistently.
