Chapter 8
Linda told me later she had called an ambulance for Daniel Hughes, saying he had broken down crying so hard that he could barely breathe-looked like he was about to die.
That arrogant man-would he really suffer so much because of me?
I only shook my head lightly.
No, he was just moved by his own performance.
A few days later, after work, I ran into someone I hadn’t expected in the parking garage.
Emily Brooks.
She was only in her twenties, yet looked like a worn-out middle-aged woman, her whole being narked by bitterness and decay. There was a sharp hostility about her, one that was almost unbearable to look at.
When she saw me, she actually raised her hand in greeting.
A chill ran down my spine.
What kind of relationship did we have that could allow casual greetings?
She had lost a leg because of me, stolen my husband because of me-if anything, she probably vanted me dead.
turned away coldly and opened my car door.
But she limped quickly toward me, her eyes narrowing, hate growing clearer with every step.
had no desire to get entangled with her. I was about to start the car when she suddenly Iropped in front of it, sitting on the ground, her head tilted back with a twisted smile.
Sophia, how dare you come back?”
Didn’t you learn your lesson? Do you want me to chase you off again like last time?”
My brow furrowed.
My relationship with Daniel ended long ago. Living and working in Seattle is my freedom.”
She gave a harsh laugh.
‘Don’t play dumb! My brother still can’t forget you! Even if you do nothing, he’ll never really look
at me!”
blinked, confused.
“Your brother? What are you talking about?”
She threw back her head and cackled, shaking, her tangled hair sticking to her face.
“You really don’t know? The moment you disappeared, Daniel changed his mind and refused to marry me!”
“He brought in the best doctors in the world to treat my leg. Right in front of my parents, he called me his sister-said he’d be responsible for me for life.”
“But is that what I wanted?”
Her voice grew shrill, cracking.
“A sister? Then why didn’t he tell me to call him brother while he was kissing me!”
“This is all your fault, Sophia! You vanished in such a vile way that he could never forget you, and you destroyed my last chance!”
Even after so many years, just hearing about her and Daniel together made my stomach turn.
Impatient, I slammed my hand on the horn.
“Your business has nothing to do with me. Move, or I’ll call the police.”
Her expression shifted suddenly, her eyes narrowing coldly.
“You think I’m afraid of the police? Look at me-I’m not even human anymore, thanks to you. My career gone, unmarriageable, my leg aching so bad on rainy days that I want to die.”
‘Even my parents, who once loved me most, now treat me like a stray dog-just keeping me alive with food, never speaking a word to me.”
‘And Daniel? He calls me his sister in public, but when he looks at me, I can see it-revulsion, ike I’m garbage.”
Her voice dropped lower, venomous.
Sophia, how will you repay this debt? All I ask is that you leave Seattle. Is that really so hard?”
She shot to her feet, clawing at her hair until it was a wild, tangled mess.
Or is it that you want to flaunt yourself in front of Daniel-waiting for him to come crawling >ack to you?”
almost laughed in disbelief.
She wrecked my marriage by being the other woman, and now I owed her a debt?
didn’t have the patience to deal with her madness. Pulling out my phone, I dialed the police.
I don’t have time for this. If you want to lose your mind, go bother Daniel.”
But suddenly she whipped out a thick iron rod, as wide as a bowl, and swung it at my car window in a frenzy.
The shriek of the alarm split through the parking garage.
Heart pounding, I scrambled to climb into the passenger seat-
But the glass shattered before I could.
The iron rod came crashing down, straight toward my head.
