I met his gaze calmly, my lips curving into an indifferent smile. "Nowhere important," I said, finding a convenient excuse to dismiss his question.
After all, there was no need for him to know. Soon, I would vanish from their world entirely.
"No, my best friend was just asking if I wanted to book a plane ticket with her for a trip once I’ve recovered," I said, my voice calm and unbothered.
My brother let out a quiet sigh of relief, but a flicker of hesitation crossed his face. He hesitated for a moment before asking in a forced casual tone, "Just now, in our little group chat... did you see anything?"
I shook my head, feigning ignorance, acting as if I had seen nothing at all.
My brother fell silent for a few seconds, his expression conflicted. He looked at me as if he wanted to say something but struggled to find the right words. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Nindy, Chris is planning to get engaged to our family the day after tomorrow and the bride is..."
I waved my hand dismissively before he could finish. "I know. It’s Bella. You don’t have to worry about me throwing a fit. I’ve always seen Chris as my brother."
As soon as I finished speaking, Chris appeared in the doorway. His brows furrowed slightly and for a brief moment, a flicker of something—loss, perhaps—flashed in his eyes.
My brother, however, looked immensely relieved. "At first, I was afraid you’d make a scene, but you’re more understanding than I expected. That’s my sister. Don’t worry, I’ll find you a better boyfriend in the future."
Later? What later? By the third day, Chris and Bella were trying on wedding attire. My brother was so excited that he insisted I come along to witness their so-called happiness.
The moment Bella walked into the boutique, she drew envious gazes from everyone around her. She looked like the brightest star in the night sky, the very image of elegance and grace.
My brother pushed my wheelchair forward, positioning me among the crowd so that I could applaud their joy. Bella approached me, a look of feigned surprise crossing her delicate features. "Oh Nindy, how did you end up looking like this? When I saw your live broadcast, I almost threw up… Actually, I was just wondering—were you born to be so... filthy?"
Her sickeningly innocent words drew murmurs from the surrounding crowd. Their eyes filled with judgment, whispers of disdain spreading like wildfire. I ignored her provocation, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.
She turned to my brother, lowering her voice just enough for me to hear, "Brother, I feel guilty. It’s my fault Nindy ended up like this. Can I take her outside for a little walk?"
"You don’t have to blame yourself," my brother reassured her, glancing at me with a subtle warning in his eyes. "None of this is your fault. No one would dare blame you."
Without waiting for my response, Bella grabbed the handles of my wheelchair and wheeled me outside to a secluded spot near a small pool behind the bridal store.
The moment we were alone, the sweetness on her face melted into something cruel and twisted. "Nindy, the honor that should’ve been yours—brother and Chris willingly gave it to me. Doesn’t that make you furious?"
I let out a cold chuckle. "Unlike you, I’m not shameless enough to steal what isn’t mine. You plagiarized someone else’s work and yet you still have the audacity to stand here and act so high and mighty. If I were you, I’d throw myself into this pool and end it already."
Her expression darkened instantly and she looked like a lioness ready to tear me apart. She suddenly kicked my already injured leg. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, stealing the breath from my lungs.
"Hurts, doesn’t it? But no matter how much pain you’re in now, it’s nothing compared to what those beggars did to you!" she sneered, her voice dripping with venom.
"Nindy, why did you have to come back to the Jain Family? Why couldn’t you just disappear and let me have everything?! You should’ve died!"
I exhaled slowly, suppressing the burning pain in my leg. "Don’t worry. I have no interest in taking anything from you. Once I leave, you’ll still be the beloved daughter of the Jain Family, just like before."
Her eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a sinister smile. "I don’t believe you! Not unless you spend the rest of your life rotting away in a prison cell!"
Before I could react, she suddenly pulled out a blade from somewhere and slashed her palm, letting the blood spill freely.
"Blood! Ms. Jain is hurt!" someone screamed in alarm.
From inside the boutique, my brother and Chris paled with panic and rushed outside. Their faces were full of worry and distress as they hurried to her side.
In their blind concern, they knocked over my wheelchair, sending me crashing onto the hard ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain through my battered body, but they didn’t even spare me a glance.
Bella seized the moment, pressing the blood-streaked blade into my hand. My fingers instinctively clenched around it and in the next second, fresh crimson stained my own hand as well.
By the time my brother and Chris turned their attention to me, it was already too late. The scene before them was exactly what Bella had orchestrated—a helpless, wretched girl clutching a bloodied blade, while she stood before them, trembling and injured. The perfect victim. She looked up at them, her eyes glistening with unshed tears and whispered, "Brother, Chris… She… She tried to hurt me..."
A cold, suffocating silence fell over the air. And just like that, I knew— This time, they wouldn’t hesitate to believe her.
