Frederick came storming in and slapped me hard across the face.
“Loretta, all I asked you to do was cook a meal, and you slashed Victoria out of spite? Have you lost your mind?”
I stumbled back against the wall, shaking my head. “I didn't cut her. She did it to herself.”
Frederick let out a cold laugh. “Victoria's had low platelets since she was a kid. Her wounds don't heal easily. She'd have to be insane to risk her own life like that.”
I went rigid. I hadn't imagined Victoria would go that far just to frame me.
Victoria's eyes were red and brimming with hurt. “Maybe she just felt I wasn't worthy of eating the food she made.”
“She mocked the burn scars on my legs too. Said you'd grow disgusted with me sooner or later.”
Frederick's gaze slid to the pot of hot soup beside him, and a cruel smile twisted his lips. “You mocked Victoria's burns? Then you should feel it for yourself. Consider it your apology for cutting her.”
The moment I realized what he was about to do, cold sweat broke across my skin. “No, that soup was just made, don't……”
The scalding soup hit me head-on. I threw my arm up on instinct to shield myself.
Blisters erupted across the entire length of my arm in an instant, the skin too ruined to look at.
Something flickered in Frederick's eyes, a flash of something almost like pain, and he stepped forward. Victoria grabbed his sleeve.
“Frederick, my cut really hurts. I've lost so much blood.”
He stopped looking at me. He scooped Victoria into his arms and carried her out. “I'm taking you to the hospital.”
Two steps toward the door, he glanced back at me. For one stupid, desperate second, I thought he was going to bring me along, that he actually cared about my arm.
Instead, his voice was ice. “Have this place cleaned up before I get back. Otherwise, don't expect my forgiveness.”
Over his shoulder, Victoria flashed me a triumphant smile.
Whatever was left inside me went dead. I gritted my teeth, rinsed the soup and grime off the wound, took a needle and punctured the blisters one by one. Yellowish fluid seeped out. Then I dug through the cabinet for a tube of burn ointment and treated myself.
That tube was from the time I'd burned a tiny red mark on my hand. Frederick had bought it for me. He'd been so worried he nearly cried.
Now, even if my entire arm rotted off, he wouldn't care.
The ointment was too small. There wasn't enough to cover the whole wound, but I had no other choice.
Frederick had already frozen every one of my cards. I didn't have a single dollar to my name. I couldn't afford a hospital.
I cleaned the kitchen, set the finished dishes on the dining table, and headed for the door.
The climbing roses in the yard had all been ripped out, replaced with a garden full of red roses, because Victoria liked roses.
Frederick had bought this mansion in the first place because I loved those climbing roses.
None of that mattered anymore.
I pulled the front gate shut behind me and made it two steps before Frederick seized my arm.
“Loretta, you think you can just run after what you did? Do you have any idea……”
His grip tore at the wound. A strangled sound escaped my throat, and only then did he notice the blisters under his fingers. He let go, then wiped his hand on his jacket in disgust.
“Victoria lost too much blood because of her condition. You're coming to the hospital to give a transfusion. Now.”
Before I could refuse, he shoved me into the car.
Then I was pushed into a treatment room. “She's the one who cut Victoria. Draw her blood.”
The doctor took one look at me and hesitated. “Sir, she's badly burned and running a fever. She needs treatment first. She's not fit to donate.”
Frederick didn't waver. “Draw her blood. Or you won't be practicing medicine much longer.”
The thick needle slid into my vein. I felt the blood pulling out of me, and my body grew colder and colder.
“Take more. Victoria's fragile.”
Eventually everything went dark. Somewhere in the haze, words slipped out of me on their own.
“Frederick, the truth is, I'm the Player. One more week and I can leave you forever.”
Frederick was already turning to go. He froze mid-step and spun around. “What did you just say?”
