I could no longer fool myself.
With a bitter smile, I whispered the words that had been building up inside me for so long. “Charles, let’s break up.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I turned on my heel, leaving without a single glance back.
As I walked, my vision blurred with tears, the world around me dimming like a fading dream. The neon lights flickered in the distance, barely visible through the haze of my grief. I felt like I was drifting, aimless, and lost.
Then, suddenly, a scooter rushed toward me from the right, its horn blaring in a frantic warning. My legs turned to stone, frozen in place as I watched the headlights grow larger, the sound of the horn cutting through the air like a knife. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
Just then, a strong hand gripped mine, yanking me backward with force. I stumbled, my feet tripping over each other, but I was pulled out of harm’s way just as the scooter whizzed past, grazing me.
Breathing heavily, my heart racing, I turned to see the last person I expected to find, Dorothea, standing there with a smug smile playing on her lips.
“Well, well, sister-in-law…” she began, her voice dripping with sweet malice. “Oh, wait, you just broke up with my brother, didn’t you?” Her head tilted slightly, her expression one of feigned innocence.
Gone was the fragile, frightened girl I had seen earlier. Now, all that remained was a mask of smug satisfaction.
"Sister Isabella, you seem quite uncomfortable with my presence," she said, her voice laced with mockery. "Why is that?"
Her eyebrows arched teasingly, and she added, "But I have to hand it to you: your luck is something else. That fire… it came dangerously close to ruining that pretty face of yours."
Her gaze turned cold as she tightened her grip on my hand, leaning in with a smug smile. "This face… the one that bears a striking resemblance to mine."
I gritted my teeth and wrenched my hand free, my voice sharp. "So, you did it on purpose! You set that fire on purpose! Do you realize I could report you to the police for this?"
She crossed her arms and laughed derisively, her voice dripping with disdain. "Go ahead! Reporting me will only push my brother further away from you!"
"Ha! Consider today a little lesson," she sneered, her words biting. "Let me make one thing clear: my brother is mine. As long as I’m here, you’ll never take him from me, not even in marriage!"
I met her gaze, unflinching, and instead of getting angry, I chuckled softly.
Her expression darkened with annoyance. "What’s so funny?! Do you think I’m bluffing?"
With a calm smile, I met her gaze and replied, "I’m laughing at you. I’m laughing at how naive you are."
"Yes, with a sister like you, it’s true Charles might never marry anyone," I said with a knowing grin. "But he’s definitely never going to marry you."
Dorothea’s face turned ashen as though my words had struck her at her core.
I smiled faintly, pressing on. "And do you know why?"
"Because… it’s forbidden. It’s incest."
"You…."
Fury flashed in Dorothea’s eyes as she raised her hand to slap me, but I caught her wrist midair, my gaze sharp and unwavering.
"Dorothea, for seven years, I’ve been a fool," I said coldly, my words cutting through the air. "I no longer care about Charles. But as for you, setting that fire to harm me… this isn’t over."
I released her wrist, my hand moving to pull out my phone, ready to call the police. She glared at me, her face hard with defiance, but in an instant, her expression shifted.
Before I could even react, she grabbed my hand and shoved it against her chest. Then, with an exaggerated motion, she fell backward, landing on the ground with a dramatic wail.
"Sister!" she sobbed, her voice trembling with feigned accusation. "I just wanted to stop you from breaking up with my brother. Why did you push me so hard?!"
Frozen in shock, I stood motionless, trying to process what had just happened. "I didn’t push…"
But before I could finish, Charles’ frantic voice rang out behind me.
"Dorothea!"
