"Margaret! You are the true young lady of the family! No one can take what’s rightfully yours."
Laurent gently scooped Margaret into his arms, lifting her effortlessly in a protective embrace. His voice was soft, almost tender, as he spoke.
He didn’t even spare a glance at Cielle, who stood trembling beside them, consumed by the weight of her own pain.
Before leaving, Laurent and Margaret shared a few words with Cielle. "Margaret is your older sister. She’s been frail since childhood, so you must be considerate of her, alright?"
Cielle could barely process their words and before she could respond, they were gone, vanishing from her sight.
She stood there, rooted to the spot, as the realization slowly sank in. Her weak sister was nothing more than a master of manipulation, a schemer who had woven a web of lies.
Cielle didn’t blame Margaret for playing the pity card, but as she thought about how carefully Magnus and Laurent had always looked after her, a bitter smile tugged at her lips.
A few sorrowful tears escaped, slipping down her cheeks in silence.
For twenty years, their kindness to Cielle had always been tied to her usefulness.
But now that Margaret was well again, she was nothing more than a shadow in their lives.
So, Cielle made up her mind to stop engaging, to stop holding on to the pain that had tormented her.
The next day, at lunch, Cielle sat quietly across from them, her gaze falling on the sight of them laughing and enjoying each other's company. Magnus carefully served more food to Margaret while Laurent poured her coffee with a gentle smile.
Margaret’s face was a picture of contentment. Her eyes flicked toward Cielle and with a feigned warmth, she asked, "Sister, will you come with me to the hospital for a check-up this afternoon?"
Cielle hesitated, then offered a polite smile and replied, "I have other plans for this afternoon."
At that moment, their mother’s face tightened, her features sharpening with displeasure. She placed her bowl and utensils down with a deliberate clink, her gaze hardening as it locked onto Cielle. With a touch of anger in her voice, she said, "Your sister has been abroad for years and she’s unfamiliar with everything here. As her younger sister, it’s only right, both in reason and in affection, for you to accompany her to the check-up. Haven’t I taught you better than this all these years?"
Her father shifted uncomfortably, casting a brief, unsure glance at Cielle before offering a strained smile. "Cielle, just go with her."
No one had asked for her thoughts and there was no space left for refusal.
With a bitter smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she reluctantly agreed.
After the meal, Magnus and Laurent stayed close to Margaret and as they got into the car, the door slammed shut. It was only then that they realized Cielle had been left behind.
Magnus gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity, his brows drawn tight with irritation. "Hurry up. Margaret’s health can’t afford to be delayed."
The words hit Cielle like a blow, her hands trembling at her sides. A heavy weight seemed to press down on her chest, suffocating her, making every breath a struggle.
Margaret, leaning against the car window, waved at her with a gleam of smugness in her eyes.
"Sister, hurry up and get in!" she called.
Behind her, Laurent gently draped his coat over Cielle’s shoulders, his touch tender, yet the sight of them together made her stomach twist. They looked so effortlessly intimate, so content.
As the car moved forward, Cielle rested her forehead against the cold window, the wind ruffling her hair, yet it did nothing to ease the sharp ache in her heart.
Without warning, Magnus slammed on the brakes.
The screech of metal on metal filled the air as the cars collided, the force of the impact sending a shower of debris into the air. The vehicle jerked violently, flipping backward.
As Cielle’s vision began to fade, she forced her eyes open, her blurred gaze falling upon Magnus and Laurent, both frantically trying to pry open the car’s back door. Their hands were stained with blood, their faces twisted in panic, their voices barely a whisper as they muttered, "Margaret, Margaret, wake up!"
Summoning every ounce of strength, Cielle lifted a trembling hand, her lips parting as she weakly called out, "Laurent, Brother..."
She repeated it, over and over, until her body betrayed her and the strength drained from her, leaving her with nothing.
Tears of hopelessness spilled down her face, blurring her vision as she fixed her gaze on the sight of the three of them. Magnus held Margaret in his arms, his desperate grip only pulling her further away. They disappeared from her view, growing smaller and smaller until they were nothing but a distant memory.
