- 3.
The next morning, I woke up and Liam was
gone.
The house was spotless, like he’d never been
<
I dragged myself to the clinic.
I’d been diagnosed with cancer a few months
ago, and the doctor told me to come back
every three months for a checkup.
After the examination, the doctor’s words hit
me like a ton of bricks.
“You’re about six weeks pregnant. Given your
condition, I recommend terminating the
pregnancy.”
Six weeks… that would be around the time
Ashley told Liam she was coming home.
Liam had been so happy, he’d drunk more
than usual.
And for once, Mr. Responsible forgot about
protection.
After a moment, I asked, “What if I want to
keep it?”
“If you have the baby, we can’t continue with
your medication. You might…”
The doctor didn’t need to finish. I knew what
she meant.
It was the baby or me.
I contacted a home healthcare agency and
hired a caretaker to look after me.
I was going to have this baby.
I didn’t have much time left anyway. Even with
treatment, I might not make it.
But this child…this child was hope.
I shut myself in the house, but I still heard
Ashley was back.
She invited me to her welcome–home party. I
turned her down.
But Ashley was insistent.
“I have to thank you for making it possible for
me to study abroad. Liam will be there, too.
I’m so happy today, I can’t promise I won’t say
something I regret if I have too much to
drink.”
My face paled. I knew I had to go.
Ashley had transformed overseas, radiant and
く
confident.
I heard she was even some kind of social
media influencer now.
Dressed in designer clothes, she arrived with
a rich guy on her arm.
When she saw Liam, she just smiled and
exchanged a few words. Then, she ran over
and hugged me.
“Scarlett, it’s been ages! You look amazing.”
I felt awkward and managed a stiff smile.
Now she’d learned to play the game, smile for
the cameras.
I still remembered what she’d said to me the
night before she left.
“Scarlett, you only have everything because
you were born into it. If I’d had your
advantages, I’d be way ahead of you.”
When Ashley offered me a drink, I refused. I
was sick and pregnant, and couldn’t touch
alcohol.
く
Seeing Ashley getting embarrassed, her
friends started pressuring me.
“Come on, don’t be like that. Drink up, we’re
all friends here.”
“Yeah, you look about our age. You in the
same social circle? Don’t think I’ve seen you
around. What college did you go to?”
“That’s right. Looks like everyone here went
to Europe to study. Did you go to England or
Paris?”
Ashley smiled over her drink, and I suddenly
realized why she’d insisted on inviting me.
I instinctively looked for Liam and saw him
standing in the corner, quietly watching.
everything.
Flustered, I turned back and awkwardly
answered,
“I didn’t study abroad.”
Ashley burst out laughing.
“Don’t mind her, guys. She’s never left the
<
country, so maybe there’s a bit of a culture
gap. She didn’t even go to college, dropped
out after high school.”
Ashley said it with such condescension,
watching as the others began to gossip.
“What? Some people still don’t go to
college?”
“Scarlett, from the Morrison family? I heard
she’s got some kind of mental illness.
Something happened, and she ended up
killing her parents.”
“I’ve heard that, too. Doesn’t seem all that
crazy, though.”
“That’s because she’s not having an episode
right now.”
My head was pounding, and I struggled to
breathe. The people and the room began to
blur.
Only Ashley, her smile was clear and
menacing.
く
I gripped the table, trying to stand, but my
body felt weak.
Suddenly, I felt an arm around my waist. Liam.
came to my side and pulled me away.
Once we were outside, I gasped for air.
Liam pulled me away.
“You said your parents lived abroad. You lied
to me about everything?”
