Chapter 7
“Jessica, I keep thinking about how you saved me. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead. No matter what hap- pens, I’m not leaving you.
“I only took care of Rhea out of sympathy. She reminds me of myself. I lost my parents when I was young, too, and was raised by my grandmother. After learning about her past, I just wanted to give her a little warmth.”
My head was pounding, and I cut him off, annoyed. “You don’t need to explain. It’s not like I planned to marry you.”
Henry frowned at me. “Do you realize how hurtful that sounds? Whatever. I’ll give you some time to calm down.”
He hadn’t been gone long when Rhea walked into my hospital room.
“Jessica, you’re unbelievably lucky. You actually survived again. Honestly, what were those people thinking, letting you come back? They’re terrible parents.
“But do you really think surviving means you can come home and suddenly have Mom, Dad, or Henry care about you? The only one they truly care about is me. You’ll never get to climb again, so what right do you have to compete
with me?
“Oh, and I almost forgot–when you got out, Henry was worried I was stressed, so we ended up doing something we shouldn’t have. He even said that even if he marries you one day, he’ll still come running whenever I need him.”
She leaned in smugly, a calculating look on her face.
“Do you really think, in Mom and Dad’s eyes, or Henry’s, you’re even worth a strand of my hair?”
Just then, I heard hurried footsteps behind her. Without missing a beat, she slapped herself and dropped to her knees beside my bed, tears streaming down.
“I know you’ve always been angry because Mom, Dad, and Henry treat me better. I also know I’m not as good as you and don’t deserve any of this.
“But no matter how much you hate me, you shouldn’t call me a killer. I hate my biological parents, too. How could I ever be like them? Say whatever you want about me, just don’t insult me like that.”
She looked at me with smug satisfaction.
I stared back and said quietly, “Let’s see if you’re still this proud in a few days. If I were one of the victims‘ families, and I found out the person who got my child killed is not only walking free but living comfortably, I wouldn’t let it go.”
Rhea’s expression shifted, panic flashing across her face. She was about to speak when our parents rushed in and quickly helped her up.
Henry saw the slap mark on her face and frowned at me.
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Chapter 7
“Rhea came here to apologize. How could you hit her?”
My parents exploded instantly, shouting at me, “Apologize to Rhea right now, or get out of this hospital!
“We’re not wasting money treating someone like you!”
I looked at them calmly and smiled.
“First of all, you injured my leg. You must compensate me. If you refuse, I will call the police.
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“Second, instead of demanding I apologize to Rhea, maybe you should worry about how she plans to apologize to the victims‘ families. Did you think the truth about what happened back then would stay buried forever?”
A flicker of panic flashed through my parents‘ eyes.
Henry looked at me, startled. “What are you talking about?”
“You tricked me into going there because you wanted me to tell the victims‘ families the truth, right? Well, I did what you wanted. Or have you all forgotten who took the minors up that mountain without permission?”
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