It had been three years since Everet and I broke up, and then I received his wedding invitation. I went, sitting at the head table. My friends at the table just laughed, their words laced with mockery. “If you hadn’t been the one to break it off back then, you’d be the one in the wedding dress today.” I just smiled, saying nothing. Chloe, Everet’s new bride, deliberately walked over to me, raising her glass. “Thank you for stepping aside and giving me such a wonderful man.” I drained the wine glass in one gulp, revealing the hideous scar that marred the side of my face. “I wish you both happiness!” My love for Everet had been completely consumed by that fire years ago. Everet’s gaze drifted over me, subtle yet persistent. The tension in the room was palpable, and sensing it, others quickly tried to lighten the mood. “Chloe doesn’t seem to be in the best spirits today!” Everet chuckled, drawing Chloe closer into his embrace, his eyes dropping to her belly with a tenderness that stung. “My apologies, my wife is pregnant. Please forgive us.” A wave of gasps and congratulations rippled through the guests. I sat motionless in my chair, my hand instinctively caressing my own stomach. There had once been a life there, too. Chloe, nestled in Everet’s arms, looked at me, her smile laced with a venomous triumph. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Everet’s just *so* invested in this baby.” “The day we found out our good news, he already had names picked out for our child.” My friends at the table turned envious eyes towards her. “Wow, that’s just too sweet! What names did he choose? We want to hear if he put some real thought into them.” Chloe beamed, happily sharing with everyone. “If it’s a boy, he’ll be Arthur. If it’s a girl, Daphne.” The wine glass in my hand froze. My heart lurched. Those were the names Everet and I had picked out together. He had spent a whole week poring over baby name books, even asking everyone for suggestions. But those carefully chosen names never found a home, because my baby was gone. While I was lost in thought, Everet had already taken Chloe’s hand and moved on to the next table. My friends, seeing my despondent look, mistook it for sadness. One of them patted my hand. “Don’t be upset. You pushed him away yourself. You have no one to blame but yourself for not cherishing what you had.” My phone rang, a perfectly timed escape. I excused myself to take the call, heading for the restroom. To them, it must have looked like I was running away. The moment I stepped out, a large hand clamped around my wrist, pulling me into a small, private room nearby. A familiar scent hit me, and my body recognized him even before my eyes could register his face. “You came back for me?” Everet’s arrogant words grated on my ears, and all I felt was a bitter amusement. “You invited me, so I came, of course.” I pulled his invitation from my bag, opened it, and held my name up to his face. A flicker of surprise crossed Everet’s face as he saw his own invitation. He slowly released his grip on my shoulder, his gaze falling on the scar etched across my cheek. “Have you been well these past few years?” I nodded. “Of course.” At my firm affirmation, a shadow of disappointment passed over Everet’s eyes. “I thought you…” I knew the unspoken words. “I did die once.” The old Cassidy had burned away in that asylum fire. Sensing my cold demeanor, a hint of guilt flickered in Everet’s eyes. “I went back for you that year…” I cut him off before he could finish. “It doesn’t matter anymore.” “Everet, it doesn’t matter.” Everet opened his mouth, wanting to explain, to plead his case. I pointed to his suit, a well-meaning reminder. “Don’t forget, you’re the groom today.” “Isn’t this exactly what you fought so hard for back then?” Everet clenched his fists, rendered speechless. The silence that fell between us was unnerving. “Husband?” Chloe’s voice echoed down the hall, shattering the fragile silence.
Everet pulled my wrist, practically shoving me behind the door. He then opened the door and stepped out. Chloe looked at him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she peered towards the room. Everet moved, blocking her view. “I had a bit too much to drink just now. I came in here to clear my head.” “Let’s go back. We shouldn’t keep the guests waiting.” Chloe still looked a little suspicious, but she said nothing, letting Everet put his arm around her as they walked back. Hidden behind the door, I heard everything. A bitter laugh escaped me. At that moment, I was just like Chloe, hiding behind a door once upon a time. I stepped out, not heading towards the banquet hall, but towards the exit. As I turned, I bumped right into someone. “Can’t you watch where you’re going, young lady?” The familiar voice made my apology catch in my throat, unable to go down or come up. I looked up, and a familiar face stared back at me. It was my mom, Eleanor. Years had passed, but she looked almost exactly the same. My breath hitched. She recognized me too. But there was no joy in her eyes, only pure disgust. “Who gave you permission to show up here?” Though I was used to it, my heart still gave an uncontrollable shudder. “Mom.” That word hadn’t left my lips in three years. Saying it again felt foreign. “Don’t call me that! I don’t have a repulsive daughter like you!” She cut me off, her face a mask of irritation, as if being associated with me was an insult. “Now get out of here before I have someone escort you off the premises.” After her warning, she muttered “disgraceful” and walked away. Watching her retreating back, I whispered softly: You must be so disappointed I’m not dead, right? The cold draft in the hallway bit at my face, a sharp sting. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself, and left the venue. Back in my small apartment, I was alone. The full-length mirror reflected my face, and that jagged scar. That day in the fire, my own mother had locked the only exit from the outside. I was trapped under a fallen beam, unable to move. It had left a terrifying scar across my back as well. Actually, my mother and I had a very good relationship at first. She was a renowned photographer, and she hoped I would follow in her footsteps. I lived up to her expectations, achieving some success in the photography world. Until Chloe appeared. She was cornered in an alley by loan sharks. Pitying her, I paid off all her debts, even sponsored her education and covered all her expenses. When I noticed her interest in photography, I even introduced her to Mom, who, exceptionally, took her on as an apprentice. My own photography career was thriving. And Everet, my boyfriend of many years, proposed to me. For a time, I was at the peak of my life. Everyone said I had it all – a successful career and a loving relationship. Even I thought my life was perfect. But things slowly began to spiral out of my control. Mom and Everet started mentioning Chloe more and more. Everet would pick me up from work, but always took a detour to get Chloe first. When we ordered food, he knew all of Chloe’s likes and dislikes, her allergies and preferences, without even asking. It wasn’t until he took Chloe on a trip that even *I*, in my blind stupidity, started to realize something was off. When I confronted him, he just laughed, calling me paranoid. “Don’t be silly, you treat Chloe like a sister, so naturally, I do too.” But the strange feeling in my gut never faded. Sensing my doubt, Everet’s kiss landed on my lips. “Cassidy, let’s have a baby.”
Just that one sentence, and I believed him. I convinced myself that all of Everet’s actions were just normal behavior for someone treating a younger sister. Then, on my birthday, I suddenly started hemorrhaging in the middle of the night and was rushed to the hospital. I clung to life for an entire night, barely making it. But my baby was gone. When I opened my eyes, Everet wasn’t there. Instead, his and Chloe’s voices drifted from the bathroom. “Everet, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it.” “I didn’t know pregnant women shouldn’t have turtle soup. I just wanted to make Cassidy stronger, I didn’t mean to…” Chloe’s self-reproaching words were cut short by Everet. He comforted Chloe softly, his voice impossibly gentle. “It’s not your fault, she brought it on herself.” “She drank the turtle soup, not you. You had nothing to do with it.” Then, the sounds of heavy breathing, unmistakably male and female, drifted from the bathroom. The sounds stabbed deeply into my eardrums. I lay in the hospital bed, tears streaming from my eyes. Suddenly, I felt like laughing. That soup? Everet had brought it to me earlier that day. I’d seen the broken shells in it and asked him, confused, “Everet, what is this?” Seeing my hesitation, his tone had hardened. “It’s soup I bought just for you. Don’t be silly, drink all of it.” Turns out those broken shells were from a turtle. He knew it was turtle soup. Why didn’t he tell me? Perhaps he didn’t want that child either. My phone rang in the silent room, pulling me from my thoughts. Snapping out of my memories, I saw a work assignment for an on-site photoshoot tomorrow. I typed back “Okay.” The next day, I arrived at the outdoor photoshoot location with my department’s crew. To my surprise, the person in charge of the partner studio was Chloe. “I can’t believe *you* actually got into photography.” “Well, I guess with how you look now, you wouldn’t make it on a runway anyway.” Without Everet by her side, Chloe dropped her facade, revealing her true self. Her eyes were filled with undisguised hostility. I focused on my work, having no desire to engage with her. Chloe, unbothered by my indifference, watched me with even greater smugness. “Look at these models, their skin is so smooth, it’s just enviable.” “Cassidy, you lost three years ago, and you’re going to lose again today.” The next second, Chloe screamed, and a sharp tug sent me plummeting into the icy river. Everet, arriving late, saw both Chloe and me struggling in the water. Without a moment’s hesitation, he dove in. To my shock, he went for *me* first, even though I was further away. Seeing this, Chloe’s face twisted in fury. Everet held me, his voice soft as he comforted me. I just found it amusing. Three years ago, during the fire, Everet had stepped right over my trapped body, pinned beneath a fallen beam, to save Chloe. He hadn’t even spared me a glance. The cold river water engulfed my mouth and nose, my throat, and vocal cords constricting. The pressure of the water crushed my chest, a dull ache spreading through me. Darkness enveloped me, and I passed out. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed. My mother, Eleanor, walked in and immediately slapped me across the face. Pointing her finger, she unleashed a torrent of abuse. “You wretched girl! You’ve ruined Chloe’s baby!” “Chloe’s still in surgery fighting for her life! How could you ever take responsibility for this?” Mom’s hateful words blurred, taking me back three years. Three years ago, when I discovered Chloe’s award-winning photographs were actually stolen from me, I publicly challenged her right there at the awards ceremony. I demanded that my own submissions be displayed. But when my intimate photos were projected onto the huge screen, a bucket of ice water couldn’t have shocked me more.
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