Chapter 3

When I came to myself, I was lying on a hospital bed. My left hand and right leg weren't so bad, but the rest of me was pinned down with casts and bandages.

Serena stayed close by, never leaving my side. As soon as she saw I was awake, she squeezed my hand, her face brightening. "Isabelle, you're finally up. I was so worried. Just tell me what you want to eat and I'll get it for you."

As always, her acting was flawless.

Honestly, I felt like laughing. With skills like hers, it was no wonder she managed to fool me all those years.

Everything that had happened to me was their handiwork, yet there James and Serena were—pretending to feel guilty, acting like they cared. If someone didn't know better, they'd think James and Serena were the most loving brother and sister in the world.

They gave me the kind of love that made everyone green with envy.

I forced a smile through the pain. "I just want to rest. You should get some sleep, too."

Seeing that I was okay, Serena finally relaxed. She lay down on the sleeper sofa next to my bed and was soon fast asleep.

Noticing she was asleep, I grabbed the phone from the nightstand.

The first thing I saw was a photo of Sophia standing at the podium, her smile beaming. It must've been taken just yesterday.

The whole album was nothing but pictures of Sophia—she looked amazing in every shot, all smiles and full of joy.

I scrolled all the way to the end, but there wasn't a single photo of me.

Just then, a bunch of photos suddenly popped up in a three-person group chat.

My blood boiled as I looked at them.

They were the shots my classmates snapped at the hospital, plastered online with captions. It wasn't just the teachers and students at school who knew—heck, it felt like the entire world was in on it.

James dropped a message: [Nice job, Sophia.]

I used Serena's phone to send a thumbs-up.

Then, I kept scrolling.

James sent messages again. [Sophia, if you hadn't been so sharp and fought so hard to save me from our enemies back then, I probably wouldn't even be alive today.

[You mean everything to me. If you want something, I'll make it happen for you, no matter what.]

To him, Sophia was all that mattered.

I wondered what the permanent scars left by the cuts across my back and on my arm would mean to him.

I let out a cold laugh, tossing the phone aside as I collapsed onto the bed. I was laughing, but tears were streaming down my face.

After what felt like an eternity, I wiped my tears away, picked up the phone, and dialed Brian Marshall's number.

As soon as the phone was connected, I said, "Hello, Mr. Marshall. Is there any chance I can still compete in the International Fashion Design Competition?"

Brian replied quickly, "Absolutely. Your talent and integrity speak for themselves. And we all know what you've been through.

"Just a heads-up: if you join, you'll have to be away for quite a while, and everything about you needs to stay under wraps until it's over. Take a moment and think it through."

I said, "There's nothing to think about, Mr. Marshall. Please help me with everything. I want to go abroad as fast as possible."

I was determined to be done with the Quinn family for good.

I couldn't stand staying even a second longer in the family built on lies.

"Okay," Brian said.

Just then, James came in holding a Thermos bottle of oatmeal. "What do you mean by 'abroad'?" he asked.

I kept my face blank. "The doctors you got for me are all specialists from overseas, aren't they?"

James poured the oatmeal into a bowl, scooped up a spoonful, and blew on it gently. "You're the sister I care about most. Of course, I'd only want you to have the very best care."

I didn't believe a single word of his.

Serena got woken up by our voices. She fumbled for my hand, her tone awkward. "Sophia's victory party is coming up soon. You'll need time to get better, but about the dress..."

"No need to prepare anything. I can't wear it like this anyway," I replied flatly.

With me laid up like that, a party dress was the last thing I needed.

I had checked their chat logs—they never planned to get me a dress at all. Sophia's was already a bespoke 3-million-dollar gown, ordered a whole month in advance.

Serena squeezed my hand even tighter. "That day, I'll personally wheel you over myself."

I pulled my hand away, realizing the whole scheme had been in the works for a month.

I didn't want the family anymore—the nest of far-fetched lies.