Chapter 4
All eyes turned to Eliana.
There was no hiding the truth now. Everything had been an elaborate performance.
Caleb strode forward and struck her across the face.
Grace crumpled to the ground, muttering, “It’s over. Everything is over.”
Eliana held her cheek, tears streaming down her face. “Caleb, aren’t you happy I’m alive?”
“How dare you!” he roared. “You bitch, playing these games!
“After everything I’ve done for you, you fake your death to escape me?”
Seeing my satisfied expression, Eliana quickly changed tactics. “It wasn’t my idea! Madelyn forced me to do it!”
Caleb gestured for her to continue as she choked back crocodile
tears.
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What followed was a masterful reversal of truth, casting herself as the innocent victim and me as the jealous, manipulative sister.
According to her tale, I’d spent our entire childhood competing with her, coveting everything she had. Sweet, selfless Eliana had always given in to keep the peace.
But my jealousy of her perfect life had grown until I began plotting to
Chapter 4
steal both her husband and daughter.
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She claimed I’d harbored secret feelings for Caleb and wanted to take him from her.
By staging the kidnapping and saving her life, I’d hoped to gain her sympathy and guilt her into giving Caleb to me.
She claimed she had been unaware of my plan and taken the stab for me, only accidentally discovering my scheme.
Later, despite knowing everything, she’d only pretended to die in order to help me fulfill my wishes.
“I never imagined she wouldn’t let me rest in peace,” Eliana concluded, “making a scene even at my funeral.”
It really sounded like a sad story.
Zoey added fuel to the fire, saying, “So Aunt Madelyn was telling the truth.
“She killed Mom so she could be my mother.”
Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
After all, Zoey was only seven years old.
Everyone assumed I must have confessed my “crimes” in front of her, or she wouldn’t have known such things.
Her statement painted me as even more villainous than Eliana had suggested.
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They implied I’d hired someone with the explicit purpose of killing and replacing Eliana.
