Chapter 20
901 Words
Caroline's POV
"Mom..." I whispered as I struggled to keep my eyes open. My fingers tightened around the edge of the dining table while the room swayed around me. "I... I don't feel well."
My mother's warm smile didn't disappear.
Instead, she calmly took the teacup from my trembling hands before I could accidentally drop it.
"It's alright, sweetheart," Mom said gently, patting my shoulder as though she were comforting a frightened child. "Just relax."
A cold chill crept down my spine.
My breathing became uneven as I looked from her to my father.
Neither of them looked alarmed.
Neither of them stood up to help me.
They simply... watched.
My heart sank.
“No. No... The tea.“
I had barely swallowed a few mouthfuls, yet my body already felt unbearably heavy.
I tried to stand.
My knees buckled immediately, forcing me back into the chair.
I looked at my mother in disbelief.
"You..." I murmured, my lips trembling. "You drugged me."
She didn't answer.
The silence was answer enough.
A slow clap echoed through the dining room.
I turned my head toward the hallway with great difficulty.
My blood froze.
Cerene walked into the room.
She looked perfectly healthy as she stopped directly in front of me.
A triumphant smile curved her lips....She made sure only I could see it. And that made me so sick.
"I knew she'd figure it out eventually," Cerene said with a soft laugh as she folded her arms across her chest. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for, Caroline."
I stared at her, unable to believe what I was seeing. "You..." I whispered. "You were never hurt."
Cerene shrugged carelessly. "I've had worse."
I felt as though someone had punched the air out of my lungs.
Peter. He had been tearing the city apart looking for me while believing Cerene had nearly died.
All of it...Had been another lie.
I slowly turned toward my parents. "You knew."
It wasn't a question.
My father lowered his gaze without saying a word.
My mother let out a quiet sigh.
"We didn't have another choice," Mom said softly.
I laughed bitterly.
"No choice?" I repeated, my voice shaking. "You poisoned your own daughter."
"It was only a mild sedative," Dad said, finally speaking. He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily, avoiding my eyes. "You'll be fine."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
My own parents.
The people who had given me life had drugged me. Not because they were trying to save me or they were worried. But because they wanted something.
Cerene slowly pulled out a stack of documents and placed them on the dining table in front of me.
"I'll get straight to the point," Cerene said with a sweet smile. "We need your signature."
I frowned. "My... signature?"
She nodded. "You've probably forgotten."
Forgotten?
My mind struggled to stay focused as the drug continued taking effect.
Then Cerene smiled wider.
"Our dear grandmother, Samantha Thompson."
The name hit me like a bolt of lightning.
Grandma Samantha.
I hadn't talked about her in years.
She had passed away shortly after Peter and I got married.
I remembered attending the funeral.
I remembered crying more than anyone else.
And then... The will.
My breathing caught.
Grandma Samantha had left behind an enormous inheritance.
I had never cared enough to ask about it because I believed family mattered more than money.
There had only been one condition.
The first granddaughter to marry before turning twenty-five would inherit everything.
Cerene had remained single.
The inheritance instantly belonged to me. I hated having anything to do with it. I knew it would only bring division between us.
I slowly looked up at them.
"So..." I whispered. "This is why."
Nobody answered. Nobody needed to. Everything suddenly made sense.
It had all been a performance.
Tears burned my eyes.
"I actually believed..." I murmured, my voice breaking. "For just one moment... I believed you'd finally accepted me as your daughter."
My mother looked away while my father remained silent.
Neither of them denied it.
The pain in my chest became almost unbearable.
Cerene gently slid the documents closer to me before placing a pen beside them.
"It's very simple," Cerene said sweetly. "Sign these papers and transfer Grandma's inheritance to me."
I stared at her in disbelief.
"You expect me to give away Grandma's final gift?"
Cerene's smile slowly disappeared.
"You're already married into the wealthy Lockwood family," Cerene replied, her voice becoming pitiful. "What do you even need Grandma's money for? I need it far more than you do."
I let out a hollow laugh.
"So that's what this is about."
"It has always been about this," Cerene admitted without shame.
I slowly shook my head. "No."
The word left my mouth quietly. But firmly. "I won't sign."
Cerene's eyes immediately filled with tears.
She pressed a trembling hand against her chest as though my refusal had deeply wounded her.
"Caroline..." Cerene sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks while she looked toward our parents for support. "How can you be so selfish? I've been sick my whole life. You know that better than anyone. Grandma loved both of us, yet you're willing to keep everything for yourself while I have nothing."
She wiped her tears with shaking fingers before looking at me with heartbreaking innocence.
"I can't believe my own sister would be this cruel."
- Writer
