Chapter 16
1197 Words
Caroline's POV
"Please..." I said, gripping the cold iron gate to keep myself from collapsing. My voice came out hoarse. "I need to see Madam Harrington."
The security guard frowned as his eyes swept over my torn clothes and bloodstained sleeves.
"Miss," the guard said with a sigh, folding his arms across his chest. "Madam Harrington doesn't see strangers without an appointment. Please leave."
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
If only he knew how badly I wished I looked like a stranger.
"I'm not lying," I whispered, forcing myself to stand straighter despite the stabbing pain in my ankle. "Please tell her Caroline Thompson is here. She'll remember me."
The second guard shook his head.
"People come here every day claiming to know Madam Harrington," he replied impatiently. "You're wasting your time."
My fingers tightened around the bars of the gate.
"I saved her life," I said, meeting his eyes. "Please... just tell her my name."
Neither of them moved.
Instead, one of them reached for the intercom.
"If you don't leave now," he warned firmly, "we'll have no choice but to call the police."
I slowly let go of the gate.
Maybe this was fate.
Maybe I really had nowhere left to go.
My body was already at its limit. Every bruise screamed in protest whenever I took a breath. My ankle throbbed so badly that I could barely remain standing.
Just as I turned away, the sound of an approaching car made everyone look toward the driveway.
The massive gates slid open.
A sleek black limousine rolled inside before stopping a few feet away.
The rear door opened.
An elegant elderly woman stepped out with the help of her assistant.
I lowered my head.
I didn't even have the strength to look anymore.
Then I heard a familiar voice.
"Caroline?"
My heart skipped.
I slowly looked up.
Madam Margret Harrington was staring at me as though she'd seen a ghost.
Her walking cane nearly slipped from her hand.
"My goodness..." Margret gasped, hurrying toward me much faster than anyone expected. "Open the gate this instant!"
The guards' faces drained of color.
Within seconds, the gate swung open.
Before I knew it, Margret was standing right in front of me.
Her eyes swept over my bruises, my swollen face, and the dried blood on my clothes.
"Oh, my child..." Margret whispered, her eyes turning red. She gently cupped my face with trembling hands. "Who did this to you?"
I tried to answer.
"I..."
Nothing came out.
The world suddenly tilted beneath my feet.
My knees gave way.
Luckily, Margret caught me before I hit the ground.
"Caroline!" Margret cried, wrapping an arm around me. She turned toward the stunned guards with panic written all over her face. "Call the medical team immediately! Right now!"
The estate instantly erupted into chaos.
As servants rushed toward us, the guards lowered their heads in embarrassment.
"We're sorry, Madam..."
Margret's expression turned icy.
"This young woman saved my life," she said sharply, never taking her arm off me. "She is the owner of everything I have. If any of you ever stop her at these gates again, you'll answer to me personally."
The guards immediately bowed.
"Yes, Madam."
...
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a soft bed that felt more expensive than anything I'd ever owned.
Doctors surrounded me.
One carefully wrapped my injured ankle while another disinfected the cuts on my arms.
Every touch stung, but I stayed silent.
Compared to what had happened earlier today, this pain felt insignificant.
Nearly an hour later, the last doctor finally stepped back.
"Madam," the elderly physician said respectfully, looking at Margret. "Her injuries are serious, but thankfully none are life-threatening. She'll recover with proper rest."
Margret nodded gratefully.
"Thank you."
Once everyone had left, she walked over and sat beside my bed.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
She simply looked at me.
I could see the questions in her eyes.
Finally, she reached for my hand.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," Margret said softly, gently squeezing my fingers. "After the accident, you disappeared before I could even thank you."
I managed a faint smile.
"I never saved you for a reward."
"I know," Margret replied immediately. "That's exactly why I entrusted everything to you."
My eyes dropped to the blanket.
Even now, I still struggled to believe that she had transferred her estate to me.
No one had ever shown me that kind of kindness before.
Margret studied my face carefully.
"Now tell me the truth," she said quietly. "Who did this to you?"
A heavy silence settled over the room.
"It was my family," I finally answered.
Margret's expression hardened.
"And Peter?"
I closed my eyes for a brief moment.
"He's part of it."
Margret let out a long sigh before leaning back in her chair.
"Then you can't stay here," she said firmly. "Peter Lockwood isn't a reasonable man. He's vicious. If he learns you're alive and finds you here, he'll come after you."
"I know," I whispered.
"Then leave tonight," Margret urged, leaning forward again. "You have the means to disappear now. Start a new life somewhere Peter can never find you."
For a few seconds, I actually considered leaving and starting over.
Never seeing Peter again. It sounded peaceful. It also felt incomplete.
I slowly shook my head. "I can't."
Margret frowned. "Why not?"
"Because I want a divorce." The words left my mouth more calmly than I expected.
"I won't spend the rest of my life being Mrs. Lockwood. I need to do it in a way that will leave him regreting and burning with rage."
Margret didn't interrupt me.
So I continued.
"My twin sister, Cerene..." I swallowed hard as another painful memory surfaced. "She's spent years convincing Peter that she's innocent and that I'm the villain."
A humorless laugh escaped my lips.
"And he always believed her."
I looked toward the window, watching the evening sun disappear beyond the gardens.
"For one foolish second..." I murmured. "I actually wondered whether Peter would finally see Cerene for who she really is after today."
I smiled bitterly.
"What a ridiculous thought."
The memories flooded back without mercy.
Cerene's furious eyes.
Her hands shoving me toward the window.
The deafening sound of glass shattering.
The terrifying moment my body crashed through it.
I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself.
"I hit the ground so hard that I couldn't breathe," I whispered. "I honestly thought that was the end."
My throat tightened.
"When I finally opened my eyes..." I said, blinking away fresh tears, "I realized I was still alive."
I could still remember looking up.
Cerene was standing at the broken window.
She wasn't horrified.
She looked relieved.
"She thought I'd died," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Before anyone could come outside... before Peter could see me... I forced myself to get up."
I glanced down at my bandaged ankle.
"I could barely walk, but I kept running."
I looked at Margret, my eyes burning with unshed tears.
"Because if I had stayed there..." I said quietly, "...I don't think I would have survived a second time."
- Writer
