Chapter 2

My legs wobbled, my balance faltered, and my emotions felt like a chaotic storm, but I refused to turn back and leave without confronting the family that had betrayed me.

I knew it was time to stop avoiding the inevitable. Despite my determination to have nothing to do with this family ever again, I couldn’t escape confronting them forever. Even though I understood deep down that it might not change anything, I needed closure, a resolution to the torment inside my mind.

Standing in front of my family home, a place I hadn’t visited in three months and had sworn never to return to, I took a deep breath before walking through the gate and towards the front door. Every step felt like a challenge, a battle against the anger and humiliation I carried within.

Inside, my father’s familiar voice greeted me, but the surprise in his expression suggested he wasn’t thrilled to see me so suddenly.

“Scarlet!” he gasped.

“Hello, Dad,” I replied, my voice devoid of any emotion. Despite the rush of emotions within me, I couldn’t bring myself to be happy seeing my father again. The disappointment I felt toward him was immense; he had failed me when I needed his support the most.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, clearly caught off guard.

“What? Don’t you want me here? Does my presence bother you?” I retorted, my words laced with bitterness. I had no intention of pretending I was okay. I was here to express everything that had been festering inside me.

“It’s not that. I just wasn’t expecting you so soon. But you know you’re always welcome here, as long as you don’t cause trouble,” he replied, his words carrying a tinge of annoyance.

“Oh, please. Don’t be pathetic. How dare you imply that I’m only welcome if I don’t cause trouble? Does that mean I can’t voice my grievances?” I shot back, my anger simmering beneath the surface. My father’s lack of empathy fueled my frustration.

“I’m begging you, don’t do this. This isn’t the time or place to vent your anger. I can understand why you’re upset, but you have to move past it and move on with your life. There’s nothing you can do to change how things have turned out,” he implored, his words leaving me speechless.

“You know what? I didn’t come here to talk to you. The person I have a problem with is inside, and she’s the one who deserves my wrath, not you. Now, get out of my way,” I snapped, pushing past him and storming into the living room where the rest of the family sat.

“Scarlet?” My stepmother’s voice called out, trying to diffuse the tension that had entered the room.

My eyes scanned the room, taking in the sight of my family gathered there, seemingly having a grand time. It struck me then that none of them truly cared about me, not one bit. They were content in their happiness while I suffered in silence, left to cope with the devastation on my own.

“Mother, Hannah, Sam,” I greeted, pointedly leaving out Emily’s name.

Emily, Hannah, and Sam were my stepmother’s biological children, while I was the sole child of my late mother. My stepmother, Jane, had raised me, despite the numerous challenges our relationship had faced.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise, my dear? We weren’t expecting you to show up like this, but we’re very happy to see you. It’s perfect timing because we’re having a celebration right now, and since you’re part of the family, you should join us in celebrating,” my stepmother said, her tone cheerful.

I nearly scoffed at her apparent obliviousness to the turmoil within me.

“What’s the occasion?” I asked, my eyes falling on the invitation cards scattered on the table. I already knew the answer. The wedding between Henry and Emily was imminent.

“We’re celebrating Emily’s upcoming wedding to Henry,” my stepmother announced, her words dripping with feigned happiness.

I couldn’t hold back my disbelief. “I know you have no shame, but are you so shameless that you can’t see anything wrong in what you just said? Were you so desperate to marry that you had to rush into a wedding with your sister’s ex-husband? Are you that hungry to be someone’s wife?” I lashed out, my voice resonating with my indignation.

“It’s been three months, Scarlet. Three whole months, and you still haven’t moved on? Are you obsessed?” Emily retorted, her words slicing through the room like a knife.

“You make it sound like three months is equivalent to three years. Were you expecting me to get over the fact that my sister and ex-husband were sleeping with each other in just three months? And now, all of a sudden, you two are getting married as if nothing ever happened? How thoughtless of you, little sister,” I countered, my words sharp with anger.

Emily, undeterred, mocked me. “Oh, well, I won’t apologize to you for choosing my happiness over yours. Besides, you keep pretending like your marriage with Henry was a love story, but it never was. You two were in an arranged marriage. He could never bring himself to love you; he fell for me instead. Be a big girl and get over it!” Emily sneered, her satisfaction evident.

Emily’s mother jumped in, defending Emily’s actions. “This wedding won’t be a happy occasion for you, but you must let go of your anger. Your sister made a choice, and it’s time for you to accept it and move forward. You can’t keep tormenting yourself over something you can’t change. Besides, you can’t stress your pregnant sister; it’s bad for the baby.”

The mention of Emily’s pregnancy hit me like a blow to the stomach. “You’re expecting a child with Henry?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes. Henry and I are having a baby. It’s time you accept this and move on,” Emily replied, her tone cold and final.

I felt my legs weaken for a moment, but I forced myself to stand tall. “Today may be a happy day for you, but it’s a day of betrayal for me.”

“If you can’t be happy for us, please leave and come back when you’ve accepted the new reality,” my father’s voice said, a note of finality in his tone.

I said nothing, my heart heavy with the weight of their betrayal. Turning away, I made my way to the door, determined to leave this house and the family that had turned their backs on me.

A hand grasped my shoulder, halting me in my tracks. When I turned, I found Emily standing there, a sly smirk on her face.

“This may seem extreme, but I still hope you’ll attend my wedding. It would be my pleasure to have you by my side on such a joyous occasion,” Emily whispered, extending an invitation.

“I curse the days I considered you my sister. You’ll pay dearly for this humiliation. I swear it to you,” I whispered back, my voice laced with determination.

“Good luck with that,” Emily responded, her smirk widening, before patting my shoulder and stepping back.

With that, I left, determined to confront my family’s betrayal and make Emily pay for the pain she had caused me.