CHAPTER FIVE

Sinora fell into the pool with such a heavy splash that it took a while before she remembered she knew how to swim. The shock had sent waves to her brain that made her spend a little while spluttering before swimming back to the surface.

When she finally got herself together, she looked up to find Madeley staring down at her with a smile on her face.

"Having trouble, sis?" Madeley tilted her head sideways with a sinister smile.

"Madeley, what sort of twisted game is this? Why did you push me into the pool? What is wrong with you?!" Sinora yelled at her.

"Twisted game? Oh Sin, I haven't even started playing. Mr. Lucien is dead now, nobody is coming to save you anymore, Sin." She grinned happily.

"Did anyone ever tell you, you look so fetch when you're wet and dripping with water like a maid?"

Sin gritted her teeth, her eyes were red with anger. "You are sick in the head, Madeley! Sick!"

She yelled and started to swim towards the edge of the pool, but as soon as she got out, Madeley grabbed her hand with a smirk.

"Not so fast, SIN." Madeley smiled.

Sinora pulled her hand away and Madeley threw herself into the pool, screaming.

Guests and staff gathered at the pool side in no time, and soon, Charles, Adrien and the rest of the family were outside.

Seeing Madeley in the pool, splashing helplessly, enraged Charles. He pushed past a dripping wet Sinora violently and dived into the pool to rescue Madeley.

Sinora's mouth fell open in disbelief. She stood stonily by the pool, watching the scene unfold with dreadful jealousy.

Her teeth chattered from cold but she clenched them to avoid looking dramatic.

Charles carried Madeley out of the pool and draped a towel over her shoulders.

Sinora continued to watch as whispers shifted among the viewing crowd.

"What happened? Who pushed who?"

Confusion set in, and Sinora caught Madeley whisper something to Charles, right before she gripped his hand, alarmed, to stop him.

But he broke away from her easily and stormed towards Sinora. Without questioning her, he raised his hand and hit her across the face so hard that her lips split and started to bleed.

"How dare you?! Are you so jealous of Madeley that you can't control yourself?" His wrath blazed, shocking everyone, who instantly got the version of the story Madeley had wanted them to get.

Sinora looked up with glistening eyes at Charles, shocked. How could he be so bias? He wasn't even going to question her?

"This is the last time you would ever raise a finger on her. I am so sick of you. This engagement is off." He said and turned away, but as if on second thought, he turned back around and pushed her violently into the pool.

Sinora dashed her head against the stone steps inside the pool before falling into the water with a sickening splash.

Her eyes blurred with tears as she watched Charles hold Madeley and turn to leave.

He had not even stopped to see if she was alright. Her pain felt numb, after all, the water was cold, but her injury still existed.

So, as blood flowed to the surface of the water, and essence began to fade from her, she allowed it -- and finally gave way to the darkness calling to her.

It wasn't until a guest spotted the blood floating to the top, that one of the staff jumped into the water to pull her out, but by this time, it was too late, Sinora had already disappeared into the void.

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Her life flashed before her eyes. Every single thing she had thought she was doing for the benefit of the people she loved.

Like the time she took a false accusation on behalf of her foster father after he stole his boss' money and got fired. Just to avoid going to prison, he had asked Sinora to lie and say that she had been the one to take the money out of the case.

Sinora had gotten a delinquent warning that day, but that had not been enough for her foster father. He had continued to make life miserable for her, punishing her for Madeley's mistakes, claiming she had to be responsible as the oldest child.

She had accepted the responsibility, even though it entailed that she would be maltreated and used as a slave her whole life. She had accepted it.

But out of everything she regretted, Charles was the worse. She regretted meeting him that day and falling for his dazzling blue eyes.

She regretted loving him laugh and act like she meant the world to him, only to realise that she did not.

Life had thrown dirt in her face after all her sacrifices, and in the moment when it all came rushing back, she promised to do things differently.

She promised to leave and not return, and if her children didn't want her, then she would not fight. Whatever the cost, she just wanted to live and break the chains that had bound her to her death.

After fighting for her life for three weeks, Sinora woke up, given a second chance at life.

Her eyes wandered around the cream colored room, trying to figure out where she was. A doctor opened the door to check on her.

"Welcome back, miss Anderson. You were unconscious for three weeks, gave us quite a scare. Do you know who you are?" He asked, pointing a torch light in her eyes, and she nodded slowly, a bit wary as to why he thought she wouldn't.

"That's good, you took quite a blow to the head. I'll check your vitals now.' He checked her eyes, her tongue, her wrist, her heart, all while she laid down.

"Everything seems fine. You should rest a bit." He said, and as if it was hypnotic, Sinora felt sleepy, her head was still a bit woozy, and so, she closed her eyes a bit.

When she woke up again, her foster mother was seated on a chair beside her. Alarmed, Sinora tried to sit up, but her body felt weak.

"Easy, Sinora, easy. You shouldn't try to do everything at once." Her mother said placidly.