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Todos os capítulos de After Her Wild Dawn: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 9

9 Capítulos

Chapter 1

The searing pain of the flames made thinking impossible. My hand was glued to the doorknob, pounding on the door, pleading with Silvia Brooks."Silvia, please, stop. It hurts so much! Open the door, I'm begging you."Silvia's icy voice cut through the chaos, ringing in my ears."Oh, Joanna–so high and mighty, so impressive, huh? You cost me my shot at being a lady of leisure. Now, while someone else is living the high life, you just want to drag me down with you, to waste away! You deserve what's coming to you!"I had convinced myself the fire was a freak accident, but it was Silvia's cruel intention all along.Smoke invaded my lungs, each breath burning like fire. I could not muster the strength to fight Silvia anymore. The flames were swallowing me whole, and I crumpled to the ground, the door remaining shut.If only I had known that my good intentions would lead to that, I would have stayed out of it.Suddenly, a blinding light hit me. Blinking my eyes open, I saw Silvia righ

Chapter 2

"Come on, Joanna, say something!"The sting of Silvia's pinch snapped me back to reality. Her freshly manicured nails dug into my arm, leaving a visible mark.Biting back the urge to retaliate, I managed a weak smile. "Sure. After all your misfires, you're bound to hit the jackpot."Silvia seemed puzzled by my lack of urgency, unlike before, when I would be all over the place, desperate to bring her home."Joanna, you're a med student. Don't those red spots on him look like some nasty bug?"Silvia hung back, wary of getting too close.I chuckled to myself. It seemed Silvia was not as clueless as I thought. In our previous life, she would not listen to me and had to touch it herself. Now that I was on board with her decision, she suddenly got cold feet!I put on my best sincere face and answered, "It's probably just an allergy. I mean, snagging the title of 'young madam' trumps a little infection any day, right?""Hey Joanna, can you lend me a hand here? I can't lift him on my o

Chapter 3

"What's that supposed to mean? You're making a big deal over a few meals? We've always lived off Mom and Dad's money, so don't act so high and mighty!"For all I know, you've been lining your pockets with it. I'm already doing you a favor by not calling you out on it!" Silvia spat back, her face red with rage.Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. She really believed I had been living large on our parents' dime! A chill ran through me.The absurdity of it all made me want to laugh."Fine, you think that? Wait till tomorrow when I lay out every single expense. Then we'll see who's been dipping into the pot," I retorted.With that, I stormed off, leaving Silvia's screams trailing behind me."Go ahead, Joanna, leave! And don't you dare come back!"I did not look back. I did not say a word.The emergency shift at the hospital was just a cover. The first thing I did when I got back was to cut Silvia off from the family account.I flicked on the home security feed and caught Silvia

Chapter 4

Over the next couple of weeks, I threw myself into work and felt a lightness I had never known before, no more dashing home to look after Silvia.Still, I would peek at the home security feed from time to time. I could not figure out where Silvia was getting her cash as she and Derrick lived it up, feasting and drinking like royalty.I bet she was back to her old tricks, racking up debt with online loans. I was curious to see who would be willing to bail her out this time, since I was not there to foot the bill.When last month's bonus hit my account, I made a beeline for the director's office. I asked to cash in all the vacation time I had saved up.Ever since I turned 18, I had dreamed of seeing the ocean. However, with Silvia to care for, I could not even think about a beach getaway, much less find time for romance. If not for that, I might not be single as I neared 30.So, I kicked off my long-overdue vacation and snagged the first flight to the coast.The deep blue sea, the

Chapter 5

I watched the screen and shook my head repeatedly. Even at this point, Silvia still pointed at me, never taking a moment to look at herself.She even convinced herself that I was just jealous back then.The next few days, things quieted down on the surveillance feed.Silvia was out and about more, always coming home with her arms full of medicines and health supplements. I figured she must have found some new scheme to rake in cash.My vacation wrapped up not long after, and I stumbled upon a juicy bit of gossip on a local forum.[Shocking! City's richest man's long-lost son found living rough! To thank his savior, he's throwing a massive wedding right here in town!]The post was written with flair, telling the tale of Derrick, the rich man's son who had had a falling out with his family, hit hard times, and got sick on the streets, only to be rescued by a good Samaritan named Ms. Brooks.Then Derrick was back, and he was so grateful that he had started dating Ms. Brooks, planni

Chapter 6

Two days slipped by, and instead of celebrating Silvia's wedding, I found myself facing her in the emergency room.It was my third night back at the hospital after vacation, and the ER was in chaos. The sound of an ambulance siren grew louder, signaling an urgent case."Clear the way! We've got an emergency!"A nurse burst through with a stretcher.I automatically stepped up, ready to assess the situation, but froze when I saw the patient. Curled up, groaning in agony, with angry red patches and sores on her face and arms, was Silvia.Right behind her was Derrick, looking out of place in his crumpled, pricey suit. He wore a look of impatience and disgust, standing back as if afraid of catching something vile."Doctor! Where's the doctor? Someone see her now!" Derrick barked, his eyes darting around, avoiding Silvia's gaze.I slipped on a mask, pushing down the turmoil inside me, and approached with a professional demeanor."What's going on? Tell me about the symptoms."Silvia'

Chapter 7

Silvia's eyes followed Derrick's back, the spark in them snuffed out, leaving a desolate gray. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Only her tears fell silently, mingling with the raw sores on her face, painting a picture of utter despair. I watched from the sidelines, my heart void of any triumph. There was only a profound sadness and a sense of the ridiculous. That was the social climb she had sought, even if it meant burning me alive, the 'perfect man' she had convinced herself she needed. "Let's get her into isolation and call in another doctor," I said to the nurse, my voice betraying none of my turmoil. However, then, Silvia clutched at my wrist, her once immaculate nails then broken and bare. "No, you're my sister. You have to cure me!" I let out a harsh laugh and shook off her grip. "And who do you think you are?" "I'm your sister! You have to save me! I don't trust anyone else!" Her eyes were wild, almost monstrous. I did not respond, just gestured to the n

Chapter 8

The news was on, showing a local business update. There was Derrick, sharp in his suit, standing next to an older man with silver hair at some corporate event.The caption read, [Shaw Group's Chairman, with his son Derrick, stepping into the limelight for the first time...]On the screen, Derrick's once ravaged face had healed significantly after treatment. A layer of foundation made him look almost presentable as he offered a smile to the camera.Next to him was a young woman, her attire impeccable, her demeanor refined. The host introduced her as the heiress of a partner corporation.Silvia's gaze was fixed on the screen, her nails digging into her flesh, leaving behind bloody crescents.Her body trembled with a mix of rage and despair.As the scene on the television faded, she whipped her head around to face me, her eyes red and raw, her voice as coarse as sandpaper."You... You knew all along this would happen, didn't you?"I held the medical file, my eyes calmly locking wi

Chapter 9

A week later, as I was getting ready to sell the old house, I found Silvia sitting on the doorstep.Surrounded by a cluster of cigarette butts, I wondered when she had picked up smoking and why she was there.Her face bore the marks of her healed scars and new bruises, likely from a debt collector's fists. When she heard me approach, she looked up, her eyes shadowed with bruises. "Joanna, I was wrong, I really was. Please, can I stay with you?" she implored. It was the first time in my two lifetimes I heard Silvia ask for anything with such desperation.I felt almost nothing inside; the urgency to hear her apologize had long since faded."I'm going to sell the house. Stay away from here from now on."I reached for the door, but a tug at my clothes stopped me. I glanced back, annoyed, to find Silvia, her face streaked with tears."Joanna, I had that dream again. I should've known all along, you've been the only one who's ever truly cared for me. I won't hurt you again, I promise

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