Chapter 3

I endured my dad's punches and kicks as my mind drifted to my previous life. It had been the same back then.

When Estel poisoned me, I had begged our parents to take me to the hospital. However, they locked me up instead. They watched coldly as I slowly lost my life.

I could never understand why, even though I was their daughter too, they always favored Estel. We were twins, yet Estel got new clothes and attended good schools, while I wore hand-me-downs and worked tirelessly for her.

The pain in my body grew sharper, and I cried out in agony. I was mentally counting down the minutes. A few moments later, a neighbor knocked on the door and asked what was going on.

My dad paused and responded casually, "It's nothing. My older daughter fell down."

After shutting the door, he kicked me again. "Do you understand your mistake now?"

In the past, I never admitted fault no matter how badly I was beaten. This time, I acted like a frightened rabbit and quickly apologized. "I was wrong, Dad. I shouldn't have said that about Essie."

Even then, my dad wasn't satisfied. "Are you still planning to call the police?"

"No, I won't. I promise I won't."

After I repeatedly apologized, my dad's anger finally subsided. I then turned to Estel and my mom and pleaded for their forgiveness.

My mom's expression remained cold. "Enough. Go make dinner. We're starving."

I then obediently tied on an apron and went to the kitchen. Just then, Estel's phone chimed, and she let out an excited scream after reading the message.

"She's dead! Nina's dead! I need to go to the hospital and comfort Julian!"

She immediately rushed to her room. She changed her clothes, applied her makeup, and slipped into a pair of high heels. Our parents were worried about her going out so late, so they grabbed the car keys to drive her.

Once they had all left, I packed my things and prepared to leave this house for good. I ran into the neighbor outside, who frowned when he saw my bruised face.

"Your parents beat you again?" he asked. Then, he noticed the suitcase in my hand and clicked his tongue.

"Good. Get out of here. If you stay any longer, something worse will happen."

I thanked him, hoisted my suitcase, and hailed a cab.

In the cab, the radio started broadcasting the news of Nina's death. She was killed in a car accident. Julian was offering a reward of ten million dollars for information about the hit-and-run driver.

The cab driver sighed. "That guy must be bold to hit someone like that and drive away. A rich man like Julian will hunt him down like it's nothing."

I simply murmured in agreement.

The driver continued, "I heard Julian used to be a gangster, but he turned his life around after meeting his wife. Now that she's gone, I bet a lot of people will get in trouble."

I nodded again. It was a shame that the person in the most trouble didn't yet realize their predicament.

In the following days, the internet was flooded with two kinds of news: one about Julian offering a massive reward for leads on the driver, and the other showing footage of Estel saving someone's life.

Dressed in white, Estel's image of her kneeling on the ground and covered in blood as she performed CPR went viral. Millions shared the video, and many started calling her a heroine.

There was another video of Estel silently shedding tears at the hospital. She told the reporters, "I'm heartbroken that I couldn't save Mrs. Stewart. It must have been because I didn't try hard enough."

Meanwhile, Julian stared at her intently from behind, and his expression was unreadable.

Estel forwarded the video to the family group chat. "Look at Julian's gaze. It's obvious he's falling for me."

Our parents eagerly agreed, and the three of them indulged in yet another daydream about Estel marrying into wealth.

I was the only one who replied, "Oh, he's definitely thinking of something. It looks like he's ready to kill."

My comment quickly provoked Estel's anger. In response, she proudly sent screenshots of her chat history with Julian. It looked like they had exchanged hundreds of messages over the past few days.

Estel had been consoling Julian, and he had responded in kind, thanking her for her words and saying they were a great comfort to him. The tone was undeniably ambiguous.

She gloated. "After reading these, do you still think he doesn't have feelings for me?"

I couldn't help but remind her. "Isn't it possible he's trying to get information out of you? Julian can have any woman he wants. Why would he be interested in you?"

Estel exploded with rage. "Esmeray Gage, I haven't even dealt with you for what you said last time. Are you itching for trouble again?"

My dad chimed in. "Where have you been hiding these past few days? Don't think we can't find you."

The three of them lashed out at me, ending with a threat to kill me if I dared to call the police. I simply put my phone away and glanced outside.

After leaving home, I had rented a place to stay. However, I could only afford a small unit in the slums because of financial constraints. Ironically, it was close to where Nina's accident had occurred.

Every day after work, I saw Simon going into the nearby shops, questioning people, and checking surveillance footage.

Two days later, Estel sent another screenshot to the group chat. Julian had invited her and our parents to his estate. He said he wanted to thank her properly.

She even tagged me in the chat. "@Esmeray, now do you see how charming I am? This isn't just a visit. It's practically meeting his parents!"

This time, I didn't reply.

Estel was so focused on seducing Julian that she hadn't noticed the complete disappearance of news about Nina's death. There were no updates online, the police had stopped investigating, and even Simon hadn't shown up for two days.

This wasn't a gratitude dinner—it was a trap. They were walking straight into their doom.

I sighed and decided to head back to my rental for a proper meal. Just as I stepped out, a luxury car stopped in front of me.

Simon got out and approached. "Ms. Esmeray Gage, right? Mr. Stewart has invited you to his place."