What does a person look like when their emotions are in turmoil? Elisa was limp in her wheelchair, laughing and crying like a madwoman. Her throat was itchy, her stomach unsettled. With tears of bitterness on her face, she lay against the armrest of the wheelchair, laughing until she felt sick.
She was born from an accident, a life traded for a life by her mother. From the earliest moments she could remember, she faced the disdainful and hateful glares of others, constantly reminded that she carried the weight of someone else’s life, that she should never have come into this world.
But… had anyone ever asked her if she wanted to be in this world?
She loathed herself more than anyone else did. If it hadn’t been for Autumn, who carried her home from the amusement park more than a decade ago, she might not have lived this long.
Finn had given her two choices: he would either save her and keep her by his side, or she would die in an accident. Elisa chose the second without hesitation, but what kind of accident would take her life?
Elisa didn’t know. She had always been afraid of pain, yet over the past twenty years, it seemed she had endured the pain of several lifetimes.
Sometimes she couldn’t help but wonder: what would a 26-year-old be doing? Studying for a postgraduate exam? In love? Getting married? Perhaps even having a healthy baby…
Certainly not like her, bearing scars from head to toe, her life shattered by the person she loved, her limbs disabled, imprisoned in a wheelchair.
She truly wished that kind-hearted people in this world could receive their due, and not die early like she might, never truly experiencing happiness.
In this world, one person as pitiful as her was more than enough.
Elisa gazed at the misty sky. Cloudy days always made her feel sleepy. It seemed that there would be no snow this winter…
Listening to the voices on the television, Elisa dozed off with her eyes closed.
In the bedroom, Mrs. Protich closed the door, effectively muffling any slight noises from outside.
At eleven in the morning, Hamish and Lila appeared on the television. Both were an attractive couple. Hamish, dressed in a black suit, furrowed his brow on the day of their engagement, wearing a stern expression as he greeted the guests.
Standing beside him, Lila, adorned in a high-end gown and millions worth of jewelry, radiated confidence and beauty. Her figure couldn’t match Elisa’s from years past, but if one thing attracted attention, it was her long legs.
Lila wore a red fishtail dress, with a slit that reached her thighs, showcasing her slender, fair legs. She held a glass of red wine in one hand, while the other naturally clasped Hamish’s right hand, confidently welcoming the flashing cameras.
This confident and striking image was reminiscent of the former Elisa.
“I didn’t expect the mayor to show up,” Lila said excitedly, lightly tugging on Hamish’s hand. “Will your grandfather come, Hamish?”
She was more eager for Old Burns than for the mayor. Old Burns held a far more significant position than the mayor. If he attended, her position as Mrs. Burns would be firmly established.
Hamish didn’t miss her greedy eyes. Annoyed, he withdrew his hand and adjusted his tie. “He won’t come. Besides, as an orphan left by a servant, who would take you seriously?”
To dream of enjoying what didn’t belong to her, she had to see if fate would allow it.
Lila’s expression turned extremely ugly. Hamish’s insult, “an orphan left by a servant,” felt like a slap in the face. She felt utterly humiliated, trying to maintain her smile. “Hamish, do you really despise me like this?”
“Despise?” Hamish looked at her calmly, his eyes filled with mockery, as if he was ridiculing her arrogance. “I don’t need to despise you. It’s just that I find you nauseating and repulsive, like finding a fly ina bowl of rice. It’s not disgusting until you see it, and it’s even more repulsive when you’ve already praised the dish as delicious. Do you understand?”
Lila gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to understand!
The engagement banquet proceeded as scheduled, with Hamish impatiently following the proceedings, occasionally checking his watch, eager for it to end.
After the humiliation, Lila took some time to recover, but the smile she wore seemed forced.
At this moment, a man walked in from outside. In a crowded room, the sudden appearance of one person wouldn’t attract much attention. However, Lila saw him. Her smile, just restored, instantly faltered. Her face turned pale, sweat beading on her forehead. How could it be him? How could Finn be here!
Undoubtedly, Finn was the person Lila feared the most. His methods were extremely twisted, and at the sight of him, she felt a pain in her legs.
Lila dared not make a sound, quietly hiding next to Hamish.
Hamish noticed her unease and casually glanced in the direction she was looking, his eyes eventually settling on a spot, a flash of cold, fierce light in his eyes.
Finn took a glass of red wine from a waiter’s tray and raised it in a toast to Hamish from a distance, carrying an air of leisure.
Hamish, however, ignored him.
It was 11:30, with half an hour left before the climax of the engagement banquet…
Meanwhile, several dozen kilometers away, in a villa on a secluded island, thick smoke billowed. Elisa was awakened from her light slumber by the smoke.
She heard crackling noises outside, smelling gasoline mixed with the odor of gas. Her eyelashes trembled. She hadn’t expected that Finn’s arranged method of her death would involve being burned alive.
Her already itchy throat was now irritated by the smoke, and she couldn’t stop coughing. There was an explosion outside, shaking the ground. The bedroom door wavered, on the verge of collapse.
Elisa was no longer afraid of death; she even longed for the day to come. However, her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of a cat’s meow.
Mimi emerged from under the bed, running about in fear, and Elisa’s dilated pupils suddenly constricted. Her previously uplifted spirit suddenly turned cold.