I woke up in pain again. I found myself lying face down on the bed, my back and forehead wrapped in thick bandages.
My mind was blank, consumed by the pain.
“Do you feel better?” a voice sounded near my ear. “Why are you still sweating profusely… Is it still hurting?”
I shivered all over.
“Carter?”
“It’s me.” Carter sat by the bedside, wiping sweat from my forehead. “How do you feel? Is it still painful? That’s strange; I saw the doctor giving you painkillers. Why are you still in pain?”
A strange feeling surged through my heart.
I tried to sit up.
I admit I was afraid of Carter. His temper had become unpredictable. We used to argue less before, but recently, our fights escalated. After quarreling, we would reconcile, only to have more intense arguments later. He had even raised his crutch to strike me.
But now… he was taking care of me at the bedside?
His eyes were filled with anxiety and concern, as if he had reverted to the Carter who used to care for and protect me. But I was timid now, afraid to approach, scared to move forward. I was like a wounded animal, startled at the slightest sound or movement..
“Laura, don’t move!” he stood up with the support of his crutch. “If you move, the wounds on your body might reopen!”
“Carter… why are you here?”
He didn’t directly answer me. “Are you hungry? I’ll have someone bring food.”
“Carter!”
“I’ve arranged for someone to take care of you.”
“Just wait…”
I stopped him.
He stood still, his silhouette carrying an indescribable sense of desolation.
He turned to look at me, “I think… you probably don’t want to see me here. I’ll have someone else take care of you!”
“Carter…” my nose tingled, and my heart felt uneasy.
“You stay. I’m afraid, except for you, no one else in this house wants to see me.”
Carter hesitated, walked over slowly, and sat down beside me, reaching out to touch my hair.
“Laura…” his voice choked, he licked his lips, as if trying to say something. However, after a long while, he still couldn’t find the words.
“I am the sinner of The Lynch Family,” I lowered my head, “It was my dad… who killed Anne. Carter, I’m sorry. I’ve been hiding my identity from you all, I’m sorry…”
This was the apology I should have made. And at this moment, only Carter was willing to give me this chance to say sorry.
He gently wiped away my tears with his fingers.
“You don’t need to apologize,” he said, “You are not the one who committed the crime.”
“But it was my dad…”
“You are you, and he is him,” he looked at me, “You are different. Over the years, I’ve come to understand you. You are a kind and obedient girl.”
“Carter…”
I didn’t know what to say.
Blood oozed out again from the bandage on my forehead. He took the first aid kit and carefully bandaged me.
“Laura, I know, there was a time when I was irrational.” He spoke softly, “You probably figured it out… I, I remembered everything. I recalled that day, everything I saw at the apartment entrance.”
“So, I would lose control of my emotions.” He sighed, “I unconsciously imagined scenes of you being with Cameron… I was jealous, insanely jealous. I felt life was so unfair. Why did Cameron get everything, but still had to take you away from me?”
“And Laura, why on earth did you fall for him?”
His words made me feel ashamed. Tears welled up again, and I cried softly.
“I’m sorry, Carter, I’m so sorry…”
“I did get angry about you and Cameron, so I did many things that made you uncomfortable. But that wasn’t my intention, Laura. I didn’t want that, I lost control, and I didn’t even know what I was doing!”
“Stop talking!”
“I still can’t bear to lose you!” He uttered these words with great difficulty.
He held onto my shoulders, his gaze intense, “Laura, I can’t bear to lose you. Please don’t leave me.”
My last defense completely crumbled.
Now I was deeply guilty, yet Carter was willing to go against the whole world for me.
Do I have any reason to betray him?
I threw myself into his arms, tears soaking his clothes.
The person in my dream must be him… the warm and broad hand in my dream must belong to him!
And the kiss from before…
That must have been my imagination. Cameron hated me so much; there was no way he would kiss me, right?
In this household, the only one who truly cherished me was Carter…
…
My injuries took nearly a month to heal. During this month, I cut off all contact with the outside world and stayed in my room every day.
The household servants, always opportunistic, became distant after learning about my true identity. I couldn’t blame them; not actively mistreating me in such circumstances was already considered lenient. Did I expect them to serve me as before?
Stella had a recurrence of depression and was sent to a specialized treatment facility. Cameron, during this month, was rarely at home. Even when he came back, it was only to grab some clothes or retrieve documents, and he couldn’t stay for more than a few minutes.
Each time I saw him drive away from the window, the indescribable feeling overwhelmed me. I only knew that carrying Cameron’s hatred, my life would never be complete again.
The strangest part was my foster father, Ethan. Such a significant event seemed to affect him as if nothing had happened. In my impression, he had always been an emotionless enigma. When Anne died, he didn’t grieve. When his wife fell ill, he didn’t grieve. When he adopted me, he only responded with a casual “Hmm.”
Now that my true identity was revealed, he wasn’t surprised either. After Stella scolded me, he still went out for social engagements as if nothing had occurred. I even began to doubt if he was truly the master of this household.
Only Carter treated me as before, even better than before. I had no way to repay him; I just wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. It was fine like this, at least for the latter half of my life, I had someone to rely on.
…
One month later, on a rare morning when the whole family gathered, I woke up early to prepare breakfast. I made everyone’s favorite dishes, setting a table full of food.
In truth, I had been harboring guilt about Anne’s incident. For these fifteen years, I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. When I first arrived at The Lynch Family, I had nightmares every night, dreaming of Anne’s severed tongue and her face covered in blood.
Now that I had opened up about the matter, I felt somewhat relieved. Even though they hated me, they also had nurtured me. I wanted to repay and atone in my own way.
Cameron descended the stairs, wearing a broad black shirt that accentuated his strong masculinity. His face remained expressionless as he coldly scanned the table and instructed the housekeeper, “Throw all this out.”
“What?” The housekeeper’s mouth hung open. “But these were all personally made by the young madam…”
“Young madam?” Cameron’s sharp gaze locked onto her before slowly turning toward me. “In our house, there is only a daughter of a murderer, not some young madam!”
“Hurry up and throw it away!” Cameron sternly ordered. “Making breakfast is your job, and you dare to be lazy and let someone else do it! I think you don’t want to work here anymore!”
“No, it’s not…”
“I won’t eat this stuff!” Cameron looked at me. “Someone’s hands are not clean; they are covered in blood!”
I trembled, taking several steps back. His gaze still had the power to hurt me, and his words could easily wound me. No matter what I did, Anne’s death remained an insurmountable obstacle between us. This sin couldn’t be redeemed.
Collecting myself, I spoke softly, “Cameron, you’ve already punished me… Can’t you forgive me now?”
He sneered, “Forgive you?”
“Or how about this, Laura? I’ll go to the kitchen now, grab a knife, cut off your tongue, and then throw you here to bleed and die a miserable death! What then? I’ll let the police beat me up, and I’ll bow a few times in front of your grave! After that, I’ll live peacefully for the rest of my life… How does that sound?”
“Cameron…” I looked at him, tears welling up, “Even if you do that, your sister won’t come back!”
“Yes, she won’t come back!” He roared, grabbing my throat violently, his eyes filled with malice. “She won’t come back… and it’s all thanks to your great father!” His hand tightened, and I felt suffocated.