Chapter 5
Allison lost her father when she was a child, and after that, she, her mother, and Rafael relied on each other to survive.
But after her mother passed away and she got married to Jacob, Rafael slowly stopped reaching out.
Eventually, he cut off contact altogether.
Rafael worked as a detective, and they hardly saw each other. She once asked Jacob to have the police department check on him, but all she got was a single sentence.
Jacob told her, “Rafael said… since Mom’s gone, the family doesn’t need to stay close anymore. There’s no reason to stay in touch.”
She was heartbroken by his coldness and wanted to talk to him directly, but when she tried, she wasn’t allowed in and didn’t even get to see him.
Now, holding the phone, she scrolled through and found a few texts from him.
“Allison, can you please give me a call?”
“You’re really skipping our parents‘ memorial? Just because of Jacob?”
“I’m not against you two anymore. I found something about the negotiator from before. Can we meet?”
But every message had been met with coldness, cruel replies that weren’t
hers.
Chapter 5
Allison clutched her phone so hard that her fingers turned pale.
All this time, Jacob had been using her name to hurt Rafael and cut off her last family bond!
She clenched her jaw, stood up suddenly, grabbed her car keys, and stormed out. She had to confront him and demand an explanation!
When she found out he was at the hospital, she headed there right away. As soon as she got near the entrance, she saw Jacob pick Sadie up and spin her around.
He looked overjoyed and announced, “I’m going to be a dad!”
At that moment, the world seemed to go silent. Allison froze in place, her legs almost giving out.
Jacob kept speaking, his voice loud and clear, “Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter. I’ll protect both of you with my life.”
Sadie giggled and said, “It’s only been three months. You’re way too excited.”
Allison murmured to herself, “Three months… That was the same day I ran into him.
Every sentence hit her like a blade to her heart. She closed her eyes and unexpectedly burst into laughter.
She remembered hearing him make that same promise when she told him she was expecting. But what was the result? The child was gone, and all he could say was, “Maybe it’s better this way… or they’d use it to
threaten…”
It’s really ridiculous.
Chapter
She didn’t go any closer. No angry outburst, no confrontation–just a strange, eerie calm. Then she turned around and walked away.
There was no point in asking anymore. Whatever answer she got would only be another lie.
When Allison got back home, she thought about calling Rafael. But then she remembered the cruel words he must’ve received under her name, and she worried he might still be upset. So she called someone else and asked them to help find out where Rafael was.
Jacob kept himself occupied, and Allison started avoiding him on purpose. She just wanted to see Rafael and wait for the transfer order from the police department before she left.
But then Sadie knocked on her door on purpose, showing off a necklace. around her neck. She smiled and said, “Isn’t this necklace cute? I said I liked it, and Jacob gave it to me right away. You’re not going to be petty, are you?”
When Allison got a clear look at the necklace, her eyes went wide, and she suddenly shouted, “Who told you that you could wear that!?”
Sadie smirked even more and said sweetly, “What’s the big deal? Did your dead mom leave it to you or something?”
Her tone grew sharper. “Speaking of your mom, she really picked the worst time to die. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have gotten in trouble…”
“You witch!” Allison screamed, slapping her across the face.
Smack! The sound cracked through the air. Allison lunged at her, eyes burning with tears. She snatched the necklace and yelled, “Give it back! That belongs to me!”
Chapter 5
That was the only keepsake her mother left behind. How could Sadie have
it?
Sadie’s face turned to the side from the slap, and a vicious look flashed in her eyes. Allison yanked the necklace back, trembling all over as she held on to it like it was priceless.
She always kept that necklace safe in her jewelry case. Since only she and Jacob lived there, it was obvious how Sadie had gotten it!
“You dare to hit me?!” Sadie yelled loudly.
While Allison wasn’t paying attention, she shoved her down the stairs. Sadie herself lost her footing and fell hard on the stairs.
“Sadie!”
Allison saw Jacob rush over in a panic, but instead of helping her, he hugged Sadie. As she leaned backward, a sharp pain hit her forehead, and warm blood started dripping down her face.
Her fingers tightened around the necklace, and with shaking hands, she called the police.
“I want to report a crime. Someone just tried to kill me on purpose…”
Jacob stared at her, shocked, and snapped, “What are you doing? Are you trying to ruin Sadie?”
