Chapter 4
Tiffany hid the jealousy in her eyes and smiled. “Shannon, Laura’s been hitting people at school lately. I’m apologizing to these ladies on your behalf.”
The women around chimed in.
“I heard they filed for divorce. Ms. Logan is young, gentle, and pregnant with a son, Mrs. Hartoff is about to be replaced!”
“That wild Laura has no manners at all.”
Matthew’s face darkened.
He probably thought Laura and I embarrassed him.
But I didn’t care.
While everyone stared in shock, I grabbed Tiffany by the collar.
A
S
Just as I was about to confront her, I caught a glimpse of the necklace on her chest.
**
It was the one my mom wore before she died–lost the day her oxygen tube “accidentally” slipped off.
My body trembled. My pupils shrank.
A horrifying thought flashed through my mind.
Tiffany stared back, eyes gleaming with excitement and glee.
“Shannon, you really know how to return a favor.”
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Chapter 4
She lowered her voice.
“My mom took care of your dad for years. So now you’re helping me train my future husband?
“Then I should really thank you! This time, it’s your brat’s turn for an ‘accident‘.”
I snapped.
Tears burst out uncontrollably.
She was my dad’s illegitimate daughter!
The one who killed my mom was now living in my house like she belonged there.
And now she was trying to kill my daughter, too!
– ૧૪ ૧૬૦ ર
By the time I realized what I was doing, I had already thrown myself at Tiffany with everything I had.
Matthew rushed to stop me, stunned.
“Shannon?!”
Tiffany let herself fall backward, crashing to the ground with a cry. “Matt… my belly… save the baby…”
Matthew looked at her belly and quickly helped her
- up.
At that moment, a broken video signal came through my watch–thick smoke and Laura’s feet, already burnt black.
“It’s on fire! It hurts! Will I… still be able to dance for Mommy again…‘
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Chapter 4
My heart split in two.
I lunged for Tiffany’s throat like a madwoman.
“Which floor is my daughter on?!”
My hysteria made Matthew uncomfortable.
“Shannon! Calm down! Look at yourself! Is this how a Mrs. Hartoff should behave? Where’s your dignity?!”
Behave? Dignity? What did that even mean?
A woman whose mother was murdered, whose daughter was about to burn alive–what behavior or dignity was there left to keep?
He didn’t wonder why the usually gentle me had lost control.
He just stood there, lecturing me from above.
the me
16
Ashamed of my outburst and completely indifferent to what I cared about.
I almost laughed, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
નોન એસી સ
الاستال
Matthew froze for a moment. He reached out to touch my face–I slapped his hand away.
“If you’re mad, take it out on me!”
Tiffany screamed, “Don’t teach the kid to lie just to get Matthew’s sympathy! Laura’s already this twisted–what’ll she grow up to be?!”
Disappointment flickered in Matthew’s eyes.
I begged him through tears. “Start the sprinklers! Laura’s going to burn to
death!”
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Chapter 4
He hesitated for a second.
But then Tiffany gave a helpless smile.
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“Shannon, this building is fireproof. The Hartoff family paid big money to make it a safehouse.”
The socialites around us snickered.
W
“Exactly. If there’s a fire, someone must’ve shut off the system. The alarms already went off!”
“That kid’s a liar, just like her mom…
“Real mom’s not as good as the stepmom, huh?”
e A
ཅུཀ་ད་ ད་ར་ད་ར་་ད་སྐད་ག་དེ་ངན་ན་ད་ ཆེ་ ་་རེར་ན་བྱེད་ཤོད་
Every word favored Tiffany–like I was some monster of a mother.
The men looked at Matthew with pity.
As if they were wondering how someone like him ended like me.
Matthew’s face turned dark.
you forget!
up
with someone
“Shannon, did building was made for you and Laura. Nothing can
