3
352words
The doctor said the fire was stopped in time,sparing her face,but her scalp was severely burned,likely causing permanent hair loss.
“No!”Charlotte shrieked,pointing at me.“It’s all your fault!You burned my hair on purpose!You monster!I’ll kill you!”
She lunged,but Ethan held her back.
“Sis,how could Emily hurt you?If she hadn’t stomped out the fire,would you even be alive?”
Her face,bruised from my kicking,twisted with rage.“Ethan,you’re my brother!How can you side with an outsider?She stomped me to let out her anger!”
I cowered behind Ethan,whimpering,“Charlotte,how could you accuse me?It was an accident.You threw the sparkler at me first—I thought we were playing…You’re not that childish,are you?”
“You!”Charlotte swung at me,but I ducked,and her slap landed on Ethan’s face.
I cradled Ethan’s red cheek,whispered foax-concern,“Honey,does it hurt?”
“Charlotte,it’s all my fault.Blame me instead of Ethan.”
Charlotte trembled,pointing at Ethan.“You’re protecting her?She ruined me,and you defend her?I’ll destroy you!”
She charged,but Ethan shoved her to the floor.
“Enough!”he roared.“Emily didn’t mean it,and she saved you.When did you become so vicious?”
Seeing Charlotte’s frantic rage,I relished her despair.
In my past life,after my disfigurement,Charlotte visited me in the hospital,gloating,“Even with your face ruined,Ethan’s on my side.What do you have to compete with me?I’m the most important person to him.”
She thought she cherished Ethan’s loyalty. I’d make her lose it piece by piece.
“Emily,I won’t let you get away with this!”
I snuggled into Ethan’s arms,whimpering,“Honey,I’m scared.”
He instinctively shielded me.“Don’t worry.Charlotte is just upset.She’ll get over it.”
The day Charlotte was discharged,Ethan told me,“Emily,don’t blame her.We grew up relying on each other.She’s had it rough.Let her have her way and then she can apologize.”
“Apologize?”
When my face was burned,he never urged her to apologize,instead, he blamed me for scaring her.
Ethan sighed,“She’s my sister.She raised me.What’s wrong with fulfilling my familial duties?”
What a master of outsourcing filial piety!
Since marrying him,he’d constantly lectured me about Charlotte’s hardships,urging me to serve her,while he never lifted a finger.
I took a deep breath.It wasn’t time to confront him yet.“Okay,honey,I’ll do it.”
When we brought Charlotte home,she demanded the front passenger seat.
