"Calm down, Elaine," said a man quietly. "We just have to make sure she doesn't wake up."
I recognized the voice, and the betrayal hurt almost more than my broken body.
It was Vince Clarke, the man I was supposed to marry in three months.
They kept talking. His voice remained gentle, even as every word revealed how cruel he truly was.
"Did you forget what we agreed on? After Kendra marries me, we'll keep her hidden somewhere. Then you'll get the surgery and take her place. We grew up together, Elaine. You're the woman I always planned to marry. You would've been my wife if Kendra hadn't suddenly returned. She disappeared for years, but the moment we were about to get married, she came back and ruined everything."
Sorrow and anger churned inside me.
The Scott family had found me and brought me back home only a year ago.
Elaine had cried while promising that we would be closer than real sisters, even though she'd taken my place after I disappeared.
She'd also encouraged me to honor the marriage agreement between the Scott and Clarke families. After that, she'd brought me into her circle of friends and introduced me to Vince.
Not once had either of them mentioned that they'd been a couple.
Vince had even claimed he needed a wife with my background. According to him, Elaine could never fill that role because she was adopted and wasn't related to the Scotts by blood. He'd deliberately treated her badly and insisted that she deserved it after taking my place in the family.
I thought his resentment toward her was my fault, and the guilt had eaten away at me. That was why I'd secretly convinced my parents to give her shares in Scott Group.
The truth was clear now. They'd lied to me from the very beginning. Every move they'd made was part of a plan to let Elaine replace me, claim my identity, and take everything that belonged to me.
I forced my anger down and opened my eyes just enough to see them.
Vince and Elaine stood close together beside the bed. He reached into his pocket and took out a small bottle of pills.
"You don't need to worry anymore, Elaine. Kendra won't be around much longer. Everything the Scotts have will belong to you, and then you can finally marry me."
Elaine couldn't hide the excitement on her face as she stared at the bottle.
"What did you bring, Vince?"
He walked toward me while gripping the bottle in one hand.
"Sleeping pills and a few... hallucinogens," he said with open malice. "I'll force her to take all of them, and she won't wake up again. After that, I'll make everyone believe she got high, stole your car, and crashed it. Your adoptive parents are overseas on vacation, so no one will even notice whether she survives."
Fear broke through the haze of pain. Vince planned to end my life for Elaine.
There was no way I would let him succeed.
Vince leaned over and tried to shove the pills into my mouth, but I opened my eyes before he could.
I met his stare and saw the intent to kill written clearly across his face.
He immediately reached for my neck.
His fingers were inches away when I gave a weak cough and looked at him as though I didn't recognize him.
"Who... who are you?"
His hand stopped in the air. He looked over at Elaine, and they exchanged a glance filled with surprise and barely contained excitement.
Elaine rushed to my side at once. Tears poured down her cheeks while she put on a convincing show as my terrified, loving sister.
"Kendra, what's happening? You're really scaring me. Don't you know who I am?"
Her voice carried the same warmth she'd always used around me. However, her watchful eyes studied every change in my expression.
My body was too weak to fight back or expose them. I pressed my nails into my palm and made sure my face gave nothing away.
"I don't think so," I answered uncertainly. "What is this place? And who are you?"
Another thrilled look passed between them, though both of them struggled to hide it.
"Kendra, did the accident erase your memory? I'll get a doctor right now!"
Elaine ran out of the room to find one.
Every test came back normal, and my vital signs showed nothing unusual. Still, I pretended that I couldn't answer any of the doctor's questions.
The act seemed to convince him because he eventually replied, "It looks like Ms. Scott developed temporary memory loss after the accident."
Elaine staggered at the news. She placed one hand over her chest before falling into Vince's arms.
"No, this can't be happening. I refuse to believe it. How could Kendra suddenly forget everything?"
Watching her ridiculous performance made my stomach turn.
Still, I couldn't risk giving myself away, so I kept staring at them with an empty, confused look.
"I lost my memory? No, that doesn't make sense. I can remember... I..." I winced. "My head hurts..."
Both hands flew to my head as I twisted beneath the sheets and pretended the pain had become unbearable.
Vince kept one arm around Elaine as he looked down at me without the slightest concern.
"If you can't remember anything, then I'll explain it to you. Your name is Kendra Scott, and you're the Scott family's adopted daughter. The woman beside me is Elaine Scott. She's younger than you and their only biological child. I'm Vince Clarke, her fiancé. Three days ago, you got drunk and tried to run her over because you were jealous. She escaped without getting hurt, but you were injured in the crash. Even after what you tried to do, Elaine still brought you here and made sure you received treatment."
Every lie came out with such calm certainty that I might have accepted his story if my memory were truly gone.
Disgust and rage burned inside me, along with the bitter sting of betrayal.
The sight of them clinging to each other strengthened my determination.
They had trapped me with lies and fake affection. Soon, I would show them just how foolish they'd been to underestimate me.
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