That vicious woman Emily Anderson is dead!
They said she drove drunk and tried to dump the body of her own eight-year-old son, but ended up plunging off a cliff when the car veered out of control.
Karma really doesn't miss.
The internet exploded with hate—post after post dragging her through the mud. Everyone was ready to spit on her grave.
But no one knew... Emily was still alive.
The day of the crash, someone had pulled her out not to save her, but to lock her up. Since then, she'd been stuck in a moldy, pitch-dark warehouse, living off scraps and leftover slop.
Sure, they'd apply medicine on her, but only to keep her alive—for more torment.
Her wounds had already started rotting, stinking up the air around her.
She wished she was dead. But those people? They wouldn't let her off that easy. She’d die, and they'd drag her back just to torture her worse the next time.
*Clang—*
The iron chains at the door rattled again. They're back.
Emily’s entire body stiffened. She curled up like a scared animal, trembling all over. Her voice came out cracked and raw, barely more than a whisper. "Please... don't hit me..."
"Emily Anderson!" a man's voice barked, full of disgust.
It hit her like a punch to the throat. She froze—couldn’t make a sound.
That voice... it was Andrew Evans.
The man she'd pretty much given her life to.
That bastard. He’d teamed up with her half-sister Sophia Anderson and swindled the Knight family fortune right out of her hands. She gave everything to get him where he is now.
And what did they do in return? They devoured her like vultures. They twisted the truth, painted her as some greedy witch who murdered her husband Ethan Knight and their child just to get her hands on the family fortune.
In the end, she “died” on her way to dump her kid’s body.
That so-called “accident”? Just another move in their little plan.
Emily suddenly looked up. The fear in her eyes was gone, replaced by burning hatred. "Andrew Evans, you two are heartless!"
Sophia clung sweetly to Andrew’s arm, flashing a bright grin as she stared down at the crumpled Emily like she was roadkill. Her red lips moved slowly, a poisonous smile blooming like some deadly flower."Sis, look at you—how pathetic can you be? With that face and those scars, do you really think you're good enough for Andrew?" Sophia’s eyes were practically dripping with disdain. "Oh right, our wedding's in three days. You're not invited, of course… but hey, I do have a big surprise for you."
Emily's eyes turned red as she snapped, "How could you two be so heartless…"
Before she could even finish, the heavy metal door creaked again.
"Here comes your surprise." Sophia’s smirk was cold as ice, like venom ready to strike. The moment made Emily’s hair stand on end.
Squinting toward the door, she saw a man sitting in a wheelchair.
It was Ethan.
Her eyes stung. "Ethan..." she murmured, taking a step forward purely on instinct, but the shackles on her ankles yanked her back. She couldn’t move an inch, yet she struggled hard, letting the crude metal bite into her swollen skin.
"I'm here. Where’s Lucas?" Ethan’s face turned stormy the moment he saw her lying on the ground, broken and bruised. Fury blazed in his eyes. "What the hell did you do to her?!"
Without thinking, he started wheeling himself toward her.
A tornado of emotions twisted inside Emily—shock, heartache, a rush of warmth. She opened her mouth to warn him, but just then, Sophia and Andrew shot each other a glance and bolted—
No. Something's off!
She shook her head violently. "They tricked you, Ethan! Leave now—don't worry about me! Go!"
But it was already too late.
Bang—
The warehouse slammed shut with a deafening thud.
Outside, Sophia’s wicked laughter rang through. "Sis, after all these days, have you still not figured out what’s piled up in here? Gasoline. Tons of it. All just for you two."
"And Lucas? That little brat? Dead, long ago!" she cackled.
Emily screamed, her voice hoarse and furious. "Sophia Anderson, Andrew Evans—you’ll pay for this! I swear to God!!!"
Ethan pulled her into his arms just as flames started crawling across the floor. He leaned close and whispered in her ear, calm amidst the chaos. "Emily Anderson, whatever you owe me in this life… pay it back in the next."
"Okay," she choked out, tears streaming down her face.
Boom—CRASH—
The warehouse erupted into a roaring inferno.
