"Please don’t cry!" I said, patting lightly on Emma’s back. My arm was stiff, but I didn’t want her to cry anymore.
"Why? Why didn’t you tell me?" she kept sniffling, her voice cracking as she clung to me tighter. "You should’ve told me... I should’ve been there for you."
"Emma," I whispered, trying to pull her off me without hurting her or myself. "I... I’m still injured."
"Ah—" She gasped and jerked away immediately. "Please forgive me," she said in a panic, her hands hovering over my sides like she didn’t know where to touch. "Did I hurt you? Are you bleeding anywhere? Shit, I didn’t mean to—"
"I’m fine," I muttered, looking away still feeling uncomfortable about talking my past life to Emma. "Can you please not cry?"
"How can I not?" she barked at me, tears still running down her cheeks. "You’ve been through hell, and I didn’t even know! How the hell am I supposed to act like that’s okay?"
I stared at the floor. My voice barely came out. "I understand."
Emma wiped her nose with the back of her hand, still glaring at me through her tears.
"But you must not tell anyone," I added in a soft tone. My hands trembled slightly in my lap, curling them into a fist.
"Why?" she asked almost yelling at me. "You’re still trying to hide it? After everything that had happened to you!?"
"I know," I pronounced sharply. "It’s not what you think. I’m not... afraid of talking about it... But first of all... It’s unbelievable and secondly, I want to be strong, not the same weak Sera that I had been in my past life."
Emma looked at me, her mouth slightly open, like she wanted to argue again but she stopped. She just stood there. Her expression was full of anger and disagreement with me.
"I hate that you went through this alone," she said, voice barely a whisper now. "I hate that you didn’t trust me enough to say anything."
I wanted to explain myself but I had no strength left in me. After hearing and talking to them I was already exhausted.
"Let’s not talk about it anymore for the time being," Emma finally said in a gentle tone as she noticed my discomfort. "It’s not like I’m letting you go just like that... but remember—"
"Yes, yes!" I cut her off before she could start another lecture. "But make sure Lia doesn’t say anything to anyone, okay? Not even by mistake."
"Don’t worry," Emma said with a wink and gave me a playful pat on the head before walking out of the room.
As soon as the door shut, I let out a shaky sigh. She’d finally stopped.
My eyes fell on the diary at the corner of the desk that Emma took away from my hand and put it there.
I picked it up and closed my eyes.
"Brother..." I whispered under my breath, my fingers tracing the edge of the page. "It’s not that I want to make you worry, but... if you don’t lose me, you’ll never understand what I’m worth."
I knew it sounded selfish and even cruel, or manipulative. But you must have to go through this.
In my last life, they only turned their attention toward me when I was already done for and there was nothing left in me.
But I wouldn’t let that happen this time. This... this was my chance.
If they don’t care now, they’ll lose me again. And this time, it’ll be for good.
They need to know that they must include me in their happiness, because if I couldn’t be involved in their happiness, they didn’t deserve me in their grief. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novèlfire.net
"What are you planning to do?" Asher asked, watching Alistair pace the room like an animal in heat. "We can’t just tell Grandma about this. She just got out of surgery last month!"
Alistair didn’t say a word. He just raised his hand, fingers pressed to the bridge of his nose, silently telling Asher to shut up.
The room once again fell silent.
Asher clenched his jaw. "What do you want me to do then?" he snapped. "Let her walk free again? I’m telling you, Alistair... I’m not letting Melissa off this time. She crossed the line."
"Sure, she did," Alistair muttered, his voice was dead cold. "But she’s not the real problem, is she?"
Asher’s shoulders dropped slightly. He looked away and let out a slow and heavy breath. "I know..." His fists were still clenched. "But I can’t let it slide this time. She needs to be taught a lesson."
"I’m not planning that either," Alistair said as a smirk appeared on his lips. "If we can’t touch her directly... there’s someone who can."
Asher narrowed his eyes. He already knew who Alistair was talking about.
But he still wanted to do it with his own hands.
"I’m just afraid Mother will interfere again," Asher muttered, the bitterness in his voice rising. "She’s always been the real villain, hasn’t she? How smartly covered up every damn thing as if she were a victim, and Sera was the one who had done something wrong.
His hands were trembling now, but he didn’t bother to hide it.
"She played her part well," he continued as his jaw tightened. "She acted like she was trying to look for Seraphina... and cared for her. But all she ever wanted was to act innocent and..."
Alistair didn’t answer right away. The smirk faded from his face as his eyes stayed fixed on his brother, coldly.
Because deep down, he was furious.
If Asher hadn’t been so damn blind... if he had just paid attention to Sera from the beginning, none of this would’ve happened. She wouldn’t be living her life in hell.
But Alistair could also see that Asher had changed. The fog that Mrs. Lancaster and Melissa had wrapped around him was finally lifting. He wasn’t blind anymore.
And that was the reason Alistair decided to let it go.