My Fake Sister Stole My Fiancé Chapter 10
Lucinda lay in a haze, her consciousness drifting in and out, until the relentless grip of pain finally pulled her back to the surface of reality. The sensation was both disorienting and terrifying. She felt an overwhelming hollowness where a part of her used to be, a void that echoed with a sense of loss so profound it sent shivers down her spine.
With trembling hands, she clutched at her head, the pressure of her thoughts becoming unbearable. A scream erupted from her throat, raw and primal, reverberating through the stark, sterile confines of the room. The sound ricocheted off the walls, a desperate plea for relief that hung in the air like a heavy fog. It wasn’t long before a nurse burst through the door, irritation etched across her face.
“Enough with the screaming!” she snapped, her voice sharp and commanding. “Mr. Godwin’s fiancée needs peace and quiet. If you don’t stop, I’ll have you moved out of this ward!”
Lucinda, fueled by a surge of defiance, pushed past the nurse, her feet stumbling as she made her way to the doorway of the adjacent room. Her heart raced as she stepped into the threshold, where she found Sullivan, his presence a beacon amidst her turmoil. He was gently feeding soup to Margot, his movements tender and attentive. As he finished, he delicately wiped the corner of her mouth, a simple gesture that felt laden with unspoken affection. Then, he turned to wash the dishes, oblivious to Lucinda’s silent observation.
Lucinda felt like a ghost, drifting through the space, her heart heavy as she watched him. Each gentle action seemed to pull at the strings of her heart, a bittersweet reminder of what she once thought they shared. As Sullivan rounded the corner of the hallway, she caught snippets of his conversation with Robert, the words slicing through her like a knife.
“Sully, I know you care about Maggie. But you’re about to marry Lucinda. You should keep your distance, at least for appearances’ sake.” Robert’s words dripped with concern, but they felt like daggers to Lucinda’s heart.
“Keep my distance?” Sullivan replied, incredulity lacing his tone.
“Yeah. Maggie’s reputation online is talking again. If you’re too affectionate, people will start to notice,” Robert warned, his brow furrowing with worry.
Lucinda’s breath caught in her throat as she listened, her heart racing with every word exchanged. She could hear the tension, the unspoken emotions swirling around them.
Robert’s curiosity was palpable. “But I don’t get it. Back then, you were ready to fight me over Lucinda. How did you suddenly fall for Maggie?”
Sullivan paused, a low chuckle escaping his lips, but it was tinged with something deeper, something that made Lucinda’s heart ache. “Because Maggie saved my life,” he confessed, and in that moment, Lucinda’s heart skipped a beat.
She stood frozen, absorbing his words as he exhaled a slow ring of smoke, lost in the reverie of his memories. “That year, I got into a fight at school. After class, a gang from another school cornered me in an alley and beat me unconscious. I remember it vividly, right before I blacked out, someone shielded me from a knife and then carried me to the hospital. It was a girl—her scent was ylang-ylang. I’ll never forget it. I even heard her call my name.”
The weight of his story pressed down on Lucinda like a leaden blanket, suffocating and heavy.
“When I woke up in the hospital, she was gone. But when I went back to school that Monday, I caught that same scent on Maggie.” His voice dripped with nostalgia, a bittersweet remembrance that made Lucinda’s heart twist painfully in her chest.
“Margot took a knife for me. But Lucinda? She avoided me for a whole week after that, terrified I’d drag her into trouble.” The derision in his tone stung, and Lucinda felt a mix of anger and sorrow wash over her.
Robert hesitated, his expression shifting as if he wanted to say more, but before he could gather his thoughts, a nurse arrived to escort them away. The two men walked off together, their footsteps echoing in the corridor, leaving Lucinda alone with her swirling emotions.
In that moment, clarity washed over her like a cold wave. She doubled over, laughter bubbling up from deep within her, manic and uncontrollable, drawing curious glances from passersby. So that was how it was. Sullivan had misjudged her all along.
Ylang-ylang—the perfume Diane had worn for the man she cherished. Lucinda recalled the day of the incident, her school uniform stained with blood, and how Margot had stolen that bottle of perfume as if it were a trophy. Lucinda’s arm had been slashed by a knife, and the pain of having her wound cleaned in the hospital was a memory etched in her mind. She had received stitches but kept it a secret, terrified that Rosie would exaggerate the story and Robert would scold her. To avoid Sullivan’s gaze, she had distanced herself from him for an entire week.
Now, as she stood there, Lucinda could only marvel at the cruel twists of fate. But even if the past had been marred by misunderstanding, it didn’t absolve Sullivan of the hurt he had caused her. The moment he chose to side with Margot time and again, their relationship had become irreparable.
She would make Sullivan pay for his choices. She would ensure he never uncovered the truth—that the girl who saved his life all those years ago was, in fact, her.
