Chapter 2

The system rebooted quickly.

“You could drop dead, and I still wouldn’t feel like looking at you. No matter how much you act, I’ll never come down to help.”

As Edward spat out those words, I slowly rose, though my right leg was grotesquely twisted.

This odd movement only made him more certain I was putting on a performance, and he lifted his chin, satisfied with himself.

Sophia gasped dramatically. “Edward, look at Emma’s leg—it looks so strange!”

“She’s only broken a bone, that’s all. Dogs can break a leg and be fine in a few days. She’s hardly worse than an animal.”

Edward’s remark made Sophia laugh, and she giggled uncontrollably.

“Yes, and Emma has a knack for escaping death. You saved her after that lorry accident, and now she’s fallen from the penthouse without a scratch!”

As she spoke, Edward’s face grew darker, his hatred for me barely contained.

I knew he’d always regretted saving me.

The day he sent Sophia off to study abroad, I learned for the first time that she was the one he couldn’t let go of.

Distracted by the news, I hadn’t noticed the lorry speeding toward me. He acted on impulse, pushing me out of the way, but in the end, it was his legs that were crushed.

For a professional ballroom dancer, losing your legs was worse than death.

Every day after that, Edward’s resentment for me grew.

“She’s no miracle survivor—she’s a bloody curse. First, she cost me my legs, and now she wants to take you away too!”

His anger boiled over, and he kicked me hard in the leg. My already misshapen limb bent even further, emitting a faint crackling noise.

Edward paused, suspicious, but the sound soon stopped.

He composed himself again and barked, “Go and make some tea for Sophia to apologise.”

I nodded obediently and hobbled to fetch the tea.

Sophia turned her nose up as I approached, clinging to Edward’s arm like a spoiled child.

“Edward, I don’t think Emma’s really sorry. She brought me cold tea, after all. I want it scalding hot.”

I went back, prepared fresh tea, and brought it to her again. This time, she intentionally let go of the cup.

“Oh no!”

Even though the entire cup spilled onto my leg, it was Sophia who cried out in distress.

“Edward, my leg! I think I’ve been burned!”

Edward hurriedly rolled up her trouser leg, revealing nothing more than a faint red mark on her smooth skin.

“Emma Parker, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?!”

I stared blankly at the synthetic skin on my own leg, where the hot tea had scalded me, and muttered numbly, “It wasn’t on purpose.”

Sophia, pretending not to hear, sobbed louder. “Emma, I know you don’t like me, but this is too much! You’re just jealous that Edward and I can still dance ballroom together, aren’t you? Fine, I won’t dance with him anymore.”

Edward was fuming, desperate to console her, and in his rage, he slapped me hard across the face.

“You spiteful woman! All you ever do is cause trouble! Now, clean up that mess from the floor with your tongue, and then give Sophia a proper apology.”