Emma's POV

The words hit me like a sledgehammer.

Sophie. My sister. Tried to kill herself.

The shock made everything else disappear for a second. The pills, the lies, the hurt, all of it just evaporated. All I could think was: Sophie tried to die. My sister wanted to die.

I didn't even think. I just moved. Pushed through the pain in my body, ignored the way my legs felt weak and shaky. I grabbed the first clothes I saw jeans, a T-shirt- didn't even care if they matched, and threw them on while practically running down the stairs.

By the time I got outside, Dylan had already started the car. The engine was humming, exhaust coming out the back. He was about to leave without me.

I ran to the passenger side and yanked the door open.

"Get your filthy hands off my car."

His voice stopped me dead. I looked at him through the open door. His face was twisted with disgust, like I was something dirty he'd stepped in.

"Who the hell said you could sit there?"

My hand fell away from the door handle as it had burned me. I stood there on the driveway, feeling about two inches tall. Like dirt. Like trash. Like nothing.

"Dylan, please," I heard myself say, and I hated how small my voice sounded. "I'm worried about Sophie too. She's my sister. Let me come with you."

He actually laughed at that. This short, bitter sound that had no real humor in it.

"Worried?" He looked at me with something close to amusement, but cruel. "Shouldn't you be throwing a party if she's dead? Isn't that what you wanted all along?”

He gave me one last look, full of pure contempt, and then he just floored it. The car peeled out of the driveway so fast it left tire marks on the pavement.

I stood there watching the car disappear down the street, my face drained of all color. I felt numb. Completely numb.

After standing there like an idiot for what felt like forever but was probably only a few seconds, I finally snapped out of it. I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and called for a ride, then spent the whole drive following the route Dylan's car had taken.

---

Riverside General Hospital. That's where they'd taken her.

I walked through those sterile white hallways, following the room numbers until I found the right one. The door was partially open, and I could see inside.

My feet stopped moving. I just stood there in the doorway, frozen.

Dylan was walking toward the hospital bed, and I watched with this sick, twisting feeling in my stomach as Sophie looked up and saw him. Her whole face just... crumpled. She was already pale, so pale she looked almost ghostly against the white sheets, but when she saw him, tears started streaming down her cheeks.

Then she practically threw herself into his arms.

At least she wasn't in danger. Thank God for that. I felt some of the crushing weight lift off my chest. She was okay. She was alive.

"Dylan..." Sophie's voice was so soft, so sweet. Like honey.

She said his name the way I wished I could say it, with affection, with the certainty that he'd catch her. And he did. She told him everything that had been hurting her, all her pain and sadness, and he just held her through it all. His arms wrapped around her like she was something precious. Something worth protecting.

Standing there watching them, they looked perfect together. Like one of those couples you see in movies, beautiful, tragic, meant to be. And me? I was just some random person standing in the doorway. An intruder. Someone who didn't belong in this picture.

I swallowed hard, trying to push down all the hurt that was bubbling up in my chest, and forced myself to walk into the room.

"Sophie..." I started to say.

"Emma, you ungrateful wretch! How dare you show your face here to see Sophie!"

The voice came from behind me, sharp and furious. I barely had time to process it before I was about to turn around.

I knew that voice. Mrs. Patricia Morgan, Sophie's mother. Well, her adoptive mother. Same as mine, technically, since they'd adopted me too.

But I never got the chance to turn around fully.

SLAP.

The sound cracked through the room like a whip. Pain exploded across my left cheek, so sharp and sudden that my vision actually blurred. Little spots of light danced in front of my eyes. My head snapped to the side from the force of it, and I stumbled, nearly losing my balance.

"You shameless little harlot!" Mrs. Morgan's face was twisted with rage, her carefully applied makeup doing nothing to hide the pure hatred in her eyes. "We took you in out of the goodness of our hearts. We fed you. We clothed you. We gave you a roof over your head. And this is how you repay us? By stealing Sophie's fiancé?"

My cheek was burning. Throbbing. I could feel it starting to swell already.

She started going off about that night three months ago, the night everything changed. The night I woke up next to Dylan. But she was making it sound like I'd planned the whole thing. Like I'd orchestrated some elaborate scheme to trap him.

I wanted to explain. God, I wanted to explain so badly. It wasn't like that. I didn't plan it. I didn't even know how it happened.

But before I could get a single word out, her hand flew again.

SLAP.

The other side of my face this time. The impact was even harder than the first one, and I felt something warm and wet in my mouth. The metallic taste of blood. My lip had split open, and I could feel the blood starting to trickle down my chin.

The room spun. My legs felt like jelly. I swayed on my feet, the floor tilting under me, and I was about to go down. I could feel myself falling.

Then a voice, loud, booming, and furious, cut through everything.

"Emma, from this day forward, you are no longer a Bennett! You hear me? We don't have a daughter who's shameless enough to do whatever it takes to get what she wants!"

Dad, Mr. Richard Bennett. My adoptive father.

I looked up at him through blurry eyes, my vision still wonky from the slaps. His face was red, veins bulging in his neck. He looked like he wanted to hit me too.

And then he did.

Not a slap this time. A kick. His foot connected with my side, and I felt something in my ribcage protest with a sharp spike of pain. The force sent me stumbling backward. I crashed into the wall, then slid down to the floor in a heap.

Everything hurt. My face, my side, my heart.

I sat there on the cold hospital floor, tasting blood, feeling like my whole world had just shattered into a million pieces that I'd never be able to put back together.

Emma POV

I hit the floor hard. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and instinctively, my hands flew to my stomach. Protecting it. Protecting the baby that no one else even knew existed yet.

Before I could catch my breath or try to say anything, Mr. Bennett's hand came down again. Another slap to the side of my head that made my ears ring.

"You worthless piece of trash! Why would Sophie try to kill herself over someone like you? You're the one who deserves to die!"

Each word came out through clenched teeth, dripping with disgust. He hated me. I could see it in his eyes, pure, unfiltered hatred.

"Dad, it's okay. Really. I'm not meant to be with Dylan anyway. Please don't blame Emma."

Sophie's voice drifted from across the room, soft and broken, punctuated by quiet sobs.

My lip was still bleeding, the corner of my mouth throbbing and swollen. My head felt like it was full of static, buzzing with pain. But I forced myself to lift it anyway, to look up.

And there they were.

Sophie was leaning against Dylan's chest, and he was holding her so carefully. So gently. His eyes were soft in a way I'd never seen them, at least not when he looked at me. His whole face radiated tenderness as he whispered something to her, probably telling her everything would be okay.

They looked like they belonged together. Like they were two halves of the same whole.

It twisted something deep in my chest, sharp and cruel.

If that night three months ago had never happened, Dylan would be with Sophie right now. He'd be her fiancé, her future husband. Not mine. And Sophie wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed after trying to end her own life.

Even though I didn't plan any of it, even though I never meant for things to turn out this way, the guilt crashed over me like a wave.

"Sophie, you're still defending that witch right now?" Mr. Bennett's voice rose again, furious and incredulous. "If she hadn't trapped Dylan, you'd be Mrs. Carter by now! You wouldn't be so heartbroken you'd want to kill yourself just because you and Dylan got separated. You're too kind. Too forgiving. That's why she keeps taking advantage of you!"

His words stung, each one like salt in an open wound.

"Dad, please stop..." Sophie's voice wavered. She turned her face to look at me, and her eyes were red and swollen from crying, held something that might have been pity. Or maybe sadness. "Emma, if you loved Dylan, you should have told me. I wouldn't have fought with you over him. Why did you have to do it like this? I'm so disappointed in you."

"Sophie, I didn't…" I started to say, but the words barely made it past my split lip before Mr. Bennett cut me off.

"How dare you say it wasn't you!" His face turned an alarming shade of red. "Are you really going to keep lying, you awful…" He stopped himself from finishing the curse, but barely. "Fine. If you want to be stubborn, I'll beat the truth out of you!"

He grabbed a chair from beside the hospital bed, lifting it above his head.

My blood ran cold. My hands instinctively went back to my stomach, covering it protectively as I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Why are you still here? Do you want to die?"

Dylan's voice cut through the chaos, cold and sharp as ice.

I opened my eyes. Mr. Bennett had frozen mid-swing, the chair still raised above his head. He was staring at Dylan.

My whole body was shaking as I scrambled to my feet, every muscle screaming in protest. I had to get out of there. For the baby. I had to protect the baby.

I kept my head down, couldn't bear to look at any of them. My face was swollen and hot, probably already turning purple. I covered it with one hand and limped toward the door as fast as I could manage.

Behind me, I could hear their voices, accusing, angry, disappointed. But I didn't look back.

When I finally made it to the hospital entrance, I reached for my phone to call another ride.

It wasn't in my pocket.

My heart sank. I must have dropped it somewhere in that room during all the chaos. The thought of going back there, facing them all again, made me feel physically sick.

But I needed my phone.

Taking a shaky breath, I turned around and headed back.

When I got to the elevator, the doors slid open right as I approached.

And there he was. Dylan, stepping out.

He stood there looking perfectly composed as always, tall, confident, his handsome face completely unreadable. He stood out even in a crowded hospital hallway, the kind of person your eyes just naturally gravitated toward.

But something felt off. Why was he leaving already? Shouldn't he be up there with Sophie for longer?

I didn't let myself think about it too much. I kept my head down and quickly stepped into the elevator before the doors could close.

I felt like a criminal sneaking around. My heart was pounding as I rode back up to Sophie's floor, creeping down the hallway like a thief trying not to get caught.

There, my phone was sitting in the corner by the wall, right where it must have fallen during everything.

I grabbed it quickly, my hands still shaking, and was about to leave when I heard it.

Sophie's laugh. Bright and energetic, coming from inside the room.

"God, I feel so good when I think about how that pathetic country girl got beaten until she couldn't even lift her head."

Country girl?

I froze. My blood turned to ice in my veins.

Was she talking about... me?

"If I hadn't walked into the wrong room that night, I would've been the one who spent the night with Dylan! How could I let that trashy country bumpkin take advantage of it? I feel absolutely sick whenever I think about Dylan being with her!"

Every word hit me like a physical blow. My face went completely white. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.

The truth was right there, forcing its way into my brain even though I desperately didn't want to believe it.

Emma POV

I couldn't connect the woman I was hearing with Sophie. My Sophie. It didn't make sense.

Ever since the Bennetts took me in and I met her, I'd always thought she was this sweet, generous person. Elegant and kind. Gentle in every way. But now...

"I'm so angry I could scream!" Sophie's voice rose, sharp and bitter. "I spent so much time planning everything perfectly. I even got Dylan to drink that spiked drink. I had reporters ready to come photograph everything first thing in the morning so there'd be proof that I'd spent the night with him. That way Mr. Carter would have to let me marry Dylan. But I screwed up the stupid room number! I ended up sleeping with some disgusting random guy instead, and Emma, that pathetic little tramp, accidentally got everything I worked for!"

So that was the truth. That was the real face of the "good sister" who'd been crying and begging everyone to show me mercy just minutes ago.

My heart was racing so fast I felt dizzy. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The emotion bubbling up in my chest felt almost hysterical.

This was Dylan's, precious darling. The one he looked at with such softness and care.

This was everyone's sweet-tempered, well-mannered young lady.

This was my big sister. The one I'd looked up to and respected for years.

"You're an idiot too, you know." That was Mrs. Morgan's voice now, scolding. "How could you walk into the wrong room?"

"I wanted to make it more fun, so I took some of the drugs too!" Sophie's tone turned defensive and agitated. "How was I supposed to know they'd be that strong? What are we going to do now? I don't want her staying in the position of Mrs. Carter for another second! Dylan is MY man!"

"It's simple." Mr. Bennett's voice was calm and confident. "Did you see how worried Dylan looked just now? As long as you say the word, he'll definitely divorce that worthless girl."

Mrs. Morgan laughed, the sound light and delighted. "Your father's absolutely right. Dylan was forced by that old man to marry her. But the person he actually loves is you. As long as you ask him to, he'll make you Mrs. Carter in no time."

Sophie made this satisfied little sound. "Who does that witch think she is? How dare she try to compete with me for Dylan? If her bone marrow hadn't been a match for mine, she never would have been allowed into our family in the first place. Do you know how disgusted I feel every single time I have to call her my sister?"

The words hit me like ice water.

My vision started going dark around the edges. I felt this creeping coldness starting at my feet and working its way up through my whole body.

The Bennetts hadn't adopted me out of kindness or good intentions.

They'd adopted me because Sophie needed my bone marrow.

For the past five years, Sophie had been calling me her sister, playing the role of the loving older sibling. But it had all been an act. A hypocritical show put on for appearances.

Whenever I wasn't around, I was nothing to them. Less than nothing.

Heh. How absolutely ironic.

A wave of nausea hit me suddenly. The ugly truth was making me feel physically sick.

"How annoying!" Sophie's voice came through the door again, irritated now. "I went through all the trouble of setting up this fake suicide scene to make Dylan want to divorce that witch. But then he had to leave for some stupid emergency meeting before I could even talk to him about it."

So the suicide attempt had been fake too. Another performance. Sophie had been putting on a show for Dylan, trying to manipulate him into divorcing me as quickly as possible.

The whole thing suddenly felt ridiculous. Almost laughable. How could someone as smart as Dylan fall for someone like Sophie?

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Mrs. Morgan's voice was soothing, reassuring. "I'll call Dylan later and tell him that awful girl came here to cause trouble again. I'll say she triggered you and pushed you into an emotional breakdown that made you try to kill yourself. I'm certain he'll agree to divorce her after that."

I could hear the satisfaction in Sophie's response, like everything was going according to plan.

"Mom, you're brilliant! Yes, let's do exactly that!"

Whatever tiny shred of hope I'd been holding onto for this family, for their affection, their acceptance, it died right there in that moment. Just completely crumbled to dust.

I let out this short, bitter laugh and pushed the door open without bothering to knock or announce myself.

"I believe that as long as I'm still breathing, the position of Mrs. Carter will never be yours, Sophie!"

The room went dead silent.

All three of them whipped around to stare at me, their faces frozen in identical expressions of shock. Like they'd seen a ghost. Their eyes were practically bulging out of their heads.

"You... Emma... how long have you been standing there?" Sophie's voice came out strangled, her face going pale.

"Long enough." I walked further into the room, and I was surprised by how steady my voice sounded. How calm I felt, considering my entire world had just been turned upside down. "Long enough to hear every single word of your little plan."

"You were eavesdropping!" Mrs. Morgan recovered first, her shock quickly morphing into outrage. "How dare you…"

"How dare I?" I actually laughed at that. "How dare YOU? All of you!" I looked at each of them in turn. "You used me. You only brought me into your family because you needed my bone marrow for Sophie. You never cared about me. Not once."

"Now you listen here…" Mr. Bennett started, his face turning red.

"No, YOU listen!" Something inside me had snapped. Five years of trying to be good enough, trying to earn their love, trying to fit into a family that never wanted me in the first place. "I heard everything. The drugs. The setup. The fake suicide. All of it."

Sophie's eyes darted nervously between her parents. She looked panicked now, trying to figure out how to salvage this. "Emma, you're misunderstanding…"

"Stop." I held up my hand. "Just stop with the act. I'm done. I'm so completely done with all of you."

"You ungrateful little…" Mrs. Morgan took a step toward me, her hand raised like she was going to slap me again.

But I didn't flinch this time. I stood my ground and looked her dead in the eye.

"Go ahead," I said quietly. "Hit me again. But it won't change anything. I know the truth now. And you know what? I'm glad. I'm glad I finally see you all for what you really are."

My hand moved protectively to my stomach again. These people didn't deserve to know about the baby. They didn't deserve anything from me anymore.

"Emma, if you know what's good for you…" Mr. Bennett started, his voice low and threatening.

"What? Will you kick me out? Disown me?" I smiled, but there was no humor in it. "You already did that, remember? I'm no longer a Bennett. You made that very clear."

I turned to look at Sophie one last time. She was sitting there on the hospital bed, and without the mask of sweetness and innocence, I could finally see the real her. Cruel. Manipulative. Rotten to the core.

"You want Dylan so badly?" I said. "You want to be Mrs. Carter?"

She stared at me, suspicious and uncertain.

"Well, too bad," I continued, my voice hard. "Because I'm not giving him up. Not now. Not ever. You're going to have to watch me live the life you think you deserve. And there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.”