Revenge Of The Jilted Bride

Jilted Bride 2

Chapter 2 Disappointment

Later that day, Emily approached Ophelia, her smile as bright as ever, and led her toward the pool. They hadn't exchanged many words before it happened-Emily had "accidentally" slipped, reaching out to grab onto Ophelia for dear life.

Despite her swimming skills, Ophelia had found herself at the mercy of Emily's panicked strength. At that moment, the world had turned around Ophelia. Emily had pulled her down into the water, dragging her beneath the surface as if Ophelia were a lifeline. While it was Ophelia who had nearly drowned, it had been Emily who the family had fussed over.

"Mom, Dad, I'm fine. Don't worry so much, okay?" Emily's voice chimed sweetly from the hospital bed, reassuring her family, as if she were the one barely hanging on. "Harry, Nathan, you too. The doctor said it was just a scare, nothing serious." Her words were like honey, but Ophelia could taste the bitterness in the air.

"You silly girl, of course we're worried. How on earth did you end up falling into the pool?" Heather, her mother, hovered over Emily with a steaming bowl of soup. She blew gently on it to make sure that it wasn't too hot for her precious daughter.

Ophelia stood at the door, her chest tight. That small scene, the tenderness in Heather's gestures-it pierced her. She had once dreamed of being cared for like that by her mother.

No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she begged for scraps of affection, her efforts never amounted to anything. Emily, on the other hand, with just a single tear, could summon the world's sympathy.

It was as if right or wrong didn't matter when it came to Emily. The moment Emily cried, the family just assumed everything was Ophelia's fault and all their protective instincts flocked to Emily, just as they were doing now.

"Emily, did Ophelia push you?" Nathan, Emily's second brother, asked, his voice hard and full of certainty. "We checked the hotel's security cameras. It was just you and her by the pool."

"No, please don't blame Elia." Emily's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she feigned a look of understanding, her voice trembling just the right amount. "It was my fault. I slipped. Really."

But the more she denied it, the more the Hastings family believed her to be the victim. The way she played the part of the understanding, self-sacrificing sister only fueled their conviction that Ophelia was the villain in this story.

"You're too good for your own good. That's why Ophelia keeps taking advantage of you, Emily," Nathan muttered with a frown, his hands balling into fists, anger radiating off him. "Ophelia's been nothing but trouble since she came back six months ago. She's hurt you more than once, and you still defend her?"

was soft, filled with guilt. "It's my fault. Elia's the ture heiress of our family. I've been taking her place all these years. If she

Ophelia's fate. It was

eldest brother, instantly leaned down and stroked Emily's hair gently, his voice tender as he comforted her. "Don't be silly, Emily. I've told you before, you'll always be our little princess.

a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes that vanished just as quickly as it

this is enough to break my heart." Harry's voice was dismissive, brushing Ophelia's existence aside like it

matter how much she had longed for the family she had been deprived of

different. This time, she wasn't going to bend or break for them. The pain, the humiliation she had endured-it was all coming back. But not for her. It was their turn to

room, Owen, who had remained quiet until now, let out a heavy sigh. "Don't worry, Emily. I'll make sure justice is served," he said, his

*****

family stood as one of the elite powerhouses in

volumes of the wealth and prestige of its owners. The intricately carved front door, a bespoke marvel, could easily fetch a staggering sum, worth tens of thousands of dollars. Ophelia walked from the gate to the mansion on foot, her steps slow and steady, but the walk took nearly twenty minutes. Hastings Villa was

with the grand sight-ornate chandeliers hanging from vaulted ceilings, the crystal alone worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the middle of the living room sat the Hastings family, looking every bit as elite as the home they occupied. Nathan, lounging on the sofa, was the first to notice her.

her once doe-like eyes now glinting with an edge of defiance. For a second, they sharpened into something dangerous, something Nathan had never

to this family, it seemed Nathan had taken on the role of her biggest critic, his

were the old me,' she thought, I'd probably have apologized immediately when he scolded me. Bowed my head, swallowed my pride, and taken the

years, she'd lived in a slum, never once allowing herself to be walked over. Yet, after returning to this family, she had bent over backward to strip away every piece of herself just to fit in. Ironically, in doing so, she had left them believing her to be a pushover. 'That was my mistake.

calm, devoid of emotion. "You should be asking yourselves that. While you all were leaving the hospital, I was still inside, dealing with my discharge papers. It's not easy to catch a cab outside that

so even that it left the room silent for a second. But it was Heather who broke it, her face reddening with anger. "Are you blaming us now, Elia? Since the day you returned, tell

best to make sure you were taken care of. Just because I couldn't attend to you this one time,

laughed softly, a humorless sound that didn't reach her eyes. Her smile was strikingly beautiful, yet it held a chilling detachment that was unmistakable. "You're saying you've never mistreated me? Since I got here, I've been living in a cramped maid's room barely big enough to

respond, Nathan was already on his feet, his finger pointing straight at Ophelia's face. "You should be grateful. We took you