Chapter 2
A bittersweet feeling settled in Rebekah’s heart.
In a way, she was lucky. Her husband and son hadn’t abandoned her; if anything, they loved her more fiercely than before. Her own upbringing had been cold, but she had built a warm, loving home for herself.
After the surgery, her limbs felt numb and unresponsive. Her throat was painfully dry.
She tried to move her lips, but the sound of Shawn’s voice from outside the door caught her attention.
“Dad, Mom looks so pathetic. The doctor said she’ll be able to stand, but she’ll never dance again. Or hold a scalpel p>
Tears welled in Rebekah’s eyes, a familiar ache tightening her chest. She had expected it, but hearing her son say it still cut deeper than she’d imagined.
“Dad,” Shawn continued, his voice lower, “was it too cruel? Framing Mom with false testimony just to cover for Aunt Candice p>
*W-What? Cover for? Framing p>
Rebekah froze, certain she had misheard.
Her eyes flew open in disbelief as Benjamin’s cold, clipped voice cut through the air. “Candice is a prima ballerina. Her reputation can’t have a single stain on it p>
“As for your mother,” he went on, “she spent years living the life that should have been Candice’s. She owes her for all those years Candice spent as an orphan. Besides, she’s my wife now. What more could she possibly want p>
So, the architects of her ruin were her own husband and son.
Lying in the hospital bed, Rebekah bit down hard on her lip to stifle a scream. The hospital mix-up when she was a baby wasn’t her fault. How could they say she had stolen Candice’s life?
Were all of Benjamin’s vows and promises a lie?
Shawn sighed, his tone disturbingly calm. “Mom is always targeting Aunt Candice.
It’s only fair she learns a lesson. We can just make it up to her later p>
*Later? Would I even have a future p>
Their words echoed in her ears, each one a dagger to her heart. The physical pain in her legs and hand was nothing compared to the agony ripping through her soul. The
masterminds behind her suffering were the man who shared her bed and the child she had given birth to. They had destroyed her, all to protect Candice.
So, Candice was the one they truly cherished.
A dreadful thought surfaced, and Shawn’s next words confirmed it. “But we delayed her surgery. That’s why her hand and legs couldn’t be saved. If Mom finds out, won’t she lose her mind p>
*If my surgery had been on time… I could have been saved? But they had deliberately delayed it.* The truth, cold and absolute, settled in Rebekah’s heart.
A blade twisted in her chest, and she could barely breathe.
She heard Benjamin’s impatient, patronizing voice from the hallway. “So what if she knows? The Fletchers won’t take her back and she’s a cripple now. She can’t
survive without the Forrester family p>
A hint of amusement entered his tone. “Shawn, you like Candice, don’t you? Now
your mother can’t stop you from seeing her anymore. Aren’t you happy p>
Shawn’s voice was a chilling blend of innocence and cruelty. “Of course
I am! Mom acts like some bitter
housewife, always caught up in petty rivalries All I did was talk to Aunt Candice a few times and she would yell at me! People who aren’t properly educated are probably all like that p>
Rebekah felt as if her heart were bleeding out.
Tears streamed down her face, hot against her skin.
It was Shawn who had told her he didn’t like Candice, which was why she had
repeatedly turned down Candice’s invitations on his behalf.
And now, somehow, it was all her fault.