Chapter 3

Annie's POV

"I couldn't sleep, so I came down for a walk."

Anna tilted her head.

"Didn't expect to interrupt your romantic dinner. Am I in the way?"

I looked at her, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"No, have a seat."

Anna sat down next to Frank, placing a wine bottle on the table.

"This is an '82 Lafite from my collection. Such a romantic evening deserves something good."

She poured a glass for each of us.

I picked up my glass. Frank stopped me. "Baby, you're pregnant. You can't drink."

"Just one sip." I dodged him and drank it down. I'm leaving tomorrow anyway, so whatever.

The wine burned going down, bitter and harsh.

Frank shook his head helplessly and was about to pick up his own glass when Anna suddenly clutched her chest. "Oh no... my medicine!"

Her face went pale. "Frank, I left my medicine at the hospital. I have to take it tonight, or else—"

"I'll go get it right now." Frank immediately stood up, putting down his glass.

He kissed my forehead. "Wait for me."

Then he left.

Only Anna and I remained in the dining room.

The candlelight flickered. Her face watched me in the shifting shadows, like looking at prey.

I continued cutting my steak, pretending not to notice.

"You're quite the actress." Anna sneered coldly. "Annie, aren't you tired?"

I looked up calmly. "Acting what?"

"Pretending you don't know anything." Anna tilted her head.

"You heard everything in the hospital hallway, didn't you?"

I gripped the knife tighter.

"I knew it." She laughed. "You know why Frank married you, you know who planned the car accident, you know who he really loves. But you're still here acting like nothing's wrong, preparing a candlelit dinner—what are you hoping for, Annie?"

"Hoping he'll fall in love with you? Hoping he'll choose you?"

I put down my utensils. "Say what you want to say."

"Fine." Anna clapped her hands. "No more games—do you remember the hospital ten years ago?"

My heart jumped.

"That little girl who stayed with Frank all night—that was you, wasn't it?"

Her smile widened. "Too bad he thinks it was me."

"You're lying."

"Lying?" Anna laughed. "Annie, do you know Frank has been remembering that 'little princess' all these years? I told him that person was me. I was the one who stayed with him, told him stories, made him fall in love with that memory."

She leaned closer, word by word. "He married you because he thinks he owes me his life. That's why he was willing to marry a tool—a tool who can donate a heart to save me."

"You'll never be loved, Annie. Because you don't deserve it."

I tried to stand up to argue, but my body suddenly felt wrong.

My arms went weak, my legs powerless. I grabbed the table edge, barely staying upright.

"You put something in the wine..."

"Finally figured it out?" Anna stood up, looking down at me.

"Added a little something to the wine. Don't worry, it won't hurt your precious baby, just makes you... nice and obedient."

My heart sank.

She drugged me.

Anna walked behind me, looking down from above.

"Oh, one more thing—Dad's death wasn't your fault."

My eyes widened.

"I killed him." Her tone was casual. "That day, Dad was supposed to take me to the amusement park. But because of you, he changed his mind and went to the circus instead."

"I was furious. Why should you ruin my day?"

She crouched down, looking straight into my eyes. "So when Dad was driving, I grabbed the steering wheel and yanked it hard."

"Bang—" She mimicked the crash sound. "Dad died on the spot. You sat in your car seat without a scratch."

I trembled all over, collapsing to the floor.

"Then I ran home crying and told everyone: 'It's Annie's fault! She kept talking and Dad got distracted!'" Anna's smile grew more triumphant. "From then on, everyone hated you, and everything became mine!"

"How could you..."

"How could I not?" She stood up, her high heel stepping on my palm.

"Because I've hated you all along."

Sharp pain.

I bit my lip, not letting myself cry out.

"You were born before me, you got so much more love than me—you owe me all of this!" The heel pressed harder. "I should have been their princess!"

Her voice became shrill. "So I killed Dad, framed you, watched everyone hate you, reject you—God, it felt amazing."

Tears blurred my vision.

All these years, all the coldness, all the hatred—it was all because of her lies.

"Stop crying."

Anna lifted her foot and picked up the candle from the table.

"It's not over yet. Tonight, everything ends."

She threw the candle at the curtains.

Flames instantly consumed the fabric, spreading rapidly—curtains, carpet, sofa. Within seconds, thick smoke filled the room.

The fire grew closer, the smoke choking me until I couldn't breathe.

No. I can't die here.

Can't take my baby with me.

I gritted my teeth, using my elbows to crawl desperately toward the door.

Every inch was agony, but I couldn't stop.

"So stubborn." Anna stood watching. "It's useless."

"Even if you survive by some miracle, you'll still die donating your heart to me!"

Just then, I saw the steak knife on the table.

I grabbed the handle and stabbed it hard into my own palm.

Blood. Searing pain. Clarity.

"You're crazy!" Anna screamed.

I used the table to pull myself up and lunged at her.

Before she could react, I grabbed her wrist and pinned her hand to the table with the knife.

Anna's scream pierced through the smoke.

I didn't look back, using every ounce of strength to rush toward the door.

But the fire had spread everywhere, smoke blurring my vision, the drug taking effect—my legs gave out.

Just as I was about to fall, the door burst open.

"Annie!"

It was Frank.

He caught me. "Are you hurt?"

Before I could answer, Anna screamed, "Frank! Save me! My hand—"

Frank whipped his head toward the flames, seeing Anna pinned to the table.

For an instant, he froze.

Then he let go of me.

"Stay here."

He rushed back into the fire.

I leaned against the doorframe, watching him disappear into the smoke.

Soon, he emerged carrying Anna, carefully protecting her injured hand, rushing out without looking back.

The smoke grew thicker, my vision blurrier.

I curled my body to protect my belly, using my last bit of strength to crawl toward the door.

But it was too late.

The smoke and drugs hit simultaneously, consciousness fading.

In the last second before darkness, I saw Frank's back as he carried Anna away.

He chose her.

Like everyone else, he chose Anna.

Then everything went black.