Crippled by Deception, Now They Drown in Regret

The five large characters burned into my vision, searing through my eyes and making them sting. Their family, because it had never been mine, had never included me.

I drifted home in a daze, collapsing onto the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. Time lost meaning, slipping away unnoticed until a familiar voice outside the door jolted me back to reality.

They had returned.

The bedroom door creaked open and Elijah stepped inside. Without hesitation, he walked to my bedside and bent down, wrapping his arms around me.

"Wife, I’m sorry. Work has kept me busy these past few days. I haven’t had time to accompany you."

"The day after tomorrow is your birthday," he continued. "I spoke with my parents and we’ve decided to throw you a grand celebration."

Silence.

I didn’t respond. Didn’t even look at him.

He pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead, tucked the blanket around me like I was something fragile and then turned and left.

And then, like a wave crashing through my mind, I remembered.

Five years ago. My birthday.

That was the day my parents had publicly announced my engagement to Elijah. The day Scarlett had lost control, blinded by rage and run me over, crippling me.

And in the five years since I had been brought back to this house, I had remained an outsider. No matter how much I tried, I could never act spoiled like Scarlett did in front of my parents.

At my own birthday banquet, I had always been a shadow, forgotten in the background, while Scarlett stood at the center, surrounded by guests I didn’t even know.

She had once sneered, “Only I deserve this banquet. You, an orphan from a shelter, don’t deserve anything.”

She had always basked in the thrill of stealing my spotlight. Tonight would be no different, would it?

I knew her too well.

So when she appeared at my birthday banquet, draped in a server’s uniform with a mask obscuring her face, I felt nothing. Not a flicker of surprise. Not even a ripple of emotion.

And yet, the moment my family recognized her, their reactions were anything but calm.

“What are you doing here? Are you out of your mind?” my father hissed, his voice sharp with panic. “If she finds out, all our efforts over the years will be wasted!”

But my mother, ever the doting protector, rushed to defend her.

“She hasn’t been back in so many years. She just misses home,” she pleaded softly. “Why must you be so harsh?”

“She’s dressed like this anyway. Azalea won’t recognize her.”

Elijah, of course, was moved by her act, as he always had been.

And then, in that familiar, saccharine tone, Scarlett murmured, “Honey, today is my birthday too. I want to cut the cake later.”

Elijah barely hesitated. “Alright,” he said smoothly. “Since Azalea is in a wheelchair and it’s inconvenient for her, you can do it.”

And just like that, right before my eyes, Scarlett stole what was meant to be mine.

She stepped forward, lifted the knife and cut into my exclusive birthday cake, a towering masterpiece over a meter tall.

She took it a step further, her malice on full display as she sliced my chocolate figurine clean in half.

Then, without warning, a loud bang could be heard.

She shoved the cake stand toward me with force. Gasps rippled through the crowd as every pair of eyes snapped in our direction.

The metal support inside the stand nearly struck my face.

Elijah rushed over, his expression tight with concern. “Wife, are you okay?”

Then, with perfect timing, he turned and snapped at Scarlett.

“Clumsy! You can’t even cut a cake properly. Get lost!”

I lowered my gaze, masking the sarcasm flickering in my eyes.

How laughable.

He had seen it. He had watched her do it on purpose, yet his reaction was impeccably staged.

The ideal son-in-law my parents had chosen was clever, calculating and always knowing what to say.

At his outburst, my parents exhaled in relief, waving someone over to clean up the mess.

The grand banquet hall buzzed with life once more and Elijah seamlessly slipped back into his role as the perfect host, entertaining the guests.

The air felt suffocating.

I needed to leave.

Just as I moved to wheel myself away, a pair of hands suddenly gripped the handles of my wheelchair.

Scarlett pushed me toward the garden, her grip firm on the handles of my wheelchair.

“Sister, long time no see,” she purred, smugness lacing every syllable.

“Did you notice? When they sang the birthday song earlier, every single pair of eyes was on me.”

“So many years have passed and yet they still love me more than you.”

“You should’ve just stayed an orphan,” she sneered. “Why did you come back, trying to compete with me? Look at you now, crippled, stuck with a husband who was never yours to begin with. If I were you, I wouldn’t have the dignity to live another day.”

I tilted my head up, my gaze steady as I met hers.

“The only one who should be ashamed is you.” My voice was calm, but every word hit like a blade.

“The man you wanted was set to be engaged to me, so you resorted to the lowest tactics to steal him, nearly landing yourself in prison in the process. And now?” I let my lips curl into a faint smile. “You’re nothing but a ghost. Forced to live in hiding, change your name and never dare to show your real face. Even now, just to stand in front of me, you have to disguise yourself like this.”

“Tell me, Scarlett, who’s really the pathetic one here?”