My Family’s Betrayal

David smiled, patting his chest and swearing he would make Laura happy.

To keep Laura in high spirits, not a single family member brought up the fact that I had been missing for a long time.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

A flicker of light lit up David’s eyes. He immediately got up and walked quickly to the door.

He naively assumed that I had heard the news about my sister’s pregnancy, had let go of the past, and was back to celebrate with the family.

However, the moment he opened the door, his smile vanished.

Standing outside was someone he never expected to see.

It was my best friend, Lucy.

She stood there with her arms crossed, eyes sharp as she glared at David. She asked straight to the point, “Where’s Eva?”

Lucy and I had been friends for over a decade.

She had a tough life, too. After her mother remarried and abandoned her, she grew up under the care of her alcoholic father.

Forced by circumstances, she had become as tough as any boy, hot-tempered and explosive with most people.

Though with me, she was always gentle and caring.

No matter what injustice I faced, at home or outside, she would be the one to listen, protect, and fight for me.

“She’s not here. If you’re looking for her, ask someone else.”

Laura stepped out from behind David, about to slam the door. However, Lucy stuck out her foot.

She shoved the door open with force and barged inside, calling out as she went, “Eva! I’m here! Are you home?”

“Get out of here! That bitch isn’t here!” Laura shouted furiously, rushing forward to shove Lucy back out.

The two of them fought against each other, chaos erupting in every direction.

“Lucy, get a grip! Eva really isn’t here!”

David rushed to shield Laura, afraid she might get hurt, and pushed Lucy away forcefully.

Seeing David still protect Laura, Lucy lost it.

She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

“Smack!”

The blow sent David’s head jerking sideways.

She had used all her strength. Wolf claws emerged from her fingertips, leaving five gashes across his cheek.

“You heartless bastard! How could you turn your back on her after making all those promises? Where’s your conscience?!

“Eva gave you everything, and you did something so disgusting! You two deserve each other, you cheating trash!

“And you! Both of you! You’re old enough to know better, yet you still bullied Eva like this? She’s your daughter, too! What kind of parents are you?! I hope all of you get what’s coming to you!”

Lucy’s whole body shook with fury, her voice hoarse as she screamed.

“If anything happens to Eva, I don’t care if it costs me my life! I will make sure every last one of you ends up in jail!”

The entire family froze, stunned by her rage. No one dared take a step forward.

They just stood there in silence until Lucy stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

That night, David did everything he could to calm Laura down and coax her to bed.

Once she was asleep, the rest of the family gathered in the living room.

David’s face was troubled when he finally spoke. “Mom, Dad, Eva’s been missing for days now. What if something really happened to her?”

My parents lowered their heads in silence.

They all knew they had gone too far.

However, they had already chosen this path. Now, they could only hope I would eventually come around and make it up to me when I returned.

Not once did they consider that they might not have a chance to make anything right.

My body was already rotting at the silver mine, the foul stench attracting a swarm of rats.

So, the residential staff had called in a professional exterminator to locate the source.

At dawn, David’s phone rang.

It was the police.

“Hello, is this Eva Corner’s family?”

“We’ve discovered a decomposing female body in the abandoned silver mine behind the villa. Initial identification confirms the victim is Eva. Please come to the station to identify the body.”