Chapter 7

Elizabeth flagged down a car on the side of the road and, through sheer willpower, made it back home. But the moment she stepped inside, she was hit with a scene that made her heart ache. Cheryl was curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket like a fragile, injured kitten. Daniel sat beside her, carefully feeding her spoonfuls of warm tonic soup as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Catching sight of Elizabeth out of the corner of his eye, Daniel looked up. The second their eyes met, his gaze cut through her like a blade—sharp, cold, and full of nothing but contempt. "You still have the nerve to come back?" Samson stormed toward her, rage boiling over. He raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face. Elizabeth's vision spun. The impact nearly knocked her off her feet. "I get it; you weren't happy Cheryl came back, but she's still your sister. Pulling a stunt like this? What if you scared her half to death? If Daniel hadn't shown up in time, who knew how bad it would've gotten?" Cheryl secretly savored the drama. She feigned concern. "Dad, don't be mad at Lizzy… I'm fine now, aren't I?" "Don't defend this disgrace!" Samson shouted, his chest heaving with fury. Elizabeth stood frozen in place, ears ringing, heart pounding. Then, Daniel finally spoke, his voice colder than ice. "Apologize to Cheryl." Elizabeth clenched her jaw. Then, she did something she never thought she'd have the strength to do. She said no. "I'm not apologizing." Somewhere in the pain and horror of what Rocky and Ted had done to her, she had seen the truth for herself. They were Cheryl's people sent to frame her, to make her look like the bitter, evil younger sister. She hadn't done anything wrong. So, why should she apologize? Cheryl let out a soft sigh, putting on a show of generosity. "Let it go, Dan. Maybe Lizzy didn't mean it. I don't want this to ruin our sisterly bond…" "She almost got you killed. Asking for an apology is too much?" Daniel snapped, his eyes fixed on Elizabeth with growing disgust. When had she become so wild and defiant? Samson, too, was losing patience. He grabbed Elizabeth's arm and yanked her toward Cheryl like a child being dragged into punishment. She let out a small cry of pain, and only then did Samson notice the burns covering her arm, raw and clustered. His brows furrowed. He was just about to ask what happened when Daniel cut in, cold and dismissive. "All that just to frame Cheryl? You really went all out, didn't you? Self-inflicted or not, that's what I call next-level manipulation." Samson's brief hesitation vanished. Confusion gave way to blazing fury. With a forceful hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, he pressed down, driving her knees sharply against the floor. "Your body is a gift from your parents. It looks like you've completely forgotten what this family means. You've forgotten who your father is." Elizabeth looked up, dazed. Her eyes locked onto Daniel's cold, unflinching stare. With Cheryl held against him, he loomed over her, an imposing figure of judgment. She was a broken mess at his feet, kneeling, utterly bereft of all possessions, including her self-respect. Something in her gaze made Daniel shift slightly, discomfort prickling under his skin like a thorn. Still, his voice remained sharp. "Elizabeth, all you have to do is apologize to Cheryl. Do that, and I'll let this go." Elizabeth let out a hollow laugh. Her red, tear-streaked eyes locked onto his face. Word by word, she spat out, "I already told you that I'm not apologizing. Do what you want. Kill me, beat me, whatever." Daniel froze for a second, and then, whatever flicker of pity he might have felt vanished completely. What came next was a relentless storm of fists and insults from Samson, blow after blow, like a violent hurricane. Elizabeth, already weak and battered, didn't last long. Within minutes, she collapsed like a dog with its spine ripped out, crumpling to the floor as darkness swallowed her whole. … She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious. When she finally opened her eyes, the living room was empty. Biting back the sharp, stabbing pain that racked her body, she used both hands to push herself up from the couch. Shaky and slow, she made her way back to her room and checked her suitcase one last time. Just as she was about to close it, Cheryl's voice rang out behind her. "Did you enjoy the little farewell gift I put together for you?" Cheryl leaned lazily against the doorframe, a cruel smirk playing on her lips. "I actually wanted to keep you around for the engagement party, let you bless me and Daniel properly. "But Dad wouldn't have it. Said you've humiliated the Fisher family enough and couldn't stand to see your face another second. "Elizabeth, once you're gone, don't come back. Ever. Because without you here, this house might finally feel like a family. "Oh, and thanks for keeping my man entertained for the past two years. At least he wasn't lonely while I was gone." Elizabeth said nothing. Her lips pressed tightly together, jaw locked. She snapped the suitcase shut. And with it, sealed away the last shred of attachment she had to this place. Before the sun even rose the next morning, Elizabeth boarded her flight overseas. She didn't look back. At the gate, she calmly deleted every trace of Daniel from her phone. As the plane soared across the sky, it carved a pale white trail through the clouds, a final line drawn beneath the wreckage of her past.