A Tale of Intrigue and Passion

Chapter 7

“Accident? Are you saying Karen had a car accident?” Jessica and Christina’s father gasped in shock.

Just three weeks ago, the Evans and Richter families had celebrated the grand engagement. It was a glittering night of stars, a gathering of elite figures from the business and political realms, all assembled to witness the union of these two powerful families. Although the Richter family was well aware of the influence wielded by the Evans family, it wasn’t until that night, as they watched notable faces from every corner of society coming forward with congratulations, that they fully comprehended the extent of that power.

“What happened? What’s going on?” Christina asked, trembling on the sofa. She clutched a pillow tightly, her eyes fixed intently on the phone, as if it might somehow yield all the answers.

“Dad, what did you just say? Karen…was in an accident?” Her voice quivered, as though merely uttering his name was too much to bear. What kind of nightmare was this? She was a bride-to-be, meant to be married tomorrow, and now this tragedy was looming like a shadow over her dreams.

“Is he…is he alright, Dad? Ask them quickly, please!” Christina’s voice wavered with rising panic, her heart clenched as if an invisible hand were gripping it tightly.

“Car accident.” Those words hit Jessica like a thunderbolt. She sat, rooted to the spot, an intense unease seizing her. Karen was soon to become her brother-in-law; she’d known that from the first day he began dating Christina. She’d long since extinguished her own feelings for him, but sometimes, emotions refuse to be bound by logic. Despite burying them deep, she knew she still harbored feelings for Karen.

Three weeks ago, at the engagement, she’d had every reason to be there as Christina’s elder sister, but she had feigned illness to avoid attending. Christina had been thrilled and showered her with praise for being such an understanding sister, wholly unaware of the inner turmoil Jessica was enduring.

“Ah… my dear in-law, how is Karen? He’s all right, isn’t he? We’ll go to him immediately…” Jessica and Christina’s father struggled to keep his voice steady, nearly overwhelmed by the heart-wrenching cries from the other end.

“W-we don’t know…” came the hesitant, tear-choked reply. “He’s in a terrible state… Before losing consciousness, he was murmuring Christina’s name…”

“Unconscious?” Jessica and her father cried out in unison. That single word filled the room with an unbearable silence, each syllable thick with foreboding. Jessica felt as if the air had been siphoned from her lungs. Though she’d accepted her fate, knowing her life was never meant to intertwine with Karen’s, she had wished for nothing but his happiness with Christina. How could this have happened?

What about his life…was it in danger? She gripped the folds of her gown, her gaze imploring her father for any reassurance.

“Dad, let me take the phone.” Christina interjected, snatching the receiver. “Mom, you’re saying Karen’s been in a car accident? Which hospital is he in? We’ll come right away.” Since the engagement, she’d begun addressing Karen’s mother as “Mom,” eager to embrace her new role in the family.

“He’s at Elizabeth Hospital. We’ve arranged for privacy to avoid press interference. Call when you arrive, and we’ll have someone meet you,” Karen’s mother said, finally regaining some composure.

“All right…” Christina’s voice steadied with a determination that glittered in her eyes.

She hadn’t anticipated how severe Karen’s injuries would be. When she and her parents arrived at the hospital, the doctor informed them that Karen had just pulled through a critical phase. His right arm was broken, and his right leg, the doctor cautioned, might confine him to a wheelchair for life unless he committed to an arduous rehabilitation. He bore other injuries too, though the doctor assured them that the sturdiness of his car had mitigated the worst of the crash’s impact.

But all Christina could hear was that Karen might never walk again. How could she, beautiful, accomplished Christina, marry a man who might spend his life crippled? It was unthinkable.

Yes, she loved Karen; she couldn’t deny that. But how could reality ask her to tie her life to someone so…so ruined? She was perfect in her own eyes and deserved a perfect partner.

She wasn’t wrong, she told herself—just a little realistic, perhaps a touch selfish, considering her own future a bit more than usual.

“What a joke! Postponing the wedding won’t change anything. I’d rather cancel it altogether than be weighed down by this!” Christina snapped. She’d rather marry a less distinguished man than one who might be disabled.

“How should I know when he’ll recover? If he ends up in a wheelchair forever, what am I supposed to do?” Her fury mounted with each passing thought.

“Christina, how can you say that? He’s…he’s your fiancé!” Jessica’s heart felt seared, as if by fire, each word from Christina a fresh wound.

“You’re supposed to care for him…” she managed.

“Care for him? What am I, some saint? Do you think I’m endlessly compassionate?” Christina’s voice dripped with bitterness.

Jessica saw it all—the callousness, the selfishness—but she said nothing. Christina was her sister, after all.

“If you truly don’t want to marry Karen, maybe it’s best to call off the engagement.”

“Call it off?”

“Yes. I’m sure Karen’s parents are reasonable people. They’ll understand your uncertainty about the future…”

“Sis, what would you know?” Christina glared. “All you do is study; you’re utterly clueless! Yes, I thought of breaking it off, but…what if I’m wrong?”

“Wrong? What do you mean?”

Jessica was baffled. For the first time, she felt as if Christina’s world and thoughts were utterly alien to her.

“i***t, what I mean is, what if he does recover? What if his arm heals completely and he’s able to walk again? I’d lose everything!”

“Christina…”

“So here’s my dilemma, sis. I don’t want to end it with him, but I can’t bear the thought of being married to a cripple.”

“So…what are you suggesting?”

A calculating glint entered Christina’s eyes as she looked at Jessica. “They say we look alike, don’t they? And you’ve always been so good to me. Why don’t you go instead? Help me take care of him.”

“What? Christina, you’re his fiancée…”

Christina’s gaze was hard. “I know that. I’m not denying he’s my fiancé, but if he’s like this for life…what am I supposed to do? You’re my sister—you should be willing to help me out, right?

It wouldn’t be a bad deal for you either, you know. Just a single necklace he gave me was worth a year of your salary…”

Her words stung. Jessica, who had always loved her sister deeply, now saw a side of her she scarcely recognized.

“Christina, you’re using him…”

“Oh, don’t be so high and mighty. I’m not using him—I genuinely like him. I was ready to be a blushing bride tomorrow, but now this has happened, and I’m the unlucky one!”

She smirked. “Let’s not pretend, Jess. I know you have feelings for Karen, but he only has eyes for me. In a way, I’m doing you a favor, giving you a chance to get close to him…”

Christina’s voice had a hollow ring, her words like a twisted gift.

“If he’s going to be this way forever, you can stay by his side for life. But if, by some miracle, he recovers, then you have to step aside and let me take my rightful place,” she said, eyes glinting with a twisted seriousness. “Karen is mine. If he gets better, don’t even think about keeping him for yourself. You’ll give him back to me!”

“Christina, he’s a person, not a possession! You can’t just lay claim to him like that!”

“I don’t care. That’s my decision.”

She clapped her hands, satisfied with her plan. No matter what the outcome, she saw a way to gain the upper hand. In her mind, she was not being heartless—just looking out for herself, as anyone would.

“I have my own work to do. I can’t just drop everything to look after him.” Jessica’s voice was firm, not out of selfishness but from a need to honor her own responsibilities.

What did Christina expect of her? Jessica, too, had a life—her work meant the world to her, and she couldn’t abandon her career over family matters, however urgent they might be. She knew this might seem cold, but she believed Karen would understand. He’d always been a strong, independent man; he wouldn’t want his accident to derail anyone else’s life.

Christina sighed, sensing Jessica’s resolve. It was clear she couldn’t sway her sister.

Jessica watched Christina’s troubled face, a pang of sympathy stirring in her heart. She knew Christina had always been sheltered and seldom faced genuine hardship. But now, she would have to confront the harsh realities of life, to shoulder responsibilities for herself. Whatever happened, Jessica would be there to offer moral support, to help her sister through this trial.

Night settled heavily around them as they sat silently in the living room, each lost in thought. They understood, on some deep level, that whatever path they chose, life would never return to what it once was. Yet both held hope that if they faced it together, there was nothing they couldn’t overcome.