They Abandoned Me, I Became Untouchable

Chapter 4

After that day, I didn't see Ava around the house again. My father went to Rivermark ahead of me to make arrangements in person, while my mother busied herself packing everything I would need.

Only the servants and I remained at home.

Ava kept updating her social media feed. One day she was betting at the racetrack; the next, she was out hunting in the countryside, living as extravagantly as ever.

And every photo she posted showed the same three people together.

I felt nothing when I looked at them anymore. I turned off my phone.

I never expected what would happen the day before I was supposed to leave.

I put on my mask and headed to the hospital alone to have my dressings changed. The driver assigned to me was new, and he kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

I found it strange, but I didn't think much of it.

Then the car pulled into Colton's estate.

I stared out the window in surprise. "Why are we here?"

The driver smiled. "Miss Turner, Mr. Hayes said he wanted to surprise you."

Before I could ask anything else, I saw Ava, Colton, and Logan laughing with a crowd of guests.

My heart began pounding as I got out of the car.

Ava hurried over and slipped her arm through mine. "I knew you'd come, Annie. This is your engagement party with Colton. Of course you had to be here."

My expression didn't change.

If anything, I found the whole thing absurd. 'Since when did I have an engagement party?'

"I'm not interested. I need to get to the hospital and have my dressings changed."

I pushed Ava away, and her expression shifted at once.

The guests turned toward me and looked me up and down.

"Why is Miss Turner wearing a mask?"

"Isn't this her engagement party? Why did she come dressed like that?"

"You don't think the rumors about her being disfigured were true, do you?"

Whispers spread through the room.

I felt nothing. I turned to leave. "I have somewhere to be."

I couldn't delay my hospital appointment.

My mother had told me that after this dressing change, I could go to Rivermark and begin treatment for the burns on my face.

I had barely taken a step when Ava frowned and tugged at my arm, speaking in an affected, pleading voice.

"Annie, are you leaving because of me? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come at all..."

She grabbed me and pulled me backward.

My mask slipped off my face.

Gasps erupted around us. Someone even pulled out a phone and started taking pictures of me.

For a moment, I didn't know what to do.

Ava let out an exaggerated gasp of her own, then dropped to her knees and started slapping herself over and over.

"I'm sorry, Annie. I didn't mean to do that. I know you hate me, but Colton arranged this party for you. Please don't leave because of me. I only wanted to stop you. I never meant for everyone to see you like this."

She kept my mask pinned beneath one knee, giving me no chance to grab it back. Camera flashes stung my eyes.

I reached out to push her away.

Before I could touch her, someone shoved me hard to the ground.

My lower back slammed into the edge of a step, reopening wounds that hadn't fully healed. Fresh blood began seeping through my clothes.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my eyes burning with tears.

Colton helped Ava up and pulled her into his arms before turning on me.

"You're so damn ungrateful! Look at the state you're in. Ava suggested throwing this engagement party to cheer you up, and this is how you treat her?"

The disgust in Colton's eyes was unmistakable.

Logan stepped forward too. "If we'd known what kind of person you really were, we'd have been disgusted to call you our friend. Ava came from nothing, while you grew up with everything. Why do you keep going after her? Are you really that jealous? You already tried to have the kidnappers kill her, and now you won't even let her keep what little dignity she has left?"

After hearing Colton and Logan, the guests got the wrong idea about what had happened. They decided I was jealous of Ava and had been targeting her over and over.

They began pointing at me too.

"So that's what happened."

"Ava may be adopted, but she's sweet and beautiful. Poor thing, having a sister like that."

"I can't believe Miss Turner hired those kidnappers because she was jealous of Ava."

"And she ended up disfiguring herself."

"Sounds like she got what she deserved. No wonder they're rushing the wedding. Once her face was ruined, no other family would agree to a marriage alliance."

My nose stung, my ears rang, and my shoulders shook uncontrollably.

I shoved Ava hard. She fell with a cry and burst into tears.

I ignored her, pulled my mask free, and put it back on.

Colton immediately seized my wrist, his whole body taut with rage. "What are you doing?"

When he released me, even more blood seeped from my wounds. I gritted my teeth and swallowed back my tears.

"If you still want our marriage alliance to go ahead, behave yourself. Go after Ava again and I'll cancel it immediately."

"Then cancel it."

I forced myself to my feet, trembling.

Without another word, I turned and walked out of his estate, leaving Colton staring after me in stunned disbelief.

By that evening, photos of my face had spread throughout our social circles.

Everyone said I had ended up this way because I was fighting Ava over my fiancé.

I felt nothing when I saw the posts.

Then Colton messaged me.

Colton: Don't think your threat will make me back down. I've seen this trick before. You're just pretending you don't care so I'll chase you.

Colton: You really are manipulative. Kneel down and apologize to Ava, and I won't cancel the wedding.

I didn't reply. I blocked his number.

Early the next morning, I went to the airport with one of the servants.

I left the city for good.

By the time Colton realized I was gone, a full week had passed.