Everyone but me

Chapter 10

Lily did not return to the mansion that afternoon.

That should have been a relief.

It wasn’t.

Because everyone knew she wouldn’t simply disappear.

Lily had never been someone who gave up after one failed attempt.

In their previous life, she had been patient.

Painfully patient.

She would retreat whenever someone questioned her, only to return days later with another story.

Another concern.

Another little piece of doubt.

Until everyone forgot the original question.

That was how she worked.

And now the family knew.

So they waited.

They didn’t chase her.

They didn’t confront her.

They didn’t threaten her.

They simply waited.

Meanwhile, Rosalina had no idea that the entire atmosphere inside the mansion had changed.

She spent the afternoon in the library.

A book rested open in her lap while sunlight streamed through the windows.

For the first time in a while, she felt peaceful.

Almost.

Her phone vibrated.

She glanced down.

A message from Lily.

Lily: Are you free this evening?

Rosalina stared at it.

She thought for a moment before replying.

Rosalina: I think so. Why?

The response came quickly.

Lily: I wanted to talk to you about something.

Rosalina frowned.

Something about the wording made her uncomfortable.

Before she could answer, another message appeared.

Lily: Just between us.

Rosalina’s fingers paused above the screen.

Just between us.

She didn’t know why those words bothered her.

Maybe because Lily had never asked for secrets before.

Or maybe because lately, everything felt strange.

Rosalina eventually replied.

Rosalina: Okay.

She put her phone down.

She didn’t notice the figure standing quietly outside the library.

Adrian.

He had seen the messages.

Not the words.

Just Lily’s name.

His expression darkened.

He stepped away before Rosalina could notice him.

Downstairs, the family was gathered again.

“We have a problem.”

Adrian placed his phone on the table.

Father looked at him.

“Lily contacted Rosalina.”

Everyone went still.

“What did she say?”

“She wants to meet privately.”

Mother’s expression changed.

“No.”

Her voice was immediate.

“She doesn’t get to be alone with Rosalina.”

“I agree,” Father said.

One of the siblings leaned forward.

“But we can’t forbid Rosalina from seeing her.”

Everyone looked toward them.

“We can’t suddenly tell Rosalina that Lily is dangerous. She’ll ask why.”

“And we can’t tell her the truth,” another sibling added.

Silence.

The truth.

Those two words remained unspoken.

They couldn’t tell Rosalina that they had lived this life before.

They couldn’t tell her that they had watched her die.

They couldn’t tell her that they had spent another lifetime regretting every cruel word.

They couldn’t tell her that Lily had been one of the reasons everything fell apart.

Because if they did—

They would have to explain how they knew.

And they weren’t ready to tell her.

Maybe they never would be.

Father looked at Adrian.

“What did you tell her?”

“Nothing.”

“Good.”

Adrian’s eyes hardened.

“We don’t stop Rosalina.”

Mother looked at him.

“Then what do we do?”

“We watch.”

Nobody liked the answer.

But everyone knew it was the correct one.

Because this time, they couldn’t simply lock Rosalina away from every danger.

They had already realized that protection could become a cage.

They wouldn’t make her life another prison.

So they would let her make her own choices.

They would simply make sure Lily couldn’t manipulate those choices.

Upstairs, Rosalina was getting ready.

She changed into a simple cream-colored dress.

She wasn’t dressing for anything special.

She was only meeting Lily.

Still, she couldn’t shake the strange feeling in her stomach.

When she walked downstairs, everyone looked at her.

Her father immediately stood.

“Where are you going?”

“Lily asked if we could talk.”

His expression remained neutral.

“Are you going alone?”

Rosalina nodded.

“I’ll be fine.”

Adrian stood.

“I’ll drive you.”

Rosalina smiled.

“You don’t have to.”

“I know.”

He walked toward her.

“I want to.”

She looked at him for a moment.

Then sighed.

“Fine.”

Her siblings exchanged glances.

One of them opened their mouth.

“I’ll—”

Father immediately gave them a look.

They stopped.

They couldn’t all follow her.

That would be obvious.

And Lily would know they were suspicious.

Rosalina noticed their strange expressions.

“What?”

“Nothing,” her brother said quickly.

“You’ve all been acting weird.”

Nobody answered.

Rosalina sighed.

“Seriously.”

Her mother walked over and fixed a strand of Rosalina’s hair.

“We’re just worried about you.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“I know.”

Her mother smiled.

“But let us worry anyway.”

Rosalina smiled faintly.

“Okay.”

Adrian opened the door for her.

As they walked outside, he glanced back at the mansion.

His family stood inside.

Watching.

Nobody said anything.

But they all understood.

Be careful.

The drive was quiet.

Rosalina looked out the window.

“Adrian?”

“Hm?”

“Do you dislike Lily?”

His hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

“No.”

The answer came too quickly.

Rosalina looked at him.

“You hesitated.”

Adrian glanced at her.

“I don’t dislike her.”

That was true.

He didn’t dislike Lily.

Dislike was too weak a word.

Rosalina looked back outside.

“You’ve been acting strange around her.”

“I have?”

“Yes.”

She smiled slightly.

“Everyone has.”

Adrian didn’t answer.

Rosalina sighed.

“I wish everyone would just tell me what’s going on.”

His heart sank.

He wanted to.

God, he wanted to.

He wanted to tell her everything.

We remember.

We remember how we hurt you.

We remember your death.

We remember what happened afterward.

We know Lily lied.

But he couldn’t.

Not yet.

So he said the only thing he could.

“We’re trying to do better.”

Rosalina looked at him.

“I know.”

Her voice was quiet.

“And I appreciate it.”

Those words hurt more than anger ever could.

Because she still loved them.

Even after everything.

She still gave them chances.

They didn’t deserve how easily she forgave.

The car stopped outside a small café.

Lily was already waiting.

She smiled when she saw Rosalina.

“Rosalina.”

She stood.

“Thank you for coming.”

Rosalina smiled politely.

“Of course.”

Adrian looked at Lily.

“I’ll wait outside.”

Lily smiled.

“You don’t trust me?”

Adrian returned the smile.

“I trust Rosalina.”

The answer was carefully chosen.

Lily’s expression stiffened.

Rosalina didn’t notice.

She followed Lily inside.

They sat across from each other.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Lily sighed.

“I’ve been worried about you.”

Rosalina’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“You said that this morning.”

“I know.”

Lily smiled.

“I just don’t know how else to say it.”

Rosalina waited.

Lily looked down at her hands.

“Your family has changed.”

Rosalina nodded.

“I know.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Sometimes.”

Lily looked up.

“Sometimes?”

“Yes.”

Rosalina gave a small laugh.

“It’s strange.”

Lily leaned closer.

“Don’t you think it’s too sudden?”

There it was.

The same question.

The same careful concern.

The same attempt to make Rosalina question what she had already accepted.

Rosalina didn’t answer immediately.

“I don’t know.”

Lily reached across the table.

“I just don’t want you getting hurt.”

Rosalina stared at her hand.

“Why would I get hurt?”

Lily hesitated.

Then sighed.

“Because people can change.”

Rosalina smiled faintly.

“They can.”

“And sometimes…”

Lily lowered her voice.

“People change because they feel guilty.”

Rosalina’s expression shifted.

“What do you mean?”

Lily immediately shook her head.

“Nothing.”

Rosalina frowned.

“No. You brought it up.”

“I shouldn’t have.”

“Lily.”

Lily sighed.

“I just think your family might be trying too hard.”

There it was again.

A tiny suggestion.

Nothing more.

Just enough to make someone wonder.

Rosalina looked down.

“I don’t think they’re trying to hurt me.”

“I never said they were.”

Lily smiled.

“That’s the problem.”

Rosalina looked up.

“What?”

“You always give people the benefit of the doubt.”

The sentence sounded kind.

But it wasn’t.

Not really.

Because Lily was trying to turn Rosalina’s kindness into a weakness.

Rosalina didn’t see it.

But someone else did.

Outside the café window, Adrian watched.

He couldn’t hear every word.

But he could see Lily leaning toward Rosalina.

He could see her expressions.

He knew.

He remembered.

Back then, Lily had used the exact same posture whenever she wanted someone to trust her.

Adrian’s phone vibrated.

A message from his brother.

We found something.

His eyes narrowed.

Another message arrived.

One of Lily’s old contacts has been transferring money through three shell companies.

Adrian’s expression changed.

Then another.

One of the companies is connected to a competitor.

Adrian slowly looked through the window at Lily.

For years, they had thought Lily was simply manipulative.

Perhaps she was more than that.

Perhaps the lies had always been connected to something bigger.

Inside the café, Lily continued speaking.

“Rosalina…”

She reached across the table again.

“I just want you to know that if something ever happens, you can come to me.”

Rosalina smiled.

“Thank you.”

Lily smiled back.

“Of course.”

And there it was.

The position Lily wanted.

The confidante.

The person Rosalina could supposedly trust.

The person who would whisper into her ear whenever the family wasn’t around.

The role Lily had played before.

Only this time—

The family knew exactly what role she was trying to take.

And they weren’t going to let her keep it.

When Rosalina finally stood, Lily hugged her.

“Take care of yourself.”

Rosalina hugged her back.

“You too.”

Adrian watched them.

His jaw tightened.

But he stayed where he was.

He didn’t interfere.

He trusted Rosalina.

Or rather—

He was trying to learn how.

On the drive home, Rosalina was quiet.

Adrian glanced at her.

“How was it?”

“Fine.”

“Just fine?”

She looked out the window.

“Lily was worried about you all.”

Adrian’s expression didn’t change.

“What did she say?”

Rosalina hesitated.

“That you might be trying too hard.”

Adrian’s heart sank.

Exactly as expected.

He looked back at the road.

“And what do you think?”

Rosalina thought for a long time.

“I think…”

She smiled softly.

“I’d rather have you try too hard than not try at all.”

Adrian’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

He looked away quickly.

Because his eyes were beginning to burn.

She still loved them.

Despite everything.

And Lily—

Lily had just tried to use that love against them.

But she had failed.

Not because Rosalina knew the truth.

She didn’t.

Not because the family had exposed Lily.

They hadn’t.

She had failed because the family had finally learned how to listen without blindly believing.

When they returned to the mansion, everyone was waiting.

Rosalina stepped inside.

“I’m home.”

Her mother immediately smiled.

“Welcome home, darling.”

Rosalina smiled back.

“I’m hungry.”

Her mother immediately turned toward the kitchen.

“I’ll make you something.”

Rosalina laughed.

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

As Rosalina walked away, Adrian looked at his father.

One glance.

That was enough.

“We found something,” Adrian said quietly.

Father nodded.

“So did we.”

The family gathered again.

But this time, the folder on the table was thicker.

And the name on it was the same.

Lily.

Father opened the first document.

“We’ve been looking at the wrong question.”

Everyone stared at him.

“We’ve been asking what Lily did to Rosalina.”

He turned the page.

“Now we need to ask what Lily was trying to gain.”

Silence.

That changed everything.

Because perhaps Rosalina’s suffering had never been the final goal.

Perhaps it had only been the means.

And if that was true—

Then the family hadn’t merely been manipulated.

They had been used.

Father closed the folder.

“We find out exactly what she wanted.”

Adrian looked toward the staircase where Rosalina had disappeared.

“And this time…”

His voice became cold.

“We take everything away from Lily before she can take anything else from Rosalina.”

No one disagreed.

Upstairs, Rosalina sat on her bed, completely unaware of the meeting happening below.

She looked at her phone.

A new message from Lily appeared.

Lily: I’m glad we talked. You can always trust me.

Rosalina stared at the message.

Something about it felt wrong.

She couldn’t explain why.

Her fingers hovered over the screen.

Then she quietly whispered to herself—

“I don’t know if I can.”

And for the first time…

Rosalina began to question Lily herself.