Unwanted Substitute’s comeback

Chapter 3

Dinah's POV

*****

Hours later, I had finished hanging out with Lilah and "making peace" with her, as she called it, and was lying on a bed in the servant quarters.

The servant quarters had several rooms and I was assigned to one with a small space and a small bed at the corner. At least, the place was cozy.

My perfect life. My perfect family. My perfect boyfriend. All of it was a lie.

My whole existence was a lie.

And now I had to live constantly with that cruel reality.

I wanted to escape. I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs. I felt like ending it all and maybe waking up to find out it was all a dream.

"Maybe it's better this way," I muttered to myself. "Maybe now I can find who I really am. Away from all this. Away from—"

Suddenly, before I could finish that thought, a piercing scream tore through the air, breaking the silence in the mansion.

That was Lilah's voice...

I jolted, jumping to my feet instantly and rushing toward the sound. My heart beat violently against my ribs as I ran through the hallway, heading straight for Lilah's room.

Before I got there, she screamed again, her pained sobs echoing into my ears.

"Help! Somebody help me!"

When I pushed the door open, the sight before me made me subconsciously hold my breath.

Lilah was on the floor, breathing heavily and shaking in pain, blood pooling beneath her legs.

"Oh my God," I whispered, rushing forward. "Lilah! What happened?!"

"It hurts! It HURTS!" She screamed, grabbing her stomach. "Call someone! Call the damn doctor!"

I turned around and shouted out the open door. "Help! Somebody help! She's bleeding! Call an ambulance!"

Soon, two maids came running, gasping at the scene before running out of the room to get help. I knelt beside Lilah, holding her hand even though she kept swatting me away.

"Get your paws off me!" She screamed angrily, glaring at me through her tear-streaked eyes.

"You shouldn't have drunk that wine," I murmured with frustration.

She tilted her head at me with wide eyes which began twitching as her face twisted with pure hatred as she pointed at me.

"You did this! You... You wanted this!" She let out, sending a cold shiver down my spine.

My mouth parted with shock as I shook my head and stuttered. "What? No! What are you talking about?! I tried to stop you!"

She began sobbing, shaking her head as she tried controlling her breathing.

"You gave me the wine... I– I said no but you... You poured it! You poured it, Dinah, and then added something to it!

I felt like the world was crumbling underneath my feet.

"No! That's not true! Lilah, please, you can't say that. You know that's not what happened!" I pleaded, my voice getting shaky as I feared the worst.

But she wasn't listening and just kept on crying and lamenting.

A few minutes later, nurses arrived, and my mother came in the middle of it all, her heels clicking loudly on the floor.

"Move!" She yelled, shoving me aside as she dropped to her knees next to Lilah.

"My baby... my baby..." Lilah sobbed repeatedly, clutching her stomach.

My mother turned to me with fire in her eyes. Without warning, she stood up and raised her right hand, causing me to gasp.

The slap that followed echoed and I stumbled back, nearly slipping on the floor.

"You killed my grandchild!" My mother screamed, her voice trembling with rage.

I held my cheek, my eyes wide as I stuttered. "No... no, I didn't... I tried to stop her, I swear—"

"Liar!" She screamed. "You've always been jealous! You've always hated her! This was your way of getting rid of her baby, wasn't it?!"

Before I could even think of how to respond, Daniel stepped in through the doorway, his eyes immediately narrowing on me.

"What the hell is going on?" He demanded, staring at Lilah with silent surprise.

"She killed the baby," Lilah whimpered.

Daniel's face devolved into an ugly scowl as he walked closer to me. I took a step back, but he didn’t stop.

"Is that true? You jealous, bitter witch!"

My knees buckled, and I fell to the ground, overwhelmed by everything. He raised his right hand like he was about to hit me.

I flinched, bracing for the impact.

But it never came.

He lowered his hand, sneering down at me instead. "You're not even worth it. You don’t belong here."

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed again. This time, it was uniformed officers.

I blinked in confusion as one of them stepped forward.

"Dinah Redwood?"

I nodded slowly, too shaken to even speak.

"You’re under arrest for the suspected poisoning and involuntary manslaughter of Lilah Redwood’s unborn child. You have the right to remain silent—"

"No, wait!" I cried, quickly standing to my feet. "I didn’t do anything! Please! She drank the wine herself..."

But the officers didn’t listen. They pulled my hands behind my back, securing the cuffs as I struggled.

"Please! Please, don’t do this! I didn’t hurt her. I swear, I didn’t!" I kept on screaming, tears flowing down my eyes as I did.

My mother watched it all with cold satisfaction in her eyes. Daniel stood beside her, his arm wrapped protectively around Lilah, who managed to stand with the help of the nurses but was still sobbing into her hands.

As they dragged me away, I saw the house staff gathered in the hallway. Some looked away while others stared. A few even whispered behind their hands.

"That’s the fake daughter."

"I always knew she was trouble."

"To poison a pregnant woman? Disgusting."

I screamed and wept until my throat hurt, my eyes stinging with more tears that didn't seem to be coming to an end.

But no one stepped forward to defend me as I was dragged out of the house I used to call my home.

~~~~~

In court, the next day, thanks to all the “evidence” provided, I was sentenced to three years in prison or a fine of six million dollars.

My family could easily raise that kind of money but none of them cared despite the fact they all attended.

Lilah was present as well and when I glanced at her across the courtroom, I saw a cold smirk on her face, sending shivers down my spine.

She had won and I was never even a player in her cruel game.

“Judge and members of the jury!” My father stood, adjusting his suit before he pointed at me. “In the presence of this courtroom and all the people watching at home, I would like to say that the Redwood family disowns that wicked girl.”

Murmurings and gasps erupted from the crowd in the courtroom while my head spun. I felt like this was the final nail in the coffin.

In the end, the judge hit his hammer on the table and gestured at the police to drag me out. My eyes stung with tears but I didn't let them fall despite the cameras flashing as I was dragged away with the people pointing fingers and murmuring.

Just like that, the Redwood family's “beloved daughter” has become a nameless criminal.

I glanced at the spot where Daniel and my family were sitting, hoping to see any flash of guilt or pity in their eyes. But all I saw was disdain and scorn as I was dragged out of the courthouse.

I was placed at the back of a police van and yelled at by the policemen, who shoved me inside. They closed the doors, sealing out the light from the afternoon sun outside and signaling the end of my freedom.

The tears I was holding in flowed as two police officers positioned themselves beside me as the van began driving.

“Look at that. She's crying.” One of the policemen pointed at me, causing the others to jeer and laugh at me.

I felt hopeless.

My wrists were cuffed in front of me, and I was sitting here, surrounded by these officers, as if I had committed a grave crime, whereas I was innocent.

After a few minutes, just when I bit my bottom lip and sniffed back my tears, the van jolted, causing my head to hit the wall behind me.

“Ahhh!”

Things didn't end there as the van tires screeched before it tumbled repeatedly in the air and then crashed in the middle of the road.

Everything went silent at that moment as I tried looking around the van and seeing the dead officers. Just when I was about to slip into unconsciousness, I heard a deep voice and then the van doors opened, allowing sunlight to hit my face before I passed out.