He Left Me to Burn for My Sister

Chapter 4

Larry fell silent for a moment before suddenly shoving me forward. "Change places."

I stumbled into the bandits' midst, hearing him hiss under his breath, "Cooperate. I'll get you out."

How familiar this sounded—he'd said the same when the fire first broke out in our past lives.

The bandits tied my hands roughly as my sister frantically adjusted her wedding dress and scrambled back to Larry's side. As they marched me out, I glanced back.

Larry was examining my sister for injuries, and Morris hovered nearby, asking about the baby's condition, while our parents fussed over them with concern. No one spared me a glance. The despair of being abandoned by the whole world cut deeper than death itself.

In the snow, a bandit suddenly tore open my collar, exposing the plum blossom birthmark below my collarbone.

"Boss! It's really her!" he gasped.

A dark-faced man dropped to his knees. "Milady! I'm late! Please forgive me!"

I stood frozen.

Choking up, he pulled out a jade pendant. "Your mother left word for us! You were switched at birth by the second wife. This is the true token..."

The character etched on the pendant matched the birthmark beneath my collarbone perfectly.

Larry's shout cut through the distance, "Jessica! Play your part in their charade!"

Gazing at the figures bathed in warm light, I smiled faintly. "Let's go." I straightened my collar. "This time, I'll be the one pulling the strings."

On the snowy plain, just as Tyler Harrison's men bound me to a withered tree, Larry's motorcade came roaring into view. Their headlights cut through the darkness.

"Jessica!" He stepped out, pistol in hand, his boots crunching through the snow. "You dare conspire with bandits?"

I deliberately let my collar slip, revealing bloody lash marks. "Didn't you want to trade me for Jennette? Why come chasing after us now?"

His eyes turned venomous. "You'll kneel and grovel for Jennette's mercy."

Morris leapt from the car, poison glinting behind his spectacles. "If this disturbs the baby, I'll make you beg for death!"

Oh, the irony. A mistress's lover cared more than her own husband.

"Young marshal," I whispered, "what if I told you... it was me who carried you from the flames that day..."

"Liar!" A shot cracked, the bullet whizzing past my ear. "I saw Jennette's burns with my own eyes!"

Following the plan, Tyler pressed a dagger to my throat. "Another step and she dies!"

Larry actually chuckled. "Well, by all means."

Morris grew frenzied. "Gash her face first! Let's see her trick anyone after that!"

As I watched them, a thought suddenly hit me. No fire could hurt worse than this.

"Do it," I whispered hoarsely to Tyler.

The dagger felt icy as it pierced through, the blood bag bursting against my chest, warm liquid seeping through the padded coat. I let out a scream to play along, letting my head droop.

Larry hesitated for a moment before sneering, "Quite the act, huh?"

Morris had the audacity to step forward to check my breath. "Dead as a doornail! Serves her right!"

Tyler and his men made a show of fleeing, leaving my "corpse" alone in the snow.

Larry hesitated, then suddenly kicked my knee. "Get up!"

When I didn't respond, he tore my collar open. His fingers trembled violently at the touch of the "blood."

"...Jessica?"

Morris leaned on the horn from the car. "Hurry! Jennette's pregnancy is unstable!"

Larry abruptly lifted me into his arms. "To the hospital!"

"Have you lost your mind? Delaying Jennette for a corpse?" Morris shrieked.

"Shut up!" Larry's voice broke with emotion. "She can't just..."

Suddenly, the phone rang, and my sister's wails pierced through. "Larry! I'm bleeding! The baby... I'm losing the baby!"

His grip tightened, then loosened. Finally, he threw me back into the snow. "...We'll retrieve the body later."

As he turned away, I summoned my last strength to grab his pant leg.