“When did I become so untrustworthy in my own family?” Emily thought, her heart aching with the weight of their doubt.
Carter, keenly aware of his parents’ thoughts, felt a surge of annoyance. “Mom, Dad, seriously? Emily got burned. Do you really think I’d fabricate something like that?”
“We’re not saying we don’t believe you. We just want to check it out,” Sabrina replied, her voice steady. “You shouldn’t keep that area covered up.”
Emily’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears, but she managed a small nod. “Could you help me with the ointment again, Mom?”
Carter’s heart twisted at the sight of his sister’s distress, and he silently cursed Whitney for the turmoil she had caused.
“This is all Whitney’s doing. If it weren’t for her, Emily wouldn’t have to endure this doubt from Mom and Dad,” he thought bitterly.
Sabrina retrieved the first aid kit, carefully peeling back the bandage. To her relief, it was merely a small red mark from the burn. “Emily, you need to be more cautious. I worry about you living alone. Why not just move back in with us?”
“No, Mom. Sometimes I practice singing late at night. I don’t want to disturb you guys,” Emily replied, her voice firm yet gentle.
Sabrina chuckled softly. “You’ve been dreaming of being a superstar since childhood. Are you really going to chase that dream in the entertainment industry?”
Emily lowered her gaze, a shy smile creeping onto her face. “I just wrote a new song. I’m recording a demo. I’m still not sure if I’ll ever release an album.”
Carter’s heart swelled at Emily’s smile, a sense of peace washing over him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you release your album,” Carter promised, his resolve firm.
Sabrina nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Just sign with your brother’s company. No one would dare bully you there. Go ahead and give it a shot. If you tire of it, your dad can always set you up with a comfortable job at the company.”
Sabrina and George were always incredibly attentive to Emily, their love unwavering.
Despite being adopted, she had never been treated as anything less than a true Harris daughter. However, there was one unyielding rule they adhered to.
Emily was only allowed to be their daughter. As long as she remembered that, they would agree to anything else she desired.
When James descended the stairs and noticed only George’s family at the table, he inquired, “Klein isn’t back yet?”
George replied, “He was still in a meeting when I left the office. He should be home any minute.”
Just as he finished speaking, Klein walked in, his demeanor calm and collected.
He shrugged off his coat and set it aside, surveying the room. Noticing that no one had begun eating, he asked, “You guys were all waiting for me?”
Klein had always possessed an air of maturity and composure that belied his years.
James chuckled. “We haven’t been waiting long. Come on, sit down and join us for dinner.”
Carter glanced at Klein, somewhat awestruck. He thought, ‘If I were as strong as him, I wouldn’t be stressing out like this.’
“Carter, why aren’t you coming over?” Klein called out, his voice drawing Carter from his reverie.
“Coming,” Carter replied, moving to join the table.
As they settled in for dinner, James inquired about Emily’s burn, concern lacing his words.
Klein raised an eyebrow, his tone casual. “Oh? Where did you get hurt, Milly?”
Emily’s palms grew clammy, sensing an undercurrent in Klein’s tone. “It’s nothing, just a little burn. Some hot water splashed on my collarbone,” she answered, trying to downplay the situation.
Klein’s gaze sharpened for a brief moment before he looked away. “Yeah, it’s not really noticeable.”
“But Whitney got hurt a lot worse,” he added, his voice steady.
Emily’s breath caught in her throat, panic surging within her.
“How does Uncle Klein know?” she thought, fear gripping her heart.
Carter frowned, disbelief coloring his tone. “Uncle Klein, she’s the one who splashed hot water on Emily. How could she end up getting hurt?”
Carter’s words landed like a bombshell, leaving Sabrina, George, and James momentarily speechless.
Klein fixed his intense gaze on Carter, his voice cool yet cutting. “Whitney is your fiancée. Don’t tell me you didn’t know she got hurt.”
Suddenly, the dining room was enveloped in a suffocating silence.
“Klein, what exactly happened here?” James finally broke the stillness, his voice laced with urgency.
Klein set down his fork, dabbed his lips with a napkin, and pulled out his phone. “My driver captured this on video the day before yesterday. Dad, take a look.”
Emily’s complexion drained of color as she shot to her feet, panic lacing her voice. “No, Uncle Klein, you’ve got it all wrong.”
Klein’s tone was unwavering. “Watch the video first. We’ll discuss it afterward.”
Everyone’s eyes were glued to his phone as a sharp female voice blared from the speakers, and they witnessed a steaming cup of coffee hurled directly at Whitney’s chest.
It was evident to all that Tina and Emily had instigated the entire altercation.
Klein, however, conveniently omitted the part where Whitney retaliated by throwing coffee back at them.
With a faint, almost mocking smile, Klein lowered his lashes, yet the pressure in his gaze was unmistakable. “So, Emily, you didn’t tell Carter that you two started it first?”
Carter felt a tight knot form in his chest as the news washed over him. A wave of anxiety surged through his thoughts. *Did Whitney get burned too?* The question echoed relentlessly in his mind, gnawing at his insides.
He recalled the brief moment he had seen her in the office earlier that day. The way her neck had looked a bit red had struck him as odd, but he had brushed it off, attributing it to the heat or perhaps a simple irritation. *Why didn’t I think more of it then?* he chastised himself.
*If that’s really what happened, why didn’t she say anything herself?* The thought lingered, heavy and unsettling.
Sabrina, sensing the tension, chimed in with a nervous laugh, “Klein, Milly didn’t even throw the coffee in the video. Wasn’t it Whitney’s sister who did it?” Her instinct to defend Emily kicked in, a protective reaction that came naturally to her.
She had noticed James’s expression darken immediately after Klein’s words, and it worried her deeply. *What if James blames Emily for this?* she thought, her heart racing. Emily, despite being adopted, had enjoyed a life of comfort and privilege, but that all changed when James uncovered the incident earlier this year that forced them to send her overseas.
Carter’s frown deepened, his mind racing. “Uncle Klein, Tina has always had a contentious relationship with Whitney. Milly was merely caught in their crossfire. Isn’t it a bit excessive to place the blame on her?” His voice carried a hint of defiance, a need to defend those he cared about.
Klein’s tone had irked him more than he expected, igniting a flame of irritation within him. *So that’s why Whitney didn’t confide in me. She just wanted to vent to Uncle Klein,* Carter mused. *No wonder she’s a lawyer. She’s always scheming.*
The strength with which Whitney approached life often rubbed him the wrong way, and it frustrated him to no end.
Suddenly, Klein’s demeanor shifted, his face hardening as he locked eyes with Carter. The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down Carter’s spine. “Carter, after watching this video, shouldn’t your first thought be for your fiancée?” Klein’s voice was steady, but the implication struck like a bolt of lightning.
Carter’s mind raced, leaving him momentarily speechless. “I…” he stammered, grappling with the weight of his own negligence.
George’s glare cut through the air, his irritation palpable. “Enough, Carter. You really dropped the ball here. Whitney’s your fiancée. She’s about to be your wife in just two weeks! How could you be the last one to find out she got burned?”
“If Klein hadn’t told you today, you’d probably still be in the dark.” George’s words were sharp, slicing through the tension in the room. “Tomorrow, bring Whitney over for dinner. You and Emily both need to apologize to her.”
Carter’s voice rose, frustration spilling over. “Dad, why do I have to?”
James, who had remained silent until now, slammed his hand on the table, the sound echoing in the charged atmosphere. “Because she’s your future wife!”
Carter’s face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger, his emotions swirling chaotically. Emily mirrored his flustered state, her own discomfort evident.
After the way Whitney had spoken to her that day, the mere thought of facing her again tomorrow filled Emily with dread. And now, to add insult to injury, she had to apologize? The notion sent her spiraling further into distress.
Emily’s fingers curled tightly into her palms, her lips pale and trembling.
Carter noticed her distress and felt a pang of sympathy. *I hate seeing her like this,* he thought, his heart aching for her.
Sabrina, ever perceptive, recognized the brewing storm. She shot Carter a warning look, her voice low and firm. “Carter, just do what your dad said.”
Taking a deep breath, Carter replied, his tone subdued. “Got it, Mom.”
With that, the tempest of emotions began to settle.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.