Chapter 14: Chapter 14

SCARLETT's POV

When we got back to the mansion, I couldn’t get what had happened out of my head, and I’m still confused about who was planning to kill me, and the chairperson needs to be involved here.

I just sighed and unbuckled my seatbelt because I needed to rest and see my kids.

“Ven, are you sure you’re okay?” Hill asked, and I nodded.

He stepped out of the car and opened the door for me. Before I got out of the car, I grabbed my bag.

“Get some rest, Ven,” said Hill as he helped me in walking towards the mansion. “I’m going to see them because I would rather not be late for the party,” said Hill. I just shook my head because our cousins weren’t here, and I don’t know where they took Gino.

Dominic never showed up again after what happened, and I believe he was still angry.

When we walked through the door, Lux and Ara were already waiting for us. I looked at Hill, who just shrugged.

“Scarlett, what happened to your face?!” asked Ara in surprise when she noticed the bruises on my face. They turned to Hill because I just grinned but said nothing.

Lux, irritated and asked her brother, “Brother! What happened to her?” Hill sighed and scratched his head, knowing Lux would keep asking him.

“Long story, but for now, let’s give Venice a break,” said Hill. Lux stared at him and hit him.

“Where have you been? Our cousins are also not here!” asked Ara, crossing her arms. I swallowed and coughed, so they wouldn’t notice anything was wrong.

I'm not in the mood to explain things to them right now.

“We were just in Venice at her bar,” said Hill. Lux’s eyes widened as they approached the Hill.

“Why don’t you invite us? We'd like to see Ven’s bar as well!” Lux said to her brother. Hill laughed, turned to me, and nodded to go inside, so I smiled at them.

“I’m going inside,” I said, about to enter the mansion, when Lux and Ara stopped in front of the door.

“A-hm… Let’s stay here for now! Let’s talk first, Ven! We haven’t seen you in a long time!” said Lux, but I have a feeling they are trying to hide something. I shook my head and tried to enter, but they blocked my way.

I took a step back and clenched my fists because they didn’t seem to want me in. Hill appeared to speak with his sister and Ara.

“Scarlett needs to rest,” said Hill as he drew them away from the door, but they continued to block it.

“Ah, Ven! Tell us about your babies!” said Ara with a smile. I frowned once more because I was right that they were attempting to hide something that they didn’t want me to know about.

“Ara and Lux!” said Hill, and Ara and Lux's behavior irritated him. They turned away from the Hill, but remained silent.

“Hill, she can’t go inside—” Lux came to a halt when we heard shouting from inside, so I looked at Lux and Ara, who couldn’t look at me, and pushed them inside.

It took aback me when I saw mom and dad fighting, and I noticed Sophia raising her eyebrows at mom.

What is going on?

I looked at Lux and Ara, who shook their heads at me because they didn’t seem to know what was going on and didn’t want to tell me that my parents were fighting.

I returned my gaze to my parents and covered my mouth.

“Do you actually believe her?”

Because of their fight, I look away while crying. It’s not the first time I’ve seen them fighting, but it’s getting worse.

“Please, Sharlene.”

“No, Vernon! You’ve changed since Scarlett disappeared without a trace! It’s as if you aren't concerned about our daughter!”

“Please don’t say that!”

“No, Vernon! You believed your daughter that my daughter went with a man you know is not true!”

“What the f-ck?! I couldn’t believe it either.”

I bowed and bit my lower lip. Was it the right decision for me to leave then? Was my decision to escape all the problems right? I was too selfish to leave them.

My fists clenched, and it took aback me when Hill grabbed my trembling fist. “Venice.” I wiped away my tears.

After running away, I never expected them to be this way. I’m always causing issues for my family, and I’m at a loss for what to do. I’m exhausted.

“I didn’t think you'd change! Vernon, I’ve understood you since then!”

“Sharlene…”

I’m sorry, m-mom and dad; you wouldn’t be fighting like this if it weren’t for me.

“How come you agreed to the title at all? Lady Josephine prefers Scarlett!”

When we heard that from Mom, we were stunned, or so we thought. My cousins didn’t seem to like what was about to happen.

“What does Aunt Sharlene mean?” asked Hill to them. They shook their heads, as if confused as well.

“We don’t know either. We just found out the two of them were fighting,” Lux explained as she turned to face me. “I’m sorry, Ven. We just don’t want you to worry.” I just shook my head, knowing they were only concerned about me.

“Grandma is dead! Why don’t you just accept that daddy prefers me over Scarlett?”

We stopped when Sophia spoke, so we turned to face her.

“It’s true what I said about Scarlett going with the man. You know that’s her law, and she broke it! Just accept it!” yelled Sophia. Mom approached Sophia with a frown.

“How could you possibly say that, Sophia? Scarlett is your sister!” said Mom.

“Whatever, mom! She flirts with Dominic as well!” said Sophia. We were even more taken aback, and I noticed my cousins staring at me.

I just smirked and laughed because I didn’t think Sophia would make up a story to make me the villain here. I raised my head and bit my lower lip.

“W-what?!”

“You don’t realize she’s flirting with my fiancé!”

Clenching my fist, and ran to slap Sophia because I couldn’t stand what she was saying any longer. They were all taken aback by what I did, but I’m not content with this, so I slapped her again. Her eyes widened, and she stepped back while holding her cheek.

“Oh my god, Scarlett! What happened to your face?”

“Venice!”

My cousins approached me, but I ignored them because I stared at Sophia. “What did you say?” I asked. She came to a halt and turned away from me. “Are you saying I’m flirting with Dominic? Coming from you, Sophia?!” I laughed. She was glaring at me.

“It's true what I’m saying! You’re flirting with my fiancé!” she yelled, crying. I was laughing because she was the best actress.

“Ha… Sophia, stop acting like you know nothing.” I yelled. Her eyes widened with fear. “How many times have I forgiven you? How many times have I forgiven you for all your sins?” I asked and was about to hit her again when I came to a halt and lowered my hand.

I looked at her, biting my lower lip. “I also didn’t think you'd tell our family that I went with the man, which is why I went missing for five years; you know why I disappeared, you know that,” I said, wiping my tears.

“Between the two of us, you’re the one to blame,” I laughed as I shook my head. “I didn’t think you could betray me, Sophia,” I said, holding my chest because it felt tight.

Sophia couldn’t respond because she knew what I was talking about. She knows what she did, so don’t let her change the course of events.

“Looks like you know what I’m talking about; do you know which of us is the traitor?” I asked. She was unable to look at me, but I noticed her fists clenched, so I adjusted my jacket and sighed.

“I’ve warned you several times, Sophia, but you didn’t listen; think about other people, not just yourself,” I said as I walked upstairs, but dad's question stopped me.

“Scarlett, what’s wrong with you two? What’s going on?” asked dad. Sophia approached dad, maybe telling a lie, so I smirked and raised an eyebrow at them.

“Why don’t you ask her, dad?” I suggested. “After all, you believed what she was saying.” He came to a halt and approached me.

“V-Venice…” he said, about to touch me, as I avoided him and shook my head in disappointment.

“I’m disappointed, dad,” I said, smirking at them as I walked straight up to my room.

I heard them calling to me, but I didn’t look at them. I’m disappointed in all of them because I never expected them to believe a lie, and I also admit that I made a mistake by not just going with somebody. He’s not just a man, but what is Sophia accusing me of? That is something I will never do. I will prioritize my children over everything else.

When I entered my room, I leaned against the door and covered my face to hide my tiredness and pain. A lot has happened tonight, and I’m at a loss for words.

I’m just trying to improve things , but why is it getting worse? I choose to return to my previous life, but why do I only have to suffer? And I’m also trying to make amends for all of my mistakes in the family, but why is it so difficult?

I just sighed as I closed my eyes, and let myself sink into the darkness until I was numb and couldn't feel anything.

I’m sorry, Mom and Dad. I’m a worthless daughter.

***

When I woke up, I was dumb because I had fallen asleep crying. I'm still processing what happened last night, so I just hugged myself because I didn't know what else to do.

I'm even more annoyed with myself because I don't know what happened to me last night, and apart from what Hill says about my eyes being empty.

Especially Young's claims he was just paid to kill me.

I wonder if I had a powerful enemy before, and they're just turning on me now that they've heard I'm back in the palace, or was it because of our missions at the time. F-ck.

I rubbed my face and stood up to get dressed because I don't feel like going to work right now and would rather rest. When I remembered what had happened to my parents and Sophia, I froze once more, and I've noticed mom avoiding dad because they're arguing.

Is this related to what happened to me, and that I left, telling no one? I sat on the bed, staring at the photo of the four of us. I took it, caressed it, and smirked when I noticed we look like a happy family in this photo, but the truth is... it has destroyed our family for a long time because of the problems we are facing today.

"Our happy family can't go back to how we used to use it" I smirked. "Because I put an end to Sophia and I being siblings a long time ago because of her betrayal," I said, as I dropped the picture frame on the table.

They are not a part of our issue; they are not involved in whatever Sophia and I are dealing with. It's appropriate that I only take my issue to myself because I'm also guilty.

I stood up, grabbed a towel, and entered the bathroom. Maybe I'll just think about my children more than anything else, but I'll still fulfill my responsibilities.

I sighed and finished my routine. I had just grabbed a robe and left the bathroom when I noticed Claire sitting on my bed. "Friend!" said Claire as she hugged me.

She is the only person I can trust apart from my cousins, so I just smiled.

"I'm sorry! Woah! I'm sorry if I wasn't there last night!" she hugged me. I patted her on the shoulder to soothe her.

She let go of me and looked at my face. I hadn't treated my bruises from the last night, so they were still a little swollen.

"Look at your face! F-ck!" said Claire, pressing my bruise on my lip, making me wince. "I heard what happened! Erin still blames me for not accompanying you last night!" she shouted as she drew me to the bed. I just stared at her, but I was so surprised that my tears flowed again.

"Oh, my gosh! You know we can't because I'm straight! You don't have to cry." said Claire, panicked because I was crying in front of her.

I just bowed and covered my mouth because I thought I cried all night but didn't because I needed a friend like her right now.

Claire sat next to me and hugged me, saying, "I-I'm sorry... dad always has the wrong timing." It's not her fault, so I just shook my head at her.

It's all my fault because my parents' quarrels are also my fault. I've done nothing right; I've always been a total failure. All I want is a quiet life with my children, but that's not what's happening because everything has become more chaotic since I returned.

Maybe Sophia is right. I just caused a lot of trouble for my family.

I backed away and wiped my tears when I was okay. "Thank you," I said, smiling.

Claire exhaled a sigh. "Are you sure you're okay? Did Young hurt you?" she asked.

That's another one.

I almost forgot what he did, but now that I remember it, I want to go back and kill Young, but I won't because I know he learned from his mistakes.

"I'm fine. My cousins came and... Dominic," I said, looking away from her.

"I heard Dominic was furious about what happened to you. Didn't they realize what Dominic did?" asked Claire. I was stunned and turned to face her. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, taking a step back because of my stares. Claire was being silly, so I shook my head. TSK.

"It's a good thing they didn't ask because I almost spilled my secret last night," I said as I sat down on the bed.

"Why don't you say you had a past with him? That... He is the father of your children, so it solved your problem," Claire suggested. As I looked up at the ceiling, I shook my head and took a deep breath.

"Will anything change if I say it? If I tell the truth, will they trust me again? If I tell them, won't my children get hurt?" I wondered. I only smiled at her because she remained silent.

"Nothing will change, Claire; the situation will only worsen; Dominic and Sophia are getting married, and I would rather not be a hindrance of any longer," I said as I smirked, putting my arm on my forehead as tears streamed down my cheeks. "It's better for me to be in this situation than for my children to be involved in whatever is going on in my family right now," I said. Claire grabbed my arm, and I looked at her but avoided her because I was crying.

"Something will change, Scarlett," she said, and I felt her lie down next to me. "To let them know that it's not just any man who is the father of your children." She turned to face me, but I just turned away.

"Do you want your children to share attention with Dominic for the rest of their lives? Do you want them to carry the word bastard for the rest of their lives?" asked Claire. I averted my eyes because I knew it would only make things worse.

I wiped my tears away and got out of bed.

"Claire, my family has many problems right now, and I would rather not add to that. I just want a quiet life for my children because they will the most affected by the trouble out of all of us," I said, but she just sighed because she couldn't force me any longer.

"If that's your decision, there's nothing I can do but support you, my friend," said Claire, tapping me on the shoulder as we both laughed.

Claire had been by my side since then, and that made me feel better. Apart from my cousins, she is the only person on whom I can rely.

"It's difficult, isn't it? My parents were in trouble because of me. My parents are fighting because of me because I ran rather than face my problems." I smiled. "I'm selfish and pathetic, right?" I asked, bowing. "I'm just thinking about my feelings more than my family's feelings," I said.

"It's not your fault. This is where fate will put you to the test, Scarlett. Your family is open-minded, so they will understand you when they find out why you left without telling them." She pulled me to her and held my shoulders.

"I also know you can handle the problem because you're Scarlett Venice Knight. You're a knight, so you'll get through this too," said Claire as she wrapped her arms around me. I only smiled, but it disappeared when I remembered something.

"Claire, I was right that I was the target and not the chairman," I said, and she stared at me. I nodded. "Gino told me I was their actual target and that they only involved the chairman, and that they only paid him to kill me," I added. She frowned, as if she didn't believe with what I said.

"F-ck. It looks like you're right. I looked at the CCTV. I got the night we had the encounter with Young's men, and the other CCTV angle before you blew up their car," said Claire, holding her chin and looking at me. "Someone really wants to kill you. Damn it. Your cousins need to know!" Claire stood up, but I pulled her back down.

"They can't know about that; there could be a lot of them around us; it's better no one knows because I would like to confirm it first," I smirked at her. "Promise me you won't tell them, and we can't talk to Young because I don't know what my cousins did to him, so everything is quite unclear," I said as I patted her on the shoulder.

"What are we whispering about?" asked Claire. I winced and pushed her away from me.

"You are complete nonsense!" I said, but she just laughed.

"Haha, you're the one whispering-" When the door to my room opened, we both came to a halt and turned to see who it was.

It surprised me to realize who she was. "M-Mom," she smiled as she came closer to me.

"The chairman has called," said mom as she stroked my hair. Claire and I came to a halt and exchanged glances.

What urged the chairman to call a meeting? Is it because of what's going on in the family right now, and is this what Mom was talking about last night?

I'm just nervous... I'm hoping the conversation today goes well.