Sister Took My Face... But Not My Husband's Secrets

Chapter 4

I followed Nina and my mother into the bedroom.

My mother's voice dropped to a serious tone, like she was about to share some dark secret. "Your father and I dealt with that girl last night."

I let out a frustrated sigh. A little too late for that, wasn't it?

Nina didn't like the look on my mother's face. "What's with that expression? Are you feeling guilty now? Regretful?"

My interest piqued, I leaned in, eager for more.

My mother lightly tapped Nina's forehead and gave her a playful scolding. "You little ingrate. The only person I care about is you."

I couldn't help myself. "Mom, don't I count too? Didn't you carry me for nine months? Why did you let Nina shove me aside?"

She sighed, her voice tinged with something like exhaustion. "All these years, I've been quiet, living in that small town, minding my business. If you'd asked, I would've left without a fight."

I never dared to expect the kind of love she gave Nina. For her, Nina was the golden child, and I was just the obstacle that needed to be removed.

She held me down so Nina could take my place. The memory of my mother visiting me when I was younger, then pulling Nina away from my bloodied body, careful not to let my blood touch her, played out in my mind.

But I'd never get the answers I wanted.

Nina smiled, pleased with herself. "Good. Make sure you scatter her remains bit by bit, somewhere far away."

My mother hesitated for a second, then added, "There's one thing... she was pregnant. And it was twins."

My blood ran cold. I stood there, frozen, staring at them in disbelief.

I'd been on birth control, but deep down, I always wanted a child.

Earlier this year, when Grandma Dawson's health started to fail, I rushed to the small-town hospital to see her.

She grabbed my hand, worry in her eyes. "Sarah, my sweet Sarah... what will you do when I'm gone?"

I forced a smile, holding back tears. "Don't worry, Grandma. Liam's been treating me better lately."

With the last of her strength, she reached out to me.

"Sarah, promise me you'll have a child soon. It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl, someone to keep you company, someone to protect you."

"People need someone to care for to keep them going."

I nodded, my voice thick. "I will, Grandma. I'll bring them to see you when I do."

Grandma smiled and then whispered, "Take the beads from my neck. I don't have much to leave you, but these were blessed by a monk for my parents. They kept me grounded."

"They might not be worth much, but they'll remind you of me."

I thought back to those words as I looked at the amulet hanging around Nina's neck.

So it was true. My soul had been tied to that amulet all along.

Nina's voice trembled with fear. "Who else knows about her pregnancy?!"

My mother's face clouded with concern. "That's what I'm worried about. But I asked Mrs. Jenkins this morning, and it seems no one at the Hawthorne mansion knows yet."

Nina's face went pale as she grabbed my mother's arm. "Mom, I don't want to go to prison!"

My mother wrapped her in a tight hug, trying to soothe her. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We won't let anything happen to you. We'll just say you went on a trip. After a while, we'll report her missing."

"Your father's getting a meat grinder that can handle bones. We'll turn her to dust and bury her somewhere remote. There will only ever be one Sarah Dawson."

Her eyes were ice-cold, calculating, but the way she comforted Nina made it all sound so… normal.

After dinner, the Dawsons took Liam to the glass greenhouse in the backyard for tea.

Nina eagerly picked a few roses from the garden, saying she'd take them back to the Hawthorne house.

My mother jumped in, her voice dripping with false enthusiasm. "Liam, we grow the best roses in all of Harbor City. They just bloomed this week, you came at the perfect time."

Liam stood there, watching Nina with a thoughtful expression.

Nina noticed and asked, "Liam, what's on your mind?"

He turned to her, a faint frown crossing his face. "Nothing. I just remembered you once told me that your sister loved garden roses. This greenhouse was built for her."

A brief, uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

My father laughed awkwardly. "That's true, but Sarah loved them too."

Nina smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Liam didn't say anything else, and my mother quickly shifted the conversation elsewhere.

Back at the mansion, Nina offered to help Liam take off his jacket.

He shrugged out of it, letting her. But his eyes narrowed when he noticed something. "You're still wearing perfume?"

Nina froze, her smile slipping for a second. "No, it must be the shampoo."

Liam gently pulled her hands away. "I just remembered something I need to take care of in the office. I'll be in the study."

Nina stood there, glaring at the closed door after he left. "What, are you not man enough?"

I rolled my eyes.

She had no clue how powerful Liam really was, especially in bed, where he could leave you utterly exhausted.

Frustrated, Nina sniffed her arm again and then rushed to the bathroom to compare the scent of the Hawthorne family shampoo with her own.

"What the hell? It's the same smell! I haven't worn perfume in ages!"

I reached up, sniffing my own hair, no scent at all.

Seeing her about to take yet another shower, I decided to leave the room and explore the house.

As I floated through the halls, I spotted Mr. Barrett heading into Liam's study. Curiosity got the best of me, so I followed him in.

"Look into Mrs. Hawthorne's whereabouts after I left for France," Liam said, before hanging up the phone.