ManyWriters

The water pipes in the seaside villa suddenly burst. While I was battling a high fever and cleaning up the floodwater, I found a waterproof safe amidst the debris.
Inside lay two marriage certificates.
One bore my name—Arlene.
The other, however, had the name of my adopted sister—Diane.
My blood ran cold. I rushed to City Hall.
A staff member, after checking, shook their head:
"Ma'am, your certificate is a forgery. There's no record of it in our system."
I clutched the false certificate tightly, my fingertips turning white.
"Then... what about the other one?"
"The other one is genuine. Mr. Shawn Pierce and Ms. Diane Pierce legally registered their marriage five years ago."
The world spun around me.
So, for these past five years, I had been living a complete and utter lie.
That orphan girl I rescued from the streets... she was the one who truly had everything...

Heal Me with Poison

"Shawn dear? What brings you here today?"


Diane, her face radiant like a blooming flower, threw herself into Shawn's arms, her voice sickeningly sweet.


Her expression was one of unabashed triumph, like a victor who had finally dethroned the rightful queen.


A triumphant glint shone in her eyes, but she never expected that this very look would ignite the flame Shawn had suppressed deep within his heart.


It reminded him of the day he had abandoned me in the basement.


When he had left me and rushed to Diane's place, she had thrown herself at him, her eyes holding that same cunning, triumphant smile.


After he had flipped the circuit breaker back on, she had even tapped her head coyly and said in a delicate, affected voice:


"I'm so silly, what would I ever do without my dear Shawn!"


He had stayed with her, coaxed her, told her stories until dawn.


I had been trapped in the flooding basement, frozen by the icy water, screaming his name until my voice was hoarse.


Chapter 6