Chapter 2: Frozen Out and Dragged Back In

2

Natalie took Caleb and left in a rideshare.

Before leaving, she gave me a deep look. “Rachel, you’d better not regret this.”

Regret what?

The moment she closed the door, I immediately froze her debit card. My finger hovered over the app for a split second, anger flaring up—after all these years of sharing everything, this is how she repays me? Still, I hesitated, just for a second, wondering if I was being too harsh. But then I remembered the look in her eyes, the feeling of betrayal, and pressed the button. All these years, eating my food, drinking my drinks, wearing my clothes, and now scheming against me.

Someone whose legs I saved by sending him to the hospital in time, and who repaid me by destroying my family.

Truly a perfect match.

I took a shower, then called someone over for a home spa.

The professional massage was so relaxing it made me drowsy, but Natalie kept calling, one after another.

The sound of the rain mixed with her half-collapsed voice:

“Rachel Evans, what did I ever do to you? Why did you freeze my card? I’m at a motel now, but my card won’t go through. Do you know how embarrassing that is?”

“Ugh, I knew it. When you said you treated me like a real sister, it was all fake. You just want to humiliate me with money.”

As she spoke, I could hear the motel TV blaring in the background—some late-night sitcom laugh track echoing over the buzz of a vending machine down the hall. Somewhere nearby, a couple was arguing, voices muffled but sharp. Her voice cracked at the end, static from the motel phone line mixing with her sniffles. I couldn’t be bothered to argue and just hung up.

But a few minutes later, my parents called.

“Rachel.”

Their voices were low, heavy with disappointment. “We thought you two were like sisters. What happened? It’s not right to kick someone out over a fight.”

“We’ve already told Natalie to go back to you. You two get along.”

I sat up in bed, suddenly alert.

I forgot about my parents.

I can see the barrage, but my parents can’t.

To convince them that the girl they’ve doted on for over twenty years would ruin our family, a few words wouldn’t be enough.

[Hmph, the vicious supporting character really thinks that kicking out the main girl means the main girl is helpless.]

[Supporting characters are destined to be manipulated by the leads, ugh, it’s just pitiful for our Natalie, dragging the main guy through the rain all alone, soaked like a drowned rat.]

Half an hour later, Natalie came back in a sorry state, dragging Caleb with her.

The two of them stood at the door, rain and blood staining my hardwood floor red.

Natalie shivered. “Rachel Evans, why are you bullying me like this?”

Her lips were blue, eyes glassy—she looked like something the cat dragged in. I suppressed my sneer and replied indifferently:

“Oh dear, just look at you. I’m not trying to bully you, I’m just afraid your kindness will get you taken advantage of.”

“We’re two weak girls—what if he…”

Natalie didn’t catch my sarcasm. Her expression finally relaxed a bit.

The barrage was fooled too: [That makes sense, not everyone is as kind-hearted as the main girl.]

[After all, she’s a vicious supporting character. See, this time since the main girl didn’t tell her the main guy’s identity, she didn’t insist on sending him to the hospital.]

Natalie glared at me resentfully. “Hurry up and help me carry him upstairs.”

I glanced at Caleb, my temples throbbing.

Natalie is about six inches shorter than Caleb. Dragging him back and forth on the asphalt, she’d made his already bleeding wounds even worse.

“Are you sure you don’t want to send him to the hospital?”

Natalie looked at me. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of him.”

Fine, fine.

I helped her get Caleb up to the second floor.

But I hold grudges, and the barrage said that in the last life he destroyed my whole family.

So while Natalie was catching her breath on the handrail, I suddenly let go.

My grip loosened, and in a slow-motion tumble worthy of an NFL replay, Caleb slid down the steps. The thud echoed off the banister.

“Rachel Evans! What are you doing!”

Watching him roll down the stairs, I covered my face as if frightened.

“Sorry, he was just too heavy.”

Natalie dragged him up again like a dead weight, already exhausted.

[I feel like the supporting character did that on purpose.]

[Not just a feeling—she did. I saw her eyes shift with bad intentions.]

I sneered, clapped my hands, and went back to my bedroom.

They insisted on coming back—how could I not take my revenge? Still, as I closed my door, a flicker of guilt twisted in my chest. Was I really becoming the villain they wanted me to be?