Chapter 82 The Wretched Person's Last Struggle
Caspian's voice thundered through the room, a roar of fury that echoed off the walls.
Emily stood there, utterly disoriented, never imagining she would one day experience such abject humiliation in front of her entire family. Her eyes were swollen and red, her lower lip quivering from the pressure of her own bite, and her body trembled with a torrent of emotions—fear, shame, and a deep sense of betrayal.
Arabella seemed ready to interject, perhaps to offer some defense.
"Shut up!" Caspian's command boomed, laden with a gravity that silenced her instantly. She swallowed her words and retreated.
Though Arabella typically wielded authority over household trivialities, when Caspian's rage escalated to this level, she knew better than to oppose him; her compliance was a necessity. She glanced at Emily with a mixture of frustration and curiosity, questioning internally what had driven the girl to such an extreme act."Why aren’t you speaking?" Caspian’s face contorted with anger, his arm lifting threateningly as if to strike Emily.
Swiftly, Christopher intervened, gripping Caspian's arm. "Dad, chill out. You’re terrifying her—she’s too scared to talk."
"Yeah, Dad; calm down," Jasper echoed, his voice pleading.
At this tense juncture, Grace approached Emily, gently supporting her frail form. Her tone was soft, reassuring. "Emily, breathe. We know you had a reason. You wouldn't have killed Pamela and pinned it on Cecilia without one, right?"
Emily’s mortification was absolute. She couldn't fathom how she could ever hold her head up in this family again or how she would be perceived. The public disgrace was almost enough to unhinge her sanity. She bit down harder on her lip, mute from sheer despair.
In her mind, the thought of exacting vengeance on Cecilia, the architect of her disgrace, grew more consuming.
"Emily!" Caspian’s rage flared anew at her silence. In a surge of wrath, he shoved Christopher aside and advanced on Emily, his hand poised to deliver a slap. His fury had reached a perilous apex.
"Caspian." Cecilia intervened, stepping forward and placing a restraining hand on his arm. "I know the reason."Caspian paused, his arm halting mid-air, rigid with controlled anger.
"Don't hit Emily. I’ll explain," Cecilia continued, her voice trembling with urgency.
Caspian slowly lowered his arm, shooting Emily a venomous glare. She responded with a frosty, murderous look at Cecilia, who had orchestrated her downfall yet stood there pretending benevolence. The urge to rend Cecilia limb from limb surged within her.
"Just tell me," Caspian gritted out, attempting to moderate his tone.
Cecilia hesitated, then said, "I'll explain it to you privately."
"Speak here, now!" Caspian demanded.
Cecilia's eyes darted to Arabella. "Arabella, I believe this should be discussed between you, me, and Caspian alone regarding Emily’s situation."
"We're all family; there's nothing to hide!" Caspian interrupted Cecilia. "Tell us all. I want to hear this excuse in full view. There’s no shielding her from this!"
Cecilia hesitated, but not out of sympathy for Emily. She hadn’t forgotten that Emily had framed her; yet, the repercussions of divulging Emily’s secret in front of the entire family made her apprehensive. If Emily were to suffer harm or an emotional breakdown, both outcomes might be pinned on Cecilia, tarnishing her name irreparably.
However, with Caspian’s adamant insistence, Cecilia's hesitations melted away. “Emily is in love with Alaric,” she declared.The revelation sent a collective gasp rippling through the room. This confession was more scandalous than Emily’s involvement in Pamela’s death and her framing of Cecilia.
All eyes turned to Cecilia, then swung back to Emily. Emily’s face contorted with shock and disbelief. How could Cecilia possibly know? Was it Anna who betrayed her?
Her eyes fixed menacingly on Anna, burning with accusation. Anna, almost instinctively defensive under that fierce gaze, burst out, “Ms. Emily Whitaker, it wasn’t me. Mrs. Cecilia Whitaker figured it out on her own; I swear it wasn’t me.”
“Get lost! I don’t want to see you ever again!” Emily’s veneer of composure shattered, and she screamed at Anna, her voice raw with fury.
Her eruption left everyone present stunned.Before this, the family had only the audio recording to infer Emily’s emotions; now, her true nature was laid bare. Her face, a twisted mask of rage and desperation, was indeed as loathsome as they had imagined.
"Young lady, you and Master Alaric are siblings; you shouldn't have these feelings!" Anna cried out, desperation lacing her voice. "I wanted to warn you, but I was scared. I also wanted to tell Mr. and Mrs. Whitaker, but I was afraid they'd hurt you, so I kept it to myself. But now, I think Mrs. Cecilia Whitaker is right; we can't let you continue like this. We must stop these feelings, or it will cause you great harm, both physically and mentally..."
"Shut up!" Emily shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at Anna, her face twisted with indignation. "When did I ever like Alaric that way? I only treat him as my brother! How dare you and Cecilia twist my actions into something so vile? Disgusting! I just don't like Cecilia from the bottom of my heart. I don't like seeing her at home, so I had you kill Pamela to frame her. But love Alaric? Preposterous! You're both driving me to the edge!”
"Ms. Emily Whitaker..." Anna’s voice quivered, her distress palpable. "Stop acting. Let the family help you. They care for you deeply and can help you overcome these feelings. Please, don't continue like this. I beg you."
“This is Cecilia’s doing, isn’t it? She coerced you into saying this to degrade me, to avenge herself for the lie I pinned on her. This is all her plot!” Emily’s voice rose hysterically. “Tell me the truth. I won’t hurt you, I promise. Just tell me the truth, please!” She seemed on the brink of utter collapse, her eyes wild with the sense of betrayal and desperation.
Emily could never admit her love for Alaric. In her eyes, the only option left was to drag Cecilia and Anna down with her, even if it meant her own destruction.
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