Chapter 42 Sofia's Lies

Elena Garcia POV:

My parents, James and Isabella, showed up in no time.

As soon as they got here, Sofia woke up too.

The second Isabella saw Sofia, she practically sprinted over and hugged her tight.

"Sofia, my Sofia! What happened to you, my baby?" Isabella cried.

Sofia clung to her, tears streaming down her face.

"Damn it! Weren't you supposed to be chilling at the beach? How did you end up getting kidnapped by the mafia?" James shot me a look from across the room.

I fidgeted with my clothes, unsure how to explain.

"Elena! How could you let Sofia get into danger! You were supposed to protect her!" Isabella turned her frustration on me.

They were both hovering over Sofia's bed, and I felt a knot in my stomach.

"It was just an accident, I'm really sorry. The doctor checked her out, and she's not hurt, she's okay," I said.

Since Sofia was still crying, I had to reassure Isabella and James about her condition first.

When they heard Sofia wasn't hurt, they both let out a sigh of relief.

But then Isabella's face twisted with anger again as I started to relax a bit.

"That doesn't mean she's okay! Look at her, Elena, what have you done to her? She's always been so protected, and now she looks so miserable!" Isabella shouted.

As Isabella's voice rose, Sofia's crying got louder, more heartbreaking.

I wanted to tell Isabella that Sofia was scared, but at least she wasn't physically hurt.

But everyone saw pain differently, and I probably shouldn't say that.

I licked the cut on my lip and felt the ache in my stomach. These were visible injuries, but they were nothing compared to the emotional trauma Sofia had gone through.

Maybe my parents thought physical wounds would heal, but emotional scars were harder to mend?

I tried to push away the bitterness creeping into my heart, making my eyes sting with tears.

"I was kidnapped too, along with Sofia," I tried to explain.

"So what?" James frowned, "Are you blaming your mother for being upset with you? Sofia is not the same as you, Elena!"

That hit me hard. Even though Sofia and I were both kidnapped and scared, and I got hurt too, my parents didn't seem to care.

They only focused on comforting Sofia, ignoring me completely.

I bit my lip. "I'm really sorry."

My silence caught Isabella's attention. She glanced at me, and then seemed to notice.

"You're hurt?" Isabella asked.

I perked up a bit, thinking she might comfort me, but she sounded casual.

"You know school is starting soon, right? Elena, are you planning to show up with the Garcia name and those injuries?"

"My God!" Isabella looked at me in surprise.

"I didn't want to get hurt, Mom," I said, my voice cracking.

I couldn't hold back my emotions anymore. Isabella's accusations reminded me of a similar incident at a party, where she had acted the same way.

Isabella seemed to realize her accusations were unfair. It was an accident, and accidents don't care about timing or people.

I let out a sigh of relief.

James and Isabella focused on Sofia until she finally calmed down and stopped crying.

The nurse changing my bandages leaned in and whispered, "Their family seems so close, don't they?"

She had no idea that the people on that bed were my family too. If she knew, she probably wouldn't have said that. Her voice was dripping with envy.

Then she looked at me. "They really love her."

She added, "The wound on your back might need someone to help you change the bandages. Have you told your family? I think I might need to remind them."

Hearing this, I felt a wave of embarrassment. I couldn't imagine Isabella or James helping me with that.

Sofia cried herself to sleep again.

Isabella stayed by her bedside, and even James did the same.

"Just tell me the precautions, thanks. Maybe I can tell them myself later." My voice was a bit low.

Because of this sudden mess, our vacation got cut short.

Sofia and I went back to the Garcia Mansion to recover.

Isabella was worried the nurses couldn't take good care of Sofia and that the hospital's smell might make her anxious, so she arranged for Sofia to be discharged.

And I was just an afterthought.

When handling the discharge papers, Isabella asked about my injuries. When she found out I hadn't hurt any internal organs, she figured I didn't need to stay in the hospital either.

School was starting soon, and I needed to get ready.

I didn't feel great going back home. The vacation I was so excited about was gone, and at home, no one cared about my injuries except the maids.

I could stand by the window and sometimes see Isabella holding Sofia's hand in the garden for afternoon tea, or see James and Sofia riding horses in the distance.

But none of those had anything to do with me. I felt like I had become invisible in the family.

Even my lunch was served in my room. I couldn't take it anymore and stormed into the dining room.

"Why?" I asked.

It wasn't a specific question because I didn't know the reason.

But James and Isabella at the dining table clearly understood my question. After I asked, they didn't even look confused.

"I thought you should understand what you've done, Elena. This is your punishment!" James said in a matter-of-fact tone.

He called the maid to clear the table, then looked at me with disgust.

"My God, Isabella and I thought that even though you lived in a rough neighborhood and were foolish and lacked manners, your character should still be good. But what have you done? If the psychologist hadn't noticed that Sofia had something on her mind and coaxed her to tell the truth, we would have been deceived by you!" James huffed.

Isabella, my mother, looked at me with anger and disgust.

"I don't understand, what happened? What's wrong with Sofia? What truth?" I was confused and hurt.

And Sofia, sitting nearby, clinging to Isabella as if scared, enjoying Isabella's comfort.

Sofia's usually gentle and obedient face now looked like a mask, making me uneasy.

She looked at me pitifully. "Elena, why did you take away my chance to leave?"

My mind went blank, unable to think.

And at that moment, Isabella continued to question me. "And why did you lie to Sofia, saying you were going back to the villa to get your amulet? Elena, the maids at the Garcia Mansion remember what you brought when you arrived at the villa. There was no necklace. You liar!"