Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

His face was kind of blurry, like I was looking at him through a foggy window.

I clutched the blanket, feeling a dull ache in my chest that just kept getting worse.

Ethan noticed I was awake, set down the diary he was reading, and came over to sit by my bed.

I couldn't help but stare at him, tears welling up in my eyes.

This was the man I loved so deeply, but right now, I wished the past two years with him had just been a bad dream.

"Did you know all along?" I asked, sitting up and locking eyes with him.

He didn't look away, just nodded calmly. "Yes."

My heart felt like it was breaking all over again. "Then why did you marry me?"

Ethan's eyes showed a hint of helplessness. He hadn't even answered, but I already felt crushed.

"Ethan, marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life!" My voice shook with emotion.

Ethan held me tight, not letting go even though I struggled. "Emily, you're really upset right now. Can we talk about this later? You have heatstroke. Let's wait until you're feeling better." I broke down in his arms. "Ethan, if I could go back, I wish I'd never met you."

He stiffened and slowly let go, looking hurt but mostly helpless. "Emily, you're angry and not thinking straight. Just rest."

Ethan left the room. I lay back, staring at the ceiling, tears streaming down my face.

I hadn't felt this vulnerable in a long time.

Since starting Emoire Artistry Group, I'd reached the top. People respected and admired me. I wasn't arrogant, but my mindset had changed. My position didn't allow for vulnerability. But the harsh truth shattered me. I couldn't handle it.

I knew making decisions while emotional was a bad idea, so I tried to calm down. But I couldn't. The truth filled me with hatred and a burning desire for revenge.

Jason, who no longer worked at the hospital, still came by daily to change my bandages. He just told me to rest, probably knowing I wouldn't listen to anything else.

I hadn't left my bed in two days, ignoring even the kids' cries.

I kept thinking about my parents. I hadn't missed them this much in a long time. I felt like a terrible daughter, not knowing for years that my dad's death wasn't an accident. The guilt was eating me alive. Ethan stayed around, bringing me meals himself. But I had no appetite.

I could tell he made all my favorite dishes, but the hatred and guilt left me unable to eat.

The next evening, I still hadn't touched my dinner.

Ethan didn't take it away right away. He sat by the bed. "Emily, do you see me as your enemy now?" he asked.

I looked at him, confused and in pain.

Did I? Maybe. Why else would thinking about our past hurt so much?

Ethan gave a bitter smile. "If I'm your enemy, you need to be strong, not like this. Starving yourself only hurts those who care about you and makes your enemies happy. If you die, how will you get your revenge?" His words were meant to provoke me, but they just made me sadder.

Ethan took the cold food away.

Later, Jason came by.

I was almost better. He removed the needle from my hand, took my temperature, and sat on a stool by the bed.

"Emily, Ethan couldn't control a lot of things as a kid. Facing such a tragedy, you had no choice but to accept it. He is innocent," he said sincerely.

I looked at him, seeing the honesty in his eyes.

Over the past two days, I had calmed down a lot.

After Jason left, I got out of bed and walked out of the room.

I heard crying from downstairs and went to the staircase.

"Don't cry. Mommy isn't feeling well. Don't disturb her rest, okay?" Ethan was walking around the living room with Harper in his arms. Hope was holding Hunter, and Luna was cleaning. The kids were having a rough day, crying non-stop. "Hand her over," I said, already standing behind Ethan.

He turned around, looking surprised, relieved, and happy all at once.

He passed Harper to me, and as I walked around, soothing her, she finally stopped crying.

Soon enough, both kids were asleep, and Ethan asked the nanny to take them upstairs.

Now, it was just the two of us in the living room.

I plopped down on the sofa, and he sat next to me.

"Are you calm now?" he asked gently.

I looked at him and replied, "Yeah, I'm calm."

"Then let's talk calmly," he said.

I nodded.

"I get that finding out about this is tough. You probably hate my dad and, by extension, me. You might even feel like I've been lying to you. But, babe, you can't blame me for this. I had nothing to do with it. I was just a kid when it happened, and by the time I found out, it was too late to do anything. Can you not take it out on me?"

I took a deep breath.

"I know I shouldn't blame you, but it's hard. My dad died unfairly, my mom's been in a vegetative state, and my life has been a mess since then. Now that I know the truth, how can I be happy with the son of the man who caused all this?" Ethan gently put his arm around my shoulder, and noticing I didn't push him away, he pulled me closer.

"Babe, you're still not calm."

Thinking about everything that happened, especially that night that changed my life forever, I felt a surge of anger.

I pushed him away and stared at the coffee table. "I can't let the person who did this get away with it."

I looked at him and said, "Even if he's your dad, it's wrong for you to cover for him."

Ethan rubbed my shoulder, trying to calm me down.

"Emily, I just don't want Grandpa to be heartbroken. He doesn't have much time left. Don't let him leave this world in pain, okay? I promise, I'll make sure you get justice." Thinking about Grandpa, I softened a bit.

I knew that even though Martin didn't like Victor, they were still father and son. If Martin found out what Victor had done and saw him go to prison, it would break his heart.

I silently agreed to Ethan's request. The next day was Benjamin's memorial service. His heroic act of sacrificing himself to save students during the earthquake had been all over the news, making the service a big deal.

Government officials, school reps, media, and students Benjamin had taught all showed up, along with a bunch of citizens who came to pay their respects.

I wore a somber black outfit and spotted Lacey right away.

She wasn't crying and seemed pretty calm.

She stood by the tombstone, bowing to everyone who came to pay their respects.

The students Benjamin saved and their parents were there too, holding flowers and mourning for him.

At that moment, Benjamin was just a jar of ashes on the altar.

As the sad music played, everyone lined up to pay their respects one by one.

I bowed three times to Benjamin, then turned around and saw someone entering from the doorway, and my body froze.

Dressed in all black and wearing big sunglasses, it was Linda. Richard was with her, his eyes already red.

I stared at Linda, watching her lower her head as she slowly walked in with the crowd. She wore those big sunglasses, probably to avoid being recognized, but I knew her too well.

Especially after reading Benjamin's diary and learning the truth, my hatred for her ran deep.

She was not only cruel but also despicable!

My clenched fists trembled slightly, and Ethan, sensing my agitation, put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me aside.

I tried to control myself, knowing this was Benjamin's memorial service. Now wasn't the time to confront them. Besides, Lacey had just come back from abroad and was already dealing with enough; she didn't need more drama. Richard volunteered to read the eulogy for Benjamin. He didn't cry like he did when Benjamin was exhumed, but his eyes were still red.

It was clear he genuinely loved Benjamin.

Linda didn't stick around long and quietly slipped out.

Because I had been watching her, I didn't miss her leaving.

I followed her out of the memorial service.

She quickly walked to a black sedan parked by the road and got into the passenger seat.

As she opened the door, I saw someone sitting in the driver's seat.

I immediately rushed over and grabbed the door handle before they could start the car.