Chapter 3
Chapter 3
My pupils contracted as I stared at Scarlett in disbelief.
“Scarlett is my true daughter.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around what kind of sick game Jaxon had played to convince my dad that she was the real Hartwell heiress.
I pushed through the crowd, ready to confront Jaxon face–to–face, when Phoenix grabbed my arm.
He shoved his phone at me with a voice recording, then disappeared into the crowd.
My hands were shaking as I hit play:
“Why the hell are you working with Mr. Hartwell to let Scarlett steal Remi’s identity?”
‘I’m planning to make it official with Remi on her birthday anyway. Remi’s got me in her corner–she’ll be fine even without the Hartwell name. But Scarlett? After our divorce, she’ll have nothing. You want her back to singing in dive bars for tips?”
Every word felt like an ice pick to my brain. Everything went white, ears ringing like a fire alarm.
I looked up at Scarlett on the second floor, laughing and playing the perfect socialite, and something snapped. I charged upstairs and got in my dad’s face:
‘What proof do you have that I’m not your daughter? Just because you and Jaxon say so?”
Everyone turned to stare, but Dad looked completely unbothered. Scarlett was smirking at me like she’d already won.
Dad’s assistant handed him a manila envelope. He pulled out two DNA test results with a flourish.
“Everyone can see for themselves–Scarlett and I share 99.99% DNA, while Remi and I share
0.0001%.”
“That’s IMPOSSIBLE!”
I was screaming now, but nobody seemed to care.
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Scarlett sauntered over, got right up in my face, and whispered:
“How’s it feel? Your husband, your kid, your family–they’re all MINE now.”
I slapped her so hard my palm stung.
Before I could land the second one, three or four bodyguards dragged me down and pinned me to the floor.
“Enough! You ungrateful little bitch!”
“You’ve got some nerve disrespecting me in my own house!”
Dad nodded at his security team. A sickening pop and my shoulder was completely dislocated.
I went white–hot with pain, my vision blurring as agony shot through my entire body.
Jaxon started to step forward, but Scarlett beat him to it, dropping to her knees beside me.
“Daddy, please don’t hurt her anymore. This is all my fault.”
“Look how sweet Scarlett is, even after you attacked her. Get on your knees and apologize. NOW!”
Staring at this stranger wearing my father’s face, I gritted my teeth through the pain and croaked out
one word:
“No.”
[axon couldn’t keep his mouth shut:
‘Remi, you’re totally out of line here. Scarlett’s literally begging him to go easy on you, and you can’t even say sorry?”
This man I’d loved for five years–I was finally seeing who he really was underneath it all.
I let out a bitter laugh and turned away from both of them.
[axon’s face darkened. He motioned to the guards to haul me upright.
‘Since she hit you, Scarlett, hit her back.”
I couldn’t believe those words had just come out of his mouth.
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“Oh, I couldn’t…” Scarlett said softly, while her hands were already curling into fists.
“You can’t let some fake push you around. Hartwells don’t back down from anyone. Go ahead and teach her some respect–Daddy will reward you for it.”
Her eyes lit up with pure malice. The first slap sent my head snapping to the side.
Blood filled my mouth.
The second hit made my other cheek swell up like a balloon.
My stitches from earlier split open, and Scarlett smiled as she aimed right for the wound. Blood poured down my face, turning everything red.
While everyone watched my humiliation like it was dinner theater, some guy with a knife came charging through the crowd toward Scarlett.
“You bastard Richard! You killed my daughter–now I’m gonna take yours!”
Jaxon yanked me sideways just as the blade meant for Scarlett buried itself in my stomach instead.
I hit the ground convulsing, blood pooling around me, while Jaxon fussed over Scarlett’s scraped
knees.
We both got loaded into ambulances. The paramedics rushed me straight into surgery while Jaxon
held Scarlett’s hand, whispering sweet reassurances.
By the time he finished comforting her and remembered I existed, the OR lights had been dark for
hours.
He searched every floor of the hospital but couldn’t find my room anywhere.
“Excuse me, which room is Remi Hartwell in?”
The nurse looked up with an odd expression.
“And you are?”
“Her husband,” he snapped impatiently.
She checked her computer, then her voice went very quiet:
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“I’m so sorry, sir. Ms. Hartwell didn’t make it through surgery. Her body has already been sent to the crematorium this morning.”
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