Chapter 5

The first thing Sabrina saw when she next opened her eyes was the white ceiling. The smell of disinfectant invaded her senses. A nurse entered the ward to change her dressing. She hurried forward happily when she saw that Sabrina was awake. "You're finally awake, Mrs. Faust! You have no idea how anxious Mr. Faust and Mr. Ansel were while you were unconscious. "They stayed by your bedside to watch over you around the clock and got the city's best doctors to check on you. They even went to Fordham Church outside the city to pray for your safety. They climbed the 999 steps leading to the church, praying the whole time. They made the trending topics, you know!" The nurse showed Sabrina her phone. In the video, Jordan and Ansel slowly made their way up the steps to the church. Many people believed there was something about Fordham Church that made one's wishes come true, so many visited the place to pray for miracles. Jordan and Ansel were the first to pray every step of the way, though. That was why so many people had filmed them. In the video, they stopped on each step and chanted something before praying that Sabrina would wake up soon. Instead of being moved, Sabrina only found the situation cruel and mocking. If Jordan and Ansel truly loved her so, why would they have abandoned her to protect Holly when the accident had happened? The news of Sabrina regaining consciousness soon reached Jordan's and Ansel's ears. They hurried back to the city and charged into her ward, throwing their arms around her. This wasn't her first time seeing Jordan lose control like this, but she'd definitely never seen Ansel like this. Still, she wasn't touched when she saw their red eyes and trembling hands. She only felt numb. Wouldn't it have been great if she'd died in that accident? That way, they could be a happy family with Holly. Wasn't that the best for everyone? Why were they still putting on acts before her like this? Jordan and Ansel cried and spoke for a long time, but Sabrina didn't react to anything. They released her, feeling taken aback when they saw her calm expression and the mockery deep in her eyes. Seemingly remembering what had happened before the accident, Jordan hurriedly explained that he and Ansel had only tried to shield Holly because she and Sabrina were dressed too similarly. He claimed they'd mistaken her for Sabrina. "I'm sorry, Rina. It really was a case of mistaken identity. I swear I won't do it again," Jordan said. Ansel added, "Me too, Mom. I promise I won't mistake Holly for you anymore. Can you please forgive us?" They were quick to make promises, but Sabrina only felt tired. They'd lied to her so many times that it seemed they were actually starting to believe their lies. She closed her eyes, feeling exhausted. She didn't want to hear any more. The clothes she'd worn that day had been completely different from Holly's outfit, and she'd clearly heard them cry out Holly's name when the accident had happened. Sabrina wanted to tell them to come up with better lies if they wanted to keep the act going. Couldn't they even do that properly? She turned away from them without saying a word, allowing her tears to flow freely. Jordan and Ansel thought she was just tired, so they stopped talking and quietly left the ward. For the next few days, they refused to leave her side, perhaps out of guilt or diffidence. Jordan even rejected all of Holly's calls. The neglect made Holly panic. She decided to switch tactics and go after Sabrina instead. Sabrina received several photos and a video from Holly. Despite knowing the three of them had already formed a family behind her back, she was still hurt when she saw the photos of them together. The first showed Jordan standing before the window with Holly in his arms. There were fireworks outside and hickeys on Holly's neck. The second showed Ansel sound asleep in Holly's arm. He held her sleeve tightly, seemingly afraid she would leave him. The third showed the three of them at a restaurant. They sat together, looking just like a happy family. The fourth showed them having a snowball fight and building snowmen. There were joyful smiles on each of their faces. As for the video, it was a recording of a birthday celebration. Jordan and Ansel kissed Holly's cheeks while wishing her. Jordan said, "Happy birthday, honey." Ansel said, "Happy birthday, Mom."