When I didn't answer, Everett sneered, assuming I was scheming. “Pathetic faker. First, you say your stomach hurts. Now what? Your head hurt? If you’re going to die, do it somewhere else. I don’t want to have to deal with your stinking corpse. Gosh, you’re such a jinx!”
His words hit me like a dagger to the chest.
I looked at his eyebrows and eyes, which looked exactly like mine and let out a bitter mumble, “I'm not faking, Everett. Can you trust me for once?”
My voice was quiet, laced with cautious hope and desperate pleading.
For a moment, maybe moved by my expression, Everett hesitated. He even took a step closer. But before he could speak, Erica's voice cut through the air behind him.
“Everett, the fireworks are almost out. Mom and Dad want you to get more. Oh, Evangeline, when did you get back? Did you have fun? Staying out all night with your friends and losing track of time, huh?”
Everett froze mid-step and quickly retreated a few steps. His expression shifted into one of contempt. “Nice performance. You almost had me. Pathetic!”
With a switch in his demeanor, Everett turned to Erica and reply, “Wait here. I’ll go get more fireworks in the storage.”
Pain flared up again in my chest, making me wince. Then I heard Erica letting out a scoff.
“Your family doesn't care about you. Even your fiancé left you. No one care about you. So why don’t you just die? Do you think Mom, Dad and Everett will still care when they find out you have cancer?”
I forced myself to focus through the pain when I heard footsteps crunching in the snow. I looked up and Erica was already standing in front of me. Her sweet and friendly expression was gone, replaced by pure hatred.
“Mom told me about your stomach cancer, but you know what? She thinks that you're faking it,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain.
My fingers went numb as a mix of sadness and anger shattered whatever control I had left.
Before I knew what was happening, Erica collapsed to the ground. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her cheek, wailing, “Mom! Dad!”
“I just wanted to talk to Evangeline and tell her to stop pretending to be sick and making you sad. But she pushed me! Why did you do that?”
A sharp slap landed on my cheek, snapping my head to the side. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.