Chapter 58

It was clear Chase wasn't buying the excuse. "If she miscarried, why didn't you call for help immediately instead of letting her crawl out covered in blood?"

"I did call, but my sister refused to listen. She wouldn't stay in bed and insisted on leaving. I think she wanted to make a scene, perhaps as payback."

Tears streamed down Nicole's cheeks. "Think about it, Chase. Whether she likes me or not, she's still my sister. Why would I hurt her? I was terrified when I saw her bleeding. It was my first experience with something like that. Oddly, the first person there wasn't a doctor—it was Derek."

"He seemed tense and angry, as if she were his fiancée, not yours. It was bizarre. He's lived abroad for years, and I've never known him to have anything to do with her. Why did he look at her like that?"

Nicole's questions seemed to soften Chase's demeanor. She continued, "After the miscarriage, you rushed to the hospital, but she didn't tell you about it. She kept quiet. How could you expect me, an outsider, to bring it up? Wouldn't that be prying? I've been wondering why Derek was at the OB-GYN department. Why didn't she tell you? Was there something wrong with the baby?"

I thought, with all the evidence, Chase would see through her lies. But I underestimated Nicole. She twisted the truth skillfully. No man could tolerate his fiancée being linked to another man, and who knew what Chase was thinking? His expression turned icy, his demeanor colder.

"What else did you see?"

"Besides the hospital incident, I saw Derek and Amanda meeting privately a few days before your wedding. I was too far to hear clearly, but I overheard fragments about not marrying you and leaving."

Nicole glanced at Chase. "Do you think they…?"

"No," Chase replied, his voice frosty.

I finally understood why Nicole had managed to turn the whole family against me in just a few years. She had transformed Chase, who once disliked her, into this, leaving me constantly defeated. Her skill was frightening—she could easily confuse Chase, shifting all blame onto me and Derek, whom I barely knew.

Chase remained silent, clearly considering her words.

Then, unexpectedly, a loud clap of thunder shattered the winter silence. Thunder in winter was rare; both jumped.

The room was dimly lit, only a bedside lamp casting a faint glow. When the thunder struck, Nicole let out a piercing scream. At first, I thought she was simply playing the victim. However, this time, her eyes were fixed on me, standing at the foot of the bed.

"Amanda! I didn't do it!" Nicole cried.