Chapter 8

Cecily had forgotten her past with Clyde and decided to move on, cutting him out of her life for good. Who he loved or married now wasn't her concern. So, when she overheard the housekeepers' conversation, it didn't affect her. She quietly joined in singing the birthday song. When she looked up, her eyes met Clyde's. Upon seeing her, he frowned, leaned toward Evelyn, and whispered something. Evelyn followed his gaze, then made her way through the crowd to approach Cecily. Cecily wrapped her in a soft hug, handed her the birthday gift, and smiled. "Happy birthday." Evelyn, who had been waiting for Cecily all evening, tried to lead her toward the cake, but Cecily shook her head. "It's too loud with so many people. I'll skip the cake. Go enjoy the party. I'll wait in your room. There's something I need to talk to you about later." Concerned that Cecily might feel uncomfortable seeing Clyde, Evelyn agreed. Cecily steered clear of the crowd and made her way up to Evelyn's room on the third floor, following the familiar route. She settled onto the couch, and after about half an hour, she began to feel sleepy. She closed her eyes and dozed off for a bit. In her half-sleep, she heard the door open and figured it was Evelyn. But when she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see Isabel standing there instead. Isabel's expression was cold, and her gaze was sharp as she locked eyes with Cecily. Her voice was void of warmth. "You said you were done with Cly, didn't you? So why do you keep putting yourself in front of him? Let me make this clear—his heart belongs to me. No matter what little games you play for attention, he'll never want you. You'll never beat me." Caught off guard, Cecily took a moment to collect herself before responding, "I'm just here to drop off Evie's birthday gift. I'll be leaving soon." The wariness in Isabel's eyes didn't ease at Cecily's words. If anything, it sharpened, now laced with fresh contempt. "You've clung to Clyde without the slightest bit of shame all these years, throwing yourself at him like you have no self-respect. All of this is happening just because Evelyn knows how to flutter her lashes and play sweet with him, isn't it? "Clyde's unlucky to have a sister who can't tell right from wrong and always sides with outsiders." Isabel's words could be as nasty as they wanted, but they never seemed to get to Cecily. But the second she started insulting Evelyn, Cecily's expression turned icy. "Does Clyde even know you talk about his precious sister like this behind his back?" Isabel sneered. "Clyde would take my side no matter what. Why would I care if I insult her? You and Evelyn are both shameless, brazen sluts. Isn't that the truth? Or are you just this worked up because I struck a nerve?" "Seven years ago, you ended things with Clyde out of the blue and left the country, nearly destroying him. Evie watched him fall apart, but she never once blamed you. "Now you show up expecting to pick up where you left off and marry him, and you've got the nerve to talk behind Evie's back? Tell me, who's really the shameless, brazen one here?" Isabel hadn't expected Cecily to throw those words back at her. Rage surged through her, and she slapped Cecily across the face. Cecily didn't hesitate. She raised her hand and struck back. Isabel clutched her burning cheek, tears of fury rising in her eyes. She lunged at Cecily, and the two crashed into each other in a violent tangle of limbs. Cecily grabbed a fistful of Isabel's hair, yanking hard as she fought back with everything she had. In the chaos, they knocked over a scented candle on the table. The small flame caught the edge of the bedsheet and quickly spread to the carpet. Within seconds, the fire was out of control. Thick smoke filled the room. By the time they realized what was happening, flames had already engulfed everything around them. Cecily fought to reach the door, but Isabel shoved her hard into the fire. The flames seared her skin, the pain so intense it sent violent tremors through her entire body. She scrambled to put out the fire engulfing her when the bedroom door flew open with a deafening crash. Clyde charged in, just a few feet from her, but his eyes barely glanced her way before locking onto Isabel. He rushed to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Thick smoke filled Cecily's nostrils, choking her. She grew weaker with each breath. Her hands, burned and reddened, reached out and gripped Clyde's leg. He glanced down briefly, pulled himself free, and strode off. As she watched his figure disappear into the smoke, her vision blurred, and she sank into darkness.