Chapter 5

Cindy lingered in the cemetery for a long time. Just as she turned to leave, her footsteps came to an abrupt halt at the sight of a group of people heading her way. Arthur noticed her right away. It was the first time they'd laid eyes on each other since Cindy's car accident. His eyes darkened as they fell on the lilies resting before Winter's grave. The next moment, his mother, Monica Barlow, standing beside him, caught sight of Cindy. She charged forward, seized Cindy, and struck her in a fit of rage. "Who said you could come here? Get out! Leave now!" Monica bellowed. The force of the slap left Cindy reeling. She stumbled back. "Mrs. Forsyth, I only came to see—" "Shut up!" Monica roared, cutting her off. "You have no right to be here. Winter's dead because of you. Now go!" Cindy's left cheek burned, the skin already swelling and reddening. She bit back the pain, too afraid to speak another word. Stephen Forsyth, Arthur's father, quickly stepped in to restrain Monica. "Cindy! Just go. Don't ever come back!" But Monica wasn't having it. Her gaze landed on the lilies lying on the ground, and she wrenched herself free from Stephen's hold. She grabbed the flowers and flung them at Cindy with everything she had, her sobs tearing through the air like a storm. "Don't you show up here acting like you care! If you hadn't run off that night and had stayed to help Winter, she wouldn't have died the way she did! "Five drunk men. You left her defenseless against five drunk men. Not a single part of her lower body was left unscathed when she died!" Monica's hatred for Cindy burned fiercely. Deep down, everyone knew that if Cindy hadn't run, the two of them might've both ended up suffering the same fate. But Winter's death had been too devastating. It had left everyone drowning in grief and fury, their judgment clouded. They couldn't forgive Cindy for not letting Winter go first that night. They made sure those men would rot behind bars for the rest of their lives. And as for Cindy, they wanted her to carry the weight of her guilt forever. Monica continued to strike her, her blows relentless as she wept. "My sweet Winter was so young and kind-hearted. Why did you run? Why did you leave her there all by herself..." In the end, she shoved Cindy with a desperate cry. "Why did Winter have to die? Why couldn't it have been you instead?" Cindy stumbled back from the force, her head slamming against the edge of another gravestone. Blood instantly spilled across her forehead. Arthur clenched his fists. The moment Cindy got back on her feet, he gripped her arm tightly. "Mom, don't get worked up in front of Winter. I'll make her leave right now." Without another word, he hauled her out of the cemetery. Once outside, he shoved her away roughly. Arthur's eyes were shadowed with emotion as he hissed through gritted teeth, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? I told you never to come back here." His eyes burned with rage, but something else simmered beneath it. Bitterness rose in Cindy's chest as she said, "I wanted to see Winter..." Arthur's voice was cold and cutting. "You don't deserve to." Without another word, he spun on his heel and marched back into the cemetery, signaling to the bodyguards nearby to drive her away. His words—"You don't deserve to"—stabbed her straight in the heart. Cindy staggered away, tears pouring down her cheeks as she made her way down the road. But then, Winter's voice echoed in her ears, bright and crisp. "Cindy, this bracelet's for you, and this one's mine. We're best friends for life. You'd better not leave me behind." "Cindy, I caught Arthur looking at diamond rings yesterday. I bet he's going to pop the question soon." "Once he's watching you like a hawk, it'll be harder for me to steal you away. Let's catch a movie tonight, okay?" "Cindy, run! Just run!" Cindy's face was already streaked with tears. "Winter, do you have any idea how much I regret not stepping in front of you that day, not letting you go first? It wouldn't have shattered so many hearts if I had been the one to die," she thought. For someone like her, with no family, being gone would've just meant being gone. Maybe Arthur would've loved her forever if she had died back then. Maybe they never would have ended up like they were today. The more Cindy dwelt on it, the deeper the pain sank its claws into her. In the end, she couldn't hold herself together any longer. Her emotions broke loose, and she dropped to the ground, crying her heart out.