Chapter 5

"Have you lost your mind?" Logan's voice trembled as he spoke. "Natalie is already crippled. She cares about her appearance so much, yet you're letting her get amputated. Do you want her to die?" Jayden replied, "I know you love Natalie, Logan. But don't forget who was the one who saved us from the fire five years ago. Both of us would've been dead if it wasn't for Clara, who fought to save us!" Natalie's eyes widened amidst the rubble. She was the one who'd risked everything to drag the two of them out of that fire five years ago. But they'd mistaken her for Clara. Was that the reason they'd favored Clara all along? In the end, they finally reached a consensus after a heated argument. "Save Clara first!" In the dark, Natalie opened her eyes and watched as the rescue team's light gradually faded into the distance. They carried Clara away in such a hurry that they didn't even spare a glance at the rubble behind them. The ceiling came crashing down when the aftershock hit, and with it, she lost consciousness completely. … Natalie opened her eyes in the midst of the searing pain. The bright fluorescent light on the ceiling hurt her eyes, making them water. She instinctively reached down to touch her legs, relieved to find that they were still intact. "We wouldn't have been able to keep your legs if you'd arrived half an hour later." While changing her bandages, the nurse said, "You're so lucky to be alive, Ms. Carter." Natalie stared at the white ceiling as she smiled bitterly. She would rather die in that earthquake than be alive. Suddenly, the door to the ward burst open, and Jayden and Logan rushed in, their faces etched with faux worry. "Natalie!" Jayden grabbed her hand. "It was too chaotic back then, and we couldn't see you—" Logan dropped to one knee by the bedside, gently brushing his hand over her leg, which was in a cast. "I'm sorry, Natalie. I won't let you out of my sight ever again!" Natalie slowly retrieved her hand, her gaze empty and hollow. She didn't want to hear their poorly-crafted lies at all. "Natalie?" Logan, finally realizing something was off, said in a trembling voice, "Please say something." But all he was met with was complete silence. … For a good three days, Natalie remained like a delicate puppet—she didn't cry, laugh, or speak. Jayden eventually panicked and insisted on taking her for a full-body checkup. "She seems normal physically." The doctor adjusted his glasses and replied, "But I recommend seeing a psychologist." Jayden tugged at his tie in frustration as soon as the door to the counseling room closed. "Is it really that serious? I can't believe she even has to see a psychologist now!" "Mr. Carter." The doctor walked out with the diagnosis report, looking somber. "The patient is suffering from severe depression with suicidal tendencies." "What?" Jayden looked as if he'd been struck by lightning. "How could she suffer from depression from just a small matter?" Logan punched the wall, blood seeping out from his knuckles. "Small matter? Something that crippled her, forced her to quit dancing, and caused her to live with a catheter—and you're saying that it's a small matter? She was perfectly fine, and yet we pushed her to this—" His eyes were red as he grabbed Jayden by his collar. "Natalie is the woman I've been protecting with everything I have, Jayden! This is the last time I'm listening to you. Even if Clara saved my life, my debt to her has been paid. I won't listen to you and hurt Natalie anymore, no matter what!" "She's my biological sister!" Jayden angrily yelled, "Do you think I want to treat her this way? I'm doing this all for Clara!" He released his grip with a defeated sigh. "Fine, now that Clara has won the dance championship, Natalie will no longer be in her way. We'll just treat Natalie better from now on."