My Birthday, My Downfall novel Chapter 6

"Maybe... this is another of big sister's schemes..."

"First she faked injuries to trick us, and now she's pretending to jump into the river. Dad, Mom, she's trying to force you to drive me out of the house!"

Lily bit her lower lip, crying miserably, then made as if to rush outside.

"If that's the case, I might as well leave now. That way, big sister will be happy and won't cause more trouble to worry everyone!"

Jake quickly caught her.

"Don't be ridiculous! The drama she's causing has nothing to do with you. You're the young lady our Stone family has raised since childhood. If anyone should leave, it's not you!"

Lily breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed crying into Jake's arms.

Mom and Dad also came forward to comfort her, while the manager looked anxious.

"But when we rushed in, we clearly saw Miss Emma's clothes were torn! There were several pools of blood on the floor!"

Jake's expression changed dramatically as he pushed Lily aside and hurried downstairs.

When he reached the private room where I had been locked up, his pupils contracted, and his face filled with shock.

The room was a mess.

Tables and chairs were overturned. On the floor lay a bloodstained ashtray, along with the tattered remains of my clothes.

Lily's diamond dress had also disappeared.

On the window frame I had jumped from were two horrifying bloody handprints.

Those were the bloody marks left when I desperately clawed at the door, my fingers bleeding.

The pools of blood on the floor were from my old wounds reopening when they tore at me.

When Jake saw these bloodstains, his eyes turned red with shock.

Mom, who had followed closely, clutched Dad's hand and cried:

"How could this happen?! You really shouldn't have locked Emma in with those beasts!"

"My daughter was driven to jump into the river, and she lost so much blood!"

Dad frowned, feeling somewhat guilty under her accusations.

"I heard Lily say these people were hired by Emma herself. How could I have known they would be bold enough to harm their own employer!"

Lily shrank her neck behind them, her face pale.

She apparently hadn't expected me to be desperate enough to jump into the river.

"Dad, Mom, don't be fooled by big sister! This blood might be fake too, and those people might just be playing along with her act!"

"She can't swim. How could she just jump?"

Jake turned back to stare at her, his eyes bloodshot, saying word by word:

"Emma isn't that kind of person."

"Who would risk their life to put on an act? Whether this blood is real or fake, let the doctor check, and we'll know."

"I don't even know them! Just now they almost raped me, as you all saw!"

"My dress was torn by them too, boo hoo..."

She pointed at her tattered dress, then seemed to realize something.

"Yes! They must be lying! They took the diamond dress I gave to big sister!"

"They must have seen money and gotten greedy, wanting to run off with the diamond dress. Big sister tried to stop them, so they got rough with her and threw her into the river!"

Lily's explanation made sense.

They had seen the situation with their own eyes, and in their hearts, Lily would always be pure and kind.

"Alright, don't cry. The police will sort out the truth."

Jake took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, comforting her.

Lily lowered her head, her eyes flashing with panic and guilt.

The police soon arrived and took the only captured suspect to a room next door for questioning.

The restaurant manager came in and reported that they still hadn't found any trace of me.

Jake climbed onto the windowsill, preparing to jump down.

"I'll personally go down to save my sister!"