Ch. Finished 1 Finished 1

Chapter 1

The day before the modeling contest, I was locked inside my house when a sudden fire broke out.

By the time they pulled me out, my face was a mess of burns and lacerations, my body scorched over a wide area.

Outside the operating room, Mom cried like her heart was being torn apart, blaming herself again and again for accidentally locking the door.

My fiancé, Kenneth Thornton, called in every dermatologist in the city, vowing to restore my looks.

But then I heard Mom’s shaky voice outside.

“Kenneth, even if it’s to help Carrie win the competition, wasn’t it going too far to set the fire and lock the door–burning Linda’s face like this?”

Kenneth scoffed. “If Linda weren’t so vain and selfish, I wouldn’t have had to take such drastic measures. She knew Carrie was battling depression, but still flaunted her figure in front of her. All she lost was her face and some skin. Carrie lost her happiness. This is what Linda

owes her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll marry Linda. As my wife, no one will dare whisper behind her back. Even if she’s hideous, I’ll treat her well. She should be grateful.”

Destroying my health and career was treating me well?

I clenched my teeth until my jaw ached, the cold and pain raging in my chest.

The man I loved. The mother who claimed to love me. I was done with them both.

***

“Hold off on the surgery. Have all the specialists wait outside.”

The doctor, halfway through pulling on his gloves, froze. “Mr. Thornton, Ms. Melinda’s burns are too severe. Her throat’s been damaged by the smoke. If we don’t operate now, she won’t just lose her voice–her face and skin will be completely ruined.”

Mom hesitated, guilt flickering in her eyes. “Kenneth, she’s hurt so badly. She can’t compete tomorrow anyway. Why not just let her have the surgery…

“Let it be ruined. If she gets treated now, with her vain and selfish nature, she’ll still find ways to trip Carrie up, even if she can’t win. Only if she’s half–dead will she stop bullying Carrie. This will humble her. It’s for her own good.”

He picked up a damp cotton swab and gently dabbed my cracked lips- while his words cut like a blade.

“I promised Carrie this championship would be hers. No one will stand in her way.”

Mom sighed and turned to the doctor. “Just give my daughter some pain relief. Disinfect the burns on her face and body, but do it gently. Don’t let her hurt too much.”

No one noticed my body trembling, as if a hidden knife had been driven straight into my heart, stealing my breath.

The fire was never an accident.

It was a trap, set by the man I’d loved for years, just to clear me from Caroline Althea’s path.

And Mom–the one who’d always claimed to love me–was his accomplice.

They had stood outside that door, ignoring my desperate cries for help, feeling nothing but relief that I’d finally been destroyed.

Pain ripped through my chest. My raw, scorched throat convulsed, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Mom panicked, reaching toward me–only to realize there wasn’t a single uninjured spot she could touch.

Her eyes reddened with tears. “Linda, I’m here. It hurts, doesn’t it? Don’t be afraid. I will always be with you.”

Kenneth snapped, furious. “Where the hell are those dermatologists? If anything happens to my wife, this hospital can shut down!”

The doctor, already pale from Kenneth’s temper, stammered, “Mr. Thornton, we’ve been calling them, but there was an accident on the road. The traffic’s backed up. The soonest they can get here is tomorrow.”

Kenneth kicked him out the door. “Get out.”

Then he turned back, crouching in front of me with a face full of guilt. “Honey, I’m sorry. I should’ve come sooner. I let you suffer too much. Don’t worry–no matter the cost, I’ll heal your skin and your face. You’ll stand on the runway again.”

I stared at his perfect performance, my voice bitter. “Will I really get better?”

“You will. I promise.”

His fake conviction made me feel like a fool.

To get rid of me for Caroline, this man–the one who’d gone from school uniforms to wedding vows with me, swearing to love me forever–had fed me lie after lie and pushed me into a dead end with his own hands.

And Mom, who had treasured me all my life, had chosen to side with that two–faced adopted daughter and turn the knife against me.

In that moment, I wanted to ask them why they were so cruel.

But the words froze in my chest, turning into silence.

A few doctors came in with disinfectant, looking at my burns with pity. “Ms. Melinda, the specialists aren’t here yet. We’ll have to do a simple cleaning for now. Please bear with it.”

The pain tore through me. When the disinfectant hit my skin, it was like being thrown into the flames again. Fragile blood vessels burst, and the bed was soon soaked with blood and pus.