They Pretended I Didn’t Exist for Twenty Years… So I Disappeared Chapter 04

They Pretended I Didn’t Exist for Twenty Years… So I Disappeared Chapter 04

The room fell so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat.

Mason and Ryan looked at each other.

Finally, Ethan forced out a few words to break the silence.

“Okay. This joke has gone too far.”

He tried to hide how badly his fingers were shaking as he stepped forward to hug me.

“I’m not joking.”

I shoved him away in disgust.

Before Ethan could say anything else, Lily burst into tears.

“Claire, I know you don’t like me. But you can’t make up something like this just to turn everyone against me!”

This time, she grabbed her suitcase and headed for the door.

“Fine. I’ll go. None of you have to talk to me again. I’m the one who came later anyway…”

Ryan and Mason panicked immediately.

One rushed to comfort Lily.

The other turned on me.

“Claire Bennett, why do you have to keep pushing Lily like this? How did I end up with a sister this cruel?”

“If one of you has to go, we’d rather it be you!”

I had already decided to give them up.

Even so, hearing them say it directly to my face still hurt.

The last trace of uncertainty vanished from Ethan’s eyes and was replaced by irritation.

“She’s already practically begging you. Why are you still making a scene?”

“Fine. You want to call this the Invisible Game? Then let’s keep playing. This time, unless you give in first, none of us are forgiving you.”

With that, he hurried over to help comfort Lily.

My fingers tightened around the handle of my suitcase.

I said nothing.

I picked up my luggage and walked out.

I hadn’t gone far before a wave of dizziness hit me.

“Well, look who’s awake.”

A violent shudder ran through me at the familiar stench.

I opened my eyes and found myself staring at my nightmare.

“What… what do you want?”

“What do we want?”

The man in front spat on the floor.

“You actually went to the cops. Now you’ve got the police hunting me all over Westbridge. What do you think I want?”

The men moved toward me slowly, their eyes roaming over me.

“If I’m going to prison because of you anyway, I might as well have some fun one more time before they lock me up.”

The memory of the first assault crashed through me.

My head throbbed, and pain tore through my lower abdomen so badly that my entire body shook.

I bit the inside of my mouth until I tasted blood and fumbled for my phone.

I called Ethan.

He picked up on the final ring.

“Help me… Please…”

One of the men noticed what I was doing.

He kicked the phone out of my hand and then drove his foot into my chest.

“You stupid bitch! Trying to call the cops again? Guess I’d better hurry.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw that the call hadn’t disconnected.

But no voice came through the phone.

Then I understood.

Ethan was waiting for me to give in, just like I always had during the Invisible Game.

“Fine,” I cried with everything I had left. “I give in. Please… please save me.”

A soft laugh came through the phone.

It was Lily.

“Then what are you giving me this time, Claire?”

Pain exploded through my chest and abdomen.

I couldn’t force out another word.

Ethan finally lost patience.

He spoke in a low voice.

“You haven’t even thought of a gift. Why should we forgive you?”

Then he added, “You’ve really outdone yourself this time. You even hired actors to make the whole thing sound convincing.”

The call ended.

Despair swallowed me whole.

Just as I’d given up all hope, the door was kicked open.

After hanging up, Ethan couldn’t shake the unease twisting in his chest.

He paced back and forth.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally called me back.

No one answered.

Fear closed around his throat until he could barely breathe.

Then the doorbell rang.

Relief flooded him, and he rushed to the door.

“You’re back…”

But there was only a courier standing outside.

Ethan looked confused until he saw the package in the man’s hands.

His face turned white.

“Is Lily Foster here? A woman asked me to deliver a gift to her.”