I Played Shy to Dodge Her Traps Then the Impostor Snapped Chapter 06

I Played Shy to Dodge Her Traps Then the Impostor Snapped Chapter 06

“Dad, Mom, and Lucas too. I’ll find a way to keep them all inside.”

“I’ll leave the side door unlocked. You come in that way. And bring extra gas.”

“Make sure the fire’s big enough. There are security cameras inside, and if anything survives, your face will be all over the footage.”

On the recording, Hazel laughed. Bright and carefree, like she was planning a party. “Once they’re all dead, the Ashford fortune is mine.”

“No more sucking up. No more performing. I won’t have to pretend anymore just to keep my spot in this family.”

The other voice said something muffled, and Hazel’s tone turned almost generous. “Relax. You’ll get your cut.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know how it works…”

The recording cut off. Silence dropped over the crowd. Every pair of eyes fixed on Hazel.

Lucas’s voice came out low and dangerous. “So this is how you love us, Hazel?”

“You wanted us all dead.”

“Why? After everything we gave you, why would you do this?”

Hazel’s words tumbled out. “It’s not what it sounds like, Lucas, just listen to me…”

“That recording is fake! Chloe forged it!”

“You know how she is! She’s jealous, she hates me, she’ll do anything to turn you all against me!”

Lucas let out a bitter laugh. “She’s jealous of you?”

“Since she came home, she’s walked out that door exactly once. Today.”

“She’s been hiding from you. Backing down every single time. And you still couldn’t just leave her alone?”

“Meanwhile, you’ve been setting her up since day one. Go ahead, Hazel. Count the accusations. Then count how many blew up in your face.”

“I saw all of it. Every time. I just didn’t say anything because I loved you. That doesn’t make me an idiot.”

Then he turned to me, and his expression softened. “Chloe, I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve any of this.”

“You were terrified, and I didn’t even protect you. I know that must’ve hurt.”

I managed a thin smile and said nothing.

My mom looked dazed, staring at Hazel like she was seeing a stranger. Then something clicked, and she turned to me.

“So that’s why you begged us all to go out with you today…”

But those words gave Hazel exactly the opening she needed.

“You abandoned me! Is that what you call loving me?”

“Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t feeling well? Didn’t I ask you all to stay home with me?”

“But you went out with Chloe instead. You picked her. Your real daughter.”

“I’ll never matter as much as she does to you. Isn’t that the truth?”

Lucas’s face darkened. “And you’re still trying to spin this?”

My mom shook her head, her eyes rimmed with tears. “How can you say we don’t care about you?”

“Every time you were sick as a kid, who was right there beside you? I was. Every single time.”

“This time, you said you felt sick. We called a doctor. He said nothing was physically wrong, and that if you still felt sick, it was probably just stress.”

“So I figured you were upset because of Chloe.”

“Yes, we promised Chloe we’d go out with her. But I was also going to pick up some gifts for you. A surprise. Something to cheer you up.”

“Tell me how that’s not caring about you.”

Hazel stared at her, something unreadable flickering in her eyes.

Then her face crumpled, and she broke into loud, heaving sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Mom, I’m sorry! I messed up!”

“I wasn’t thinking straight. I lost my mind. Please, Mom, please forgive me!”

My mom turned her face away, refusing to look at her. Hazel dropped to her knees, jaw clenched.

She slapped herself across the face.

My mom flinched. “Stop that! Use your words. Don’t you dare hit yourself.”

Hazel lunged forward and wrapped her arms around my mom’s legs, her voice breaking. “Mom, just this once. Please. Just forgive me this once.”

“I can’t lose you!”

I couldn’t watch this anymore. “You really can’t bear to lose my mom?”

“Then why have you been slipping something into her food for the past month?”

“Another month of it and her mind would be completely gone. Then you can do whatever you want with her. Isn’t that the plan?”

Hazel’s sobbing stopped cold. The tenderness on my mom’s face turned to stone.