Chapter 2 Betrayed

Beep.

Beep.

The sound of the hospital machine for into Dahlia's ears and her eyes opened, ever so slowly as she stared. Everything was blurry at first, but soon, the white color of the ceiling stared right back at her.

She recognized she was in a hospital.....and painfully, alone.

A sigh escaped from her lips as she sat up, pulling the syringe out of her hands. It stung a little but she wasn't in the disposition to feel pain.

As she got up from the bed, ready to leave, the door suddenly opened and she recognized the man from yesterday.

"You–"

He pocketed his hands in his trousers as he stared at her. "You must be fine now. Were you about to leave?" He asked.

Dahlia stared at him in confusion. "How did you hit me? I definitely saw you go in the opposite direction yesterday."

"Where I go is none of your business." He said. "I don't want to make a big issue out of this, so..." He checked the time on his watch, his face hardening, "How much do you want to keep quiet about the accident?"

"What?" She blurted out before she could even think. "Others would just apologize and say it was a mistake, but you want to pay me off with money? You must so rich....and arrogant."

"I don't have enough time for your tantrums, Ms Vexley. So please," His secretary walked in, moving towards Dahlia, "Sign that. And the money would be wired to your account before an hour." He said.

Dahlia scoffed and ran her eyes over the offer. An hundred thousand dollars to keep her mouth. He must think she was a beggar. And how did he know her surname?

She pushed the paper back to the secretary. "Thank you, but you don't have to pay me anything. Just take it as a replacement for driving me home last night. Thank you." Without waiting for any reply, Dahlia walked out of the ward and out of the hospital in anger. All he had to do was apologize. That was the problem with rich people, always thinking they could get out of things with money....all the time.

She swallowed hardly when she got to the street and realized she had nothing on her. Not her bag which she'd thrown away last night and not a single penny on her to even go back to her father's house.

She could walk it. Thankfully, she was not injured too much to faint on the streets.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky when Dahlia finally made it home, sweats escaping her forehead and strands of her hair, sticking to her face. She was tired and most of all, hungry, having eaten nothing since she'd come out of prison.

She rang the doorbell twice before Vivi, their housemaid opened up. Shock plastered Vivi's face as Dahlia stared at her with a huge smile.

"Miss." She whispered noiselessly.

"Vivi, long time, no see." Dahlia said. Vivi gave a strained smile as she pulled the door open and Dahlia walked in.

"No, mom. We don't even know where she is." Evelyn's voice resounded from the stairs and Dahlia's heart picked up pace. Evelyn couldn't hurt her here, could she?

"Don't worry, Dahlia would come back home soon." Her mother's voice followed and relaxation filled Dahlia's face again as she waited patiently for them to come down and then, surprise. She couldn't wait to see the look on her mother's face and her reaction when she tells them she heard everyone Evelyn and Draven planned.

"Soon? How soon? Yesterday was the day she was meant to die."

Like a stab, Dahlia's heart wrecked painfully. A vibration ran down her body and she almost fell backwards but Vivi caught her quickly.

"Miss." She muttered.

Dahlia glanced at her and then back at the stairs, where her family was already coming downstairs.

"She'll be out of your hair soon, Evelyn. Just be patient." Her father's voice.

They were all in it together. How could family....how could family betray each other?

"Dahlia." Her mother called out and an hiccup left at her lips at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Dahlia, did you–" her father started, but she interrupted him.

"I heard everything." She muttered. "I heard how you guys planned to kill your daughter."

"Dahlia, it's not what you think."

"What is it then? Is this a prank? A welcome prank maybe? So where's the camera?" She asked, looking around. Then suddenly, "Are you guys fvcking kidding me?! I'm your daughter for crying out loud! How could you do this?! How?!" Tears rushed down her eyes in huge balls, but they couldn't compare with the pain she felt in her heart.

"Dahlia, calm down." Evelyn said in a relatively calm voice.

"You guys are going to regret this." Dahlia made a promise.

"Are you going to report us to the police?!" Her father asked in a loud voice, obviously panicking. "I'm your father!"

"Wow." She whispered, her voice a ghost to her own ears. "Best of luck playing father in jail." She said and turned to leave the house, but her hand had barely touched the door knob, when the flower pot came flying towards her head.

"Miss!" Vivi stepped into her front and the pot hit her instead, shattering into pieces on the ground.

"Dad!" Evelyn screamed and Dahlia gasped in shock.

"Vivi." Dahlia grabbed Vivi's hands in hers.

"Go... please..." Vivi whispered.

"No, I can't leave you." Dahlia whispered.

"Just...go.." Vivi whispered, before her eyes closed and she fell into unconsciousness.

"Vivi!!!"