Part 3True Heiress’s Wish to Die

The crowd of onlookers on the shore began to disperse.

I stood up, testing the ankle I had twisted in the fall.

I had only taken a couple of steps when an ice-cold hand clamped down on my arm.

"Cora, what in God's name are you trying to do?"

I didn't answer. My eyes scanned the area, searching for a more efficient way to die.

The lake was out. Too easy to be rescued, and too much trouble for the rescuers.

Jumping from a building wouldn't work unless it was high enough. Bashing my head against a wall wasn't a guarantee…

"Cora, answer me!"

My silence enraged Marcus. He let out a low growl, his voice trembling on the edge of a breakdown.

"What is it you want? Was that a threat? Were you trying to scare us? Let me tell you, Cora, threatening suicide is the most pathetic tactic there is! Do you think we'll just give in to you? In your dreams!"

His shouting made my ears ring, but strangely, I felt a laugh bubbling up inside me.

See? People who don't love you will see you hanging from a rope and think you're just playing on a swing.

Ignoring my struggles, Marcus dragged me into his car.

He was soaking wet, his lips a deep shade of purple from the cold.

But he seemed oblivious to it, one hand gripping the steering wheel, the other clamped around my wrist like a manacle.

I tried to pull away, my voice calm.

"Let go."

He didn't. His grip only tightened.

"Cora, Mom and Dad are waiting for us. You said you wanted to go to Disneyland, remember? I'll buy the tickets in a few days. We'll all go as a family."

A humorless smile twisted my lips. "Is Sophie going?"

His fingers tightened on my wrist. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "I'll keep an eye on her."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. My laughter darkened his expression.

"Cora, you don't need to compete with Sophie. You—"

I didn't let him finish. I lunged for the steering wheel.

The car swerved wildly on the empty road. Marcus’s voice cracked with terror.

"Cora! Are you insane?"

"We're going to crash!"

Perfect. A quick end for both of us.

Dying with him was disgusting, but taking one of them with me felt like a fair trade.

Fueled by that thought, I yanked the wheel with all my might.

The car fishtailed violently before veering sharply to the right, crashing into the median strip.

The screech of tires echoed in the sudden silence that followed.

But apparently, Marcus had slammed on the brakes in time. The impact wasn't even hard enough to deploy the airbags.

My head swam. I sighed.

Another failure. What a shame.

The first thing I did was reach for the door handle.

Locked.

Marcus slumped in the driver's seat, his face a ghastly shade of white.

After a long moment, he turned to me, the corners of his eyes red, his voice a raw, broken whisper.

"You really… want to die that badly? Even if… it means taking me with you?"

I clutched my aching head, not even bothering to look at him.

"Marcus, why didn't you just drown in that lake?"