Blurb：
My mother was cherished by three powerful men, making them my three fathers—Daniel the renowned doctor, Theala’s wealthiest man, and an award-winning actor. For 13 years, I basked in their love, until they adopted orphan Erin Sawyer. Suddenly, I became the target of her lies and their harsh punishments. After Erin poisons me, I’m given three days to live. But why did my fathers drown in sorrow and kill Erin after my death? In Chapter 1, Accused Once More, I face another summons to their study, knowing it means another unjust punishment. As my body weakens, I question everything—their remorse, Erin’s schemes, and the warmth I can’t let go.
Content：
My mother was once adored and protected by three men.
As such, I had three fathers.
After her death, I was raised by one of the greatest doctors, the richest man in Theala, and an award-winning actor.
For 13 years, I was showered with overwhelming adoration.
That was until three years agothe day they adopted Erin, an orphan girl.
From then on, they began to dote on her.
When she accused me of stealing her necklace, they tore my room apart in their search, smashing my most cherished music box in the process.
They only felt remorse when they saw me sobbing over the shards. As compensation, they bought me every music box they could find.
When she claimed I mocked her for being an orphan, they forced me to write a hundred apology letters as punishment.
They only massaged my hands in remorse upon seeing them trembling so badly that I could no longer feed myself.
When Erin accused me of shredding her gown, they locked me in the dark basement, starving me for three whole days.
When I was let out, they were filled with remorse upon realizing how much weight I had lost. Their bloodshot eyes watched over the grand feast they prepared as an apology.
All of that lasted until Erin poisoned my cup of water.
I kept coughing up blood as my body grew weaker by the day.
Daniel only diagnosed me with malnutrition and made me take prescribed supplements. Unbeknownst to him, those supplements only hastened the poison’s effects.
After I collapsed at school, I went to the hospital for treatment.
“You only have three days left to live,” the doctor said.
Why then Why did my fathers drown themselves in sorrow and kill Erin after my death?
Chapter 1 Accused Once More
I was blankly staring up at a crack in the ceiling when the doctor walked in.
“Miss, do you have your parents’ contact information?”
With my medical record in hand, the doctor gently continued, “You need to be hospitalized and treated right away.”
I turned to look at him before shaking my head.
“It’s fine. I can handle everything myself.”
“You’re only sixteen…”
“My fathers are busy men.”
That was not an excuse I made up.
My first father was one of the greatest in medicine. My second father was the richest man in Theala. My third father was an award-winning actor.
Even my teachers could only ever reach their assistants.
The doctor frowned and opened his mouth to speak, only to let out a heavy sigh.
“At the bare minimum, make sure you take your medicine as prescribed. They can ease your pain in your final moments.”
I nodded and accepted the bag of medicine.
As I walked out of the hospital doors, the blinding sunlight made me squint.
People rushed about through the busy street, walking with purpose as though there was something important waiting for them at their destination.
I only had three days left.
After that, I would be dead. No longer would I have to deal with Erin Sawyer and her lies, nor would I need to face the doubts and punishments of my three fathers.
I thought about leaving them once, but I could not bear to leave them behind. They raised me and treated me like I was their little princess.
I could not bear to part with that warmth.
Now, I don’t need to decide between leaving and staying.
Somehow, I felt relieved at that thought.
My phone buzzed inside my pocket.
It was a message from the butler, who wrote, ‘Miss, the masters are home today and have asked to see you at their study as soon as you return home.’
My heart skipped when I read that message.
My fathers were all home at the same time. That had not happened in a very long time.
Ever since Erin’s return, she had practically taken up all of their attention and time.
My first father would accompany her to her checkups, my second father would take her along to various galas, and my third father would teach her the tips and tricks of acting.
However, they would only ever summon me to their study whenever they needed to punish me.
My hand tightened around my phone as I slowly walked over to the taxi waiting for me.
On my way home, the driver tried to engage me in small talk, but I stayed silent the entire time.
Autumn was nearly here.
It was a shame I would never be able to greet it this year.
The mansion’s doors slowly swung open. My legs trembled and threatened to buckle as I got out of the taxi.
Perhaps it was all due to the poison. My body had grown so weak that even walking to the door exhausted me.
The butler waiting by the doorway gazed at me with a conflicted look in his eyes.
He hesitantly started, “Miss…”
I ignored him and strode straight into the mansion.
The living room was empty while the study’s door was closed.
As I stood before the door, I took a deep breath to gather what little strength I had left before knocking.
“Enter.”
It was my first father’s voice. It was icy cold without a single hint of love in it.
When I opened the door, I found all three of my fathers inside.
Daniel Sawyer, my first father, glared at me with a dark look on his face while dressed in his doctor’s coat. Bruce Dillon, my second, radiated an icy aura in his tailored suit. Jack Page, my third, still wore his costume and makeup from set.
Daniel then barked out in a voice that left me no room to argue back, “Explain yourself!”
I was stunned. “For what?”
Jack scoffed. “Erin has been hospitalized for food poisoning because of the snack you gave her last night. The doctor said she tested positive for heavy laxative use!”
My mind went blank with confusion.
A snack?
Did I even give her anything last night?
Bruce looked away with disappointment clear in his eyes. “April, we’ve always taught you to be kind. How could you do that to Erin?”
My fingers dug into my palm.
“It wasn’t me.”
Daniel slammed his hands on the table, causing the entire room to shake. “How dare you argue back! The butler saw you place the box of snacks by Erin’s door.”
I was practically shouting by now. “It wasn’t me!”
Bruce stopped me from saying anything more, no longer trying to hide his disappointment. “Enough! April, you’ve truly disappointed us. Erin is so nice to you. Why must you hurt her?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but realized I could not muster a single response.
Was Erin really good to me?
She told lies about how I stole her necklace, mocked her, ruined her gown, and now, she was even accusing me of poisoning her with laxatives.
“I know you’re upset that we took in Erin. You think she stole our love,” Daniel said in a dark voice. “That’s why you keep bullying her to drive her away!”
“I really didn’t do it…”
My eyes stung with unshed tears as I began to tremble with frustration.
Chapter 2 Locked Up
I never once thought of chasing Erin away. Instead, I had been extremely nice to her since the day she arrived. Finally, I had a younger sister.
For some reason, ever since that day, my fathers began to distrust me. Even my friends started avoiding me.
“Who else could it be? You two were the only ones left in the mansion. All of the servants were on leave. That was your best chance of getting at her.”
Bruce let out a bark of laughter before continuing, “Are we supposed to just believe you because you said so? Erin is an innocent and naive young girl. Why do you always bully her?”
My chest started to ache with a pain so sharp that my instincts screamed for me to curl up. However, I forced myself to stand tall. I did not want to appear weak before them.
“I’ve never targeted her at all.” I lifted my chin proudly. “Ever since she arrived at our home, have you ever once believed me?”
“We gave you a chance when you stole her necklace.”
Daniel got to his feet to stare me down. “You refused to admit it, and we had to thoroughly search your room for the evidence.”
“She set me up!”
Bruce then said, “We gave you another chance when you mocked her for being an orphan. You stubbornly refused to admit you were wrong. That was why we forced you to write an apology letter.”
“I never said that!”
“When you tore up her gown”
I interrupted Jack, shouting in a voice so loud that even I was startled, “You guys never believe me since she came here. Not once!”
The room fell silent.
Daniel broke it, coldly stating, “That’s because you’ve turned selfish in your fight for our love. You’re no longer worthy of our trust!”
The words felt like a knife to the heart.
Suddenly, I wanted to break out in laughter at how I was reluctant to leave my fathers. Thirteen years of love turned out to be worth less than the affection they gave an adopted daughter.
“Since you refuse to confess, you’ll have to reflect on your actions in the cold storage!”
“What?”
Bruce stepped forward, his tone just as icy. “You heard him.”
My fingers clenched around my pants.
Just then, Daniel’s phone rang.
His face twisted with shock within seconds.
“What? Erin is missing!”
The air in the room froze.
Bruce and Jack both shot to their feet.
I could not hear what the caller said, but when Daniel hung up, he immediately turned to glare at me. “Erin is missing. If anything happens to her, April, there will be no end to this.”
I lowered my head.
Suddenly, I had the urge to tell them I only had three days left to live.
However, I stayed silent.
What was the point? Would they even believe me?
Something rose in my throat, and I swallowed it back. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
Before I realized what was going on, Bruce was dragging me out of the room by the arm.
I struggled hard. My feet scrambled against the floorboards.
“Let me go! I didn’t do it!”
No one listened.
Up ahead, Jack opened the door to the basement.
It was an abandoned cold room that we once used to store our food. After the renovation, nothing was stored in there.
I was pushed into the room, and I stumbled, nearly tripping.
“Think about what you’ve done when you’re inside.”
Daniel looked blinding in his white coat as it reflected the dim light of the room.
“You’ll be let out when we find Erin.”
“I didn’t do it, though!”
I rushed to the door and slammed my fists against the heavy metal door as it swung closed.
The door was slammed shut with a bang.
I heard the lock click into place.
The cold storage was a dark, empty room, lit only by a dim yellow bulb swaying from a wire above my head.
The cold seeped in through my feet and soon spread throughout my body.
I sat down and huddled up with my arms around my knees.
My chest began to ache once more.
It was the poison.
As I coughed, I covered my mouth with a hand. Warm liquid dripped through my fingers.
It was blood.
As I stared down at my bloody hand, I let out a chuckle.
What a joke.
I was dying, yet they only worried about Erin.
Memories surged to the front of my mind.
My mother passed away 13 years ago.
I was still an infant when Daniel cradled me in his arms as he gently soothed me. “Don’t cry, April. I’ll always be with you.”
Bruce bought me the best toys in the world. “I’ll give you anything you want.”
Jack taught me how to sing and dance. “You’re a genius, April. You picked it up so quickly.”
I was the happiest and luckiest child in the world.
I had three fathers, and they all loved me.
Yet, that all changed when Erin appeared in our lives.
Chapter 3 Erin’s Scheme
Over and over, Erin would set me up. After my fathers punished me, they felt so sorry that they apologized for what happened, yet they would always believe Erin’s next lie.
I couldn’t understand it.
Why would they choose to believe a girl theyd only taken in three years ago over the daughter theyd raised for thirteen?
At some point, the cooling system in the cold storage had been switched on. The temperature kept dropping.
My body began to tremble and shiver.
My limbs were numb.
I looked up and stared at the dim light bulb.
My vision swam.
Just then, the door swung open.
I thought it might have been my fathers.
Instead, Erin walked in. Dressed in a pure white dress with hair sprawled down her back, she looked at me with a gentle smile on her lips.
“Are you alright, April?”
Her voice was so soft and angelic.
However, I could hear the malice lurking in her words.
When I spoke, my voice was so hoarse that I barely understood what I said. “It’s you…”
She knelt down before me. “Of course, it’s me. April, did you really think I went missing?”
She laughed.
Her smile grew eerie under the glow of the dim light bulb.
She reached out and plucked a strand of hair from where it clung to my cheek.
“I set everything up from the start. I poisoned my own snack and ate it. The doctor was bribed to say I suffered from food poisoning. I also arranged my own kidnapping.”
“Why?”
She looked down at me from high above as she stood back up.
“Why? That’s because they are my fathers. No one else can have any of their love.”
Her face twisted with disgust.
“Who do you think you are? You’re just the daughter of a dead woman. What right do you have to hog them for 13 years?”
“They’re my fathers in the first place…”
She abruptly raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. “Shut up!”
My head snapped to the side. Blood dripped from my mouth as my lips were split.
She knelt down and grabbed my chin. “They’re mine now, and you’ll be dying soon. Once you’re dead, you’ll have nothing.”
She then let go, stood back up, and clapped her hands once.
The door to the cold storage swung open once more.
Two men enteredboth dressed in black, both wearing grins that made my stomach twist.
My heart sank.
“Erin, what are you doing?”
With a sweet smile, she replied, “You’ve always wanted to prove that you’re innocent, right? Well, I’ll make sure to thoroughly take your innocence away then.”
She walked toward the doorway.
“Take good care of my sister.”
The door was slammed shut.
The men walked over to me.
I desperately backed away until my back hit the wall. “No! Please don’t…”
They refused to hear my pleas.
One of them grabbed my ankle.
I shrieked and kicked him with all the strength I could muster.
However, my body was too weak.
The poison had flared up once more, and with how long I had spent in this cold room, I could not even stand up on my own.
The other man pinned me down by the shoulders.
I struggled and fought. My fingernails scraped against his cheek.
He let out a curse and raised his hand to hit me.
At that moment, I reached for the phone in my pocket.
With the last shreds of my energy, I pulled it out and called Daniel.
The phone rang three times.
Then, the call was answered.
My voice was hoarse to the point of breaking. “Dad, save me…”
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