Crippled by Deception, Now They Drown in Regret

Five years after reuniting with my wealthy biological family, the socalled heiress Scarlett Harrison ran me down with her car, shattering my leg.

My parents and my childhood sweetheart, Elijah Parker, rushed me to the hospital in a panic. When the doctor solemnly declared that I might never walk again, Elijah dropped to one knee without hesitation, vowing to take care of me for the rest of my life.

My parents had severed all ties with Scarlett and taken charge of the evidence, assuring me that justice would be served. With that, I could finally rest and focus on my recovery.

Later, they claimed Scarlett had drowned accidentally while fleeing in guilt and I believed them.

It wasn’t until five years into my marriage that I unexpectedly saw Scarlett, the woman who was supposed to be dead.

She cradled a little boy in her arms, her voice soft yet brimming with emotion as she spoke to Elijah.

“These past years, I’ve been so grateful to you and Mom and Dad. Without you, I would have ended up in some rundown sewing factory cast aside by Azalea.”

“That cripple never would have imagined, even in death, that you and I have a son. That Mom and Dad were in on it all along, wiping away the evidence, switching out her medication for worthless vitamins.”

“Don’t say that,” he murmured. “Marrying her was the only way I could keep issuing those forgiveness letters. It was the only way to keep you safe.”

“As long as you and our son are happy, none matters.”

So that was the truth.

The marriage I had once clung to as my salvation had been nothing more than a cruel illusion. My parents had betrayed me and discarded me, all for the sake of fraud.

Fine.

If I was nothing to them, then I would walk away.

——

I stood in silence in the hospital lobby, watching as Scarlett held her son. Elijah stood beside her, his family beaming with joy.

It felt as if someone had hollowed out my chest, leaving behind nothing but a raw, gaping wound. The pain was suffocating; I could barely breathe.

The husband who once vowed to stand by me, to cherish me, had loved the very woman who nearly ended my life.

And my parents, after erasing the evidence, still refused to believe me. Instead, they had Elijah marry me, not out of love, but to keep issuing letters of forgiveness, shielding Scarlett from the consequences of her actions.

My phone rang.

It was my mother.

“Azalea, why didn’t you wait for us to go to the hospital together? We’re on our way. Where are you?”

Hearing the urgency in her voice, fury surged through me, burning away the last remnants of my restraint.

I curled my fingers into fists, my nails digging deep into my palms.

“Oh, I just thought I shouldn’t inconvenience you my whole life,” I said, my voice light, almost mocking. “So this time, I decided to come for rehabilitation on my own.”

“We’re family! How could you ever be a burden to us? Have you reached the hospital yet? We’re nearby; we’ll be there right away!”

Family.

Before, every time I came for rehabilitation, my parents had always been by my side.

I had once mistaken their actions for love and concern. But now, the truth lay bare before me.

“Hmm, I just arrived. I’m about to enter the lobby.”

I maneuvered my wheelchair around the corner and deliberately paused.

As expected, their voices turned sharp with panic. They told me not to go inside, saying it was too crowded and too unsafe. They reassured me they were close and that they would come to find me right away.

A cold smile tugged at my lips.

I replied indifferently and ended the call.

Just then, I saw Elijah answering his phone. His expression tensed immediately. He whispered something to Scarlett, handed their son over to her and then slipped out through the back door in a hurry.

Scarlett, too, disappeared into the crowd.

Understanding struck like a blade to the chest.

The call had come from my parents.

They weren’t stopping me out of concern for my safety.

They were afraid I’d see Elijah and Scarlett together.

A wave of shock and sorrow crashed over me, threatening to pull me under. My whole life, every word, every gesture of kindness, had been nothing but a carefully woven lie.

And all of it was for Scarlett.

The true culprit. The one who had taken everything from me.

I curled my fingers, nails biting deep into my palm. The sharp pain steadied me, cutting through the haze.

Since they had gone to such lengths to deceive me, I would return the favor completely.

I pulled out my phone, pressed record and then guided my wheelchair toward the hospital entrance just as my parents came rushing over.

Mom’s eyes flickered with unease.

“Azalea, why didn’t you wait for us before going in?”

Dad’s frown deepened beside her. “Didn’t we tell you the hospital is packed and chaotic? We can’t let you go in alone; it’s not safe.”

I met their worried gazes with calm indifference.

“I couldn’t wait any longer, so I went inside to use the restroom,” I replied evenly, my face betraying nothing.

Mom hesitated before asking, “You didn’t see anyone, did you?”

The flicker of panic in her expression cut through me like a blade. I wanted to scream, to demand answers; why did you lie to me?

But I already knew the truth. Asking wouldn’t change anything.

I had already decided to leave.

“See anyone? I was in a hurry and spent a while in the restroom. I wasn’t paying attention.”

Dad exhaled. “Let’s go. We’ll take you upstairs.”

He took hold of my wheelchair while Mom crouched down, adjusting my mask with delicate care.

“The flu is spreading. You need to protect yourself. If you get sick, it’ll break my heart.”

Once, the concern in her eyes would have moved me to tears.

But now, I couldn’t feel even a trace of warmth in her gaze.

When we arrived at the rehabilitation center on the twelfth floor, I lay on the hospital bed as the doctor administered the anesthesia. Drowsiness pulled me under, but just before I slipped into unconsciousness, their voices drifted through the haze.

"Miss Harrison’s leg has been left untreated for too long. If she doesn’t undergo surgery soon, she may never stand again…"

"All the previous rehabilitation treatments were only done halfway and the prescribed medication was replaced with vitamins, per your orders. Chairman Harrison, are you truly willing to watch Azalea remain crippled for life at such a young age?"

"I didn’t pay a fortune to bring you back from abroad just to listen to your nonsense. Do as I say."

Dad’s words held no room for argument.

"So what if she never walks again? We can take care of her for a lifetime. Why should an outsider like you be concerned?"

"Don’t forget, we’ve been paying your salary for the past five years. Do you really think you belong to the hospital?"

The doctor hesitated. "That’s not what I meant. It’s just Azalea has been under anesthesia for years. If this continues, she may develop resistance to it. What will we do then?"

"That’s your problem to solve. Just make sure her legs neither recover nor deteriorate. Keep it under control."

A beat of hesitation. Then, the doctor’s reluctant response.

"Understood."

The door creaked open and their footsteps faded down the hall.

I lay there as if I had plunged into an icy abyss.

They didn’t know.

Didn’t know that the anesthesia had long lost its effect on me.

Didn’t know that I had heard every single word.

Didn’t know that I had recorded it all.

So this was their plan all along.

They had spent five years feeding me lies, hiring a doctor from abroad just to deceive me. No wonder the socalled rehabilitation center was tucked away on the twelfth floor of the inpatient ward; it was all a carefully woven illusion.

A sharp pain lanced through my chest and silent tears slipped from the corners of my eyes.

After the "treatment," my parents cheerfully wheeled me home, warmth laced into every word and gesture as if they hadn’t just sentenced me to a life of suffering.

Two hours ago, Elijah had been at the hospital, whispering sweet nothings to Scarlett.

Now, he stood at the door in an apron, smiling like the devoted fiancé he pretended to be.

"Dear, rehabilitation must have been exhausting, right? I made you some bone broth. It’ll help you recover faster!"

His gaze brimmed with tenderness, his voice rich with concern, just like the man who once swore to love me, to cherish me, to stand by my side forever.

If I hadn’t seen him with Scarlett at the hospital, if I hadn’t heard their whispered truths, I might have believed him.

Might have let that warmth seep into my frozen heart.

But now, all I saw was the lie.

His love had never been mine.

It had always belonged to the very woman who shattered my legs.

He was willing to sacrifice our marriage, to pretend to love me, all just to issue a letter of forgiveness for her.

He even had a son with her.

During dinner, my mother suddenly teared up, her gaze lingering on the dishes before her. She wiped at her eyes, her expression heavy with sorrow.

Elijah immediately put down his spoon and fork, his face filled with concern as he asked what was wrong.

My father let out a long sigh, gently patting her back.

"She must be thinking about Scarlett’s favorite dishes and starting to miss her."

"That child, she made a mistake, but we raised her for over ten years. She didn’t deserve to die."

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

She didn’t deserve to die?

Then what about me?

Did I deserve to be sacrificed for her? Was I just supposed to accept it?

"Darling, it’s been five years already," Elijah said softly. "Scarlett was only twenty back then. She might have acted impulsively and made a mistake."

"I grew up with her. Her personality was a little extreme. She thought you were trying to take everything from her."

"Five days from now is her death anniversary. I know you don’t want to go, so I’ll go with Mom and Dad to visit her grave, okay?"

Elijah’s gaze wavered as if afraid I would suddenly lose my temper.

"Hmm. You should go. After all, she lived in this house longer than I have. It’s only natural that you still have feelings for her."

Elijah let out a quiet sigh of relief, his voice turning even gentler.

"I knew you were kindhearted. You’ve never been the type to hold a grudge against your late sister."

My mother dabbed at her eyes, sniffling softly.

"My dear daughter, a child of our own blood will always be the most understanding…"

I lowered my head, my tears slipping silently into my bowl.

So, they did know I was their real daughter.

A sharp pain twisted in my stomach. The moment I felt it tighten, I pushed back my chair and murmured that I wasn’t feeling well before retreating to my room.

A while later, Elijah came in, carrying my stomach medicine. His eyes were full of concern, his voice unbearably soft.

Seeing that I had no intention of speaking, he said nothing. Instead, he silently fetched warm water and, with practiced care, wiped my face himself.

For ten years after I was brought home, I was the only one he saw.

Even when Scarlett confessed her feelings for him, she had been met with nothing but his cold rejection.

Now, I finally understood.

He never loved me. He only wanted the title of the future heir of the Harrison Group.

His love and his marriage had always been two separate things.

Late at night, after Elijah drifted into sleep, I reached for the phone on his bedside table.

The password was my birthday.

His pinned contact was me, followed by my parents.

I scrolled through his messages, but there was nothing unusual until I switched accounts.

That was when I found an alternate account.

Only one name appeared in his chat list. Scarlett.

[Elijah, it’s been five years. How much longer do I have to keep hiding?]

[She has no proof I hit her and she’s a cripple now. She’s no threat at all.]

[Our son keeps crying for his daddy. Can you really bear this?]

Elijah’s response was full of reassurance.

[My parents and I are already discussing a plan. Just be patient.]

So, they had already brought Scarlett back. Changed her name. Built an entire life for her.

Just a few days ago.

They even registered a real estate company in her name.

In five days, the grand opening would take place.

My hands trembled as I opened Elijah’s social media feed.

I scrolled. My heart turned icecold.

For five years, Scarlett had been living in luxury abroad, funded by my family.

She dressed in designer brands under the Harrison Group. The villa she lived in? One of the company’s overseas properties.

And Elijah? He had been by her side all along, using “business trips” as an excuse to fly over.

Even my own parents were in the photos, smiling as if they belonged there.

At that moment, I understood.

They were the real family.

Swallowing back the stinging tears, I took screenshots of the evidence and switched back to his main account.

I finally noticed Elijah had changed his status message.

It had always been the same, a single word. [Wait.]

When I once asked him what it meant, he smiled and said he was waiting for my legs to heal.

But now, it had changed. [Home.]

And at last, I understood.

Wait had never been for me. He had been waiting for Scarlett. Home meant she was finally back.

I placed his phone back on the nightstand and stepped onto the balcony, my fingers tightening around my own.

"Hello, I’d like to book a plane ticket. Departure in five days."

Five days, just enough to bury five years of lies.

That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

The next day, during lunch, my phone lit up.

Elijah’s gaze flicked to it from the corner of his eye. His expression darkened.

"Wife, why are you applying to cancel your bank card?"

I shut off the screen, my voice calm. "My card is expiring. I scheduled a renewal."

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but then his phone rang.

"Wife, something came up at work. I have to handle it. I won’t be able to have lunch with you."

I nodded, watching as my parents followed him out the door.

And just like that, I was left alone in this house.

Just as I was about to step out, a friend request popped up on my phone.

[Azalea, you heard everything at the hospital yesterday, didn’t you?]

It was Scarlett.

[Your husband and I have a son.]

[Even your biological parents, when they heard from the doctor that your injuries had left you unable to bear children, immediately chose me instead. They told Elijah to be with me, to have a child with me.]

[We’re the real couple. You? You’re nothing but a joke.]

[They even helped me start a company. The grand opening is in five days. I guess they didn’t bother telling you that either, right?]

[I regret not running you over sooner. Then all of this would’ve been mine from the start.]

…

Each word sliced through me like a blade, cutting deep, leaving nothing but raw, open wounds.

So, this was why my parents had cast me aside.

This was why Elijah had stayed by her side so willingly.

Fingers trembling, I took screenshots of the messages and turned to the nightstand, retrieving my marriage certificate.

Buried inside, I found something else: his letter of forgiveness.

Clutching the documents, I headed straight to a lawyer.

But after scanning through them, he frowned.

The lawyer had explained that chat records couldn’t be used as solid evidence and that a letter of forgiveness from family members held legal weight.

When I asked him to draft the divorce agreement, he frowned and revealed that the marriage certificate was fake.

It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me, leaving my heart plummeting into a bottomless abyss.

So Scarlett hadn’t lied. I truly had been nothing but a fool, a puppet in their cruel game.

But just as despair threatened to consume me, the lawyer’s eyes flickered with something new.

The lawyer's eyes lit up as he stated that, given the circumstances, Elijah's letter of forgiveness no longer held legal weight—it was an act of fraud and concealment.

A surge of hope rushed through me, breaking past the suffocating grief. Clutching onto that sliver of light, I begged him to help me file a lawsuit.

Leaving the law firm, I hailed a taxi and made my way to another hospital; my fingers clenched tightly around the fabric of my dress.

This time, I needed the truth.

When the doctor told me there was still hope for my leg, I broke down in tears of joy.

A sob tore from my throat as my vision blurred with tears.

He told me that the car accident had caused my fallopian tubes to become blocked, making it impossible for me to conceive. However, surgery could restore my fertility.

As for my leg, the fracture hadn’t worsened in the past five years and with surgery, I could regain my ability to walk soon.

I choked on my breath, struggling to process his words.

He smiled reassuringly. "It’s clear that someone has been taking good care of you. If your legs had been truly neglected for five years, there would’ve been no hope of recovery."

A bitter chill seeped into my bones, spreading through my heart like ice.

He didn’t know.

He had no idea that the very people he spoke of, my socalled family, were the ones who never wanted me to stand again.

No.

They were no longer my family.

As I stepped out of the hospital, my phone vibrated in my hand. Another message from Scarlett.

It was a photo.

In the picture, she cradled her son in Elijah’s arms, their faces glowing with contentment. My parents sat beside them, mirroring their joy.

The five of them smiled as if they belonged together.

Behind them, on the grand villa’s pristine wall, my father’s personally inscribed calligraphy read:

[A harmonious family brings prosperity.]

The cruel irony twisted deep inside me, cutting sharper than any blade.

The five large characters burned into my vision, searing through my eyes and making them sting. Their family, because it had never been mine, had never included me.

I drifted home in a daze, collapsing onto the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. Time lost meaning, slipping away unnoticed until a familiar voice outside the door jolted me back to reality.

They had returned.

The bedroom door creaked open and Elijah stepped inside. Without hesitation, he walked to my bedside and bent down, wrapping his arms around me.

"Wife, I’m sorry. Work has kept me busy these past few days. I haven’t had time to accompany you."

"The day after tomorrow is your birthday," he continued. "I spoke with my parents and we’ve decided to throw you a grand celebration."

Silence.

I didn’t respond. Didn’t even look at him.

He pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead, tucked the blanket around me like I was something fragile and then turned and left.

And then, like a wave crashing through my mind, I remembered.

Five years ago. My birthday.

That was the day my parents had publicly announced my engagement to Elijah. The day Scarlett had lost control, blinded by rage and run me over, crippling me.

And in the five years since I had been brought back to this house, I had remained an outsider. No matter how much I tried, I could never act spoiled like Scarlett did in front of my parents.

At my own birthday banquet, I had always been a shadow, forgotten in the background, while Scarlett stood at the center, surrounded by guests I didn’t even know.

She had once sneered, “Only I deserve this banquet. You, an orphan from a shelter, don’t deserve anything.”

She had always basked in the thrill of stealing my spotlight. Tonight would be no different, would it?

I knew her too well.

So when she appeared at my birthday banquet, draped in a server’s uniform with a mask obscuring her face, I felt nothing. Not a flicker of surprise. Not even a ripple of emotion.

And yet, the moment my family recognized her, their reactions were anything but calm.

“What are you doing here? Are you out of your mind?” my father hissed, his voice sharp with panic. “If she finds out, all our efforts over the years will be wasted!”

But my mother, ever the doting protector, rushed to defend her.

“She hasn’t been back in so many years. She just misses home,” she pleaded softly. “Why must you be so harsh?”

“She’s dressed like this anyway. Azalea won’t recognize her.”

Elijah, of course, was moved by her act, as he always had been.

And then, in that familiar, saccharine tone, Scarlett murmured, “Honey, today is my birthday too. I want to cut the cake later.”

Elijah barely hesitated. “Alright,” he said smoothly. “Since Azalea is in a wheelchair and it’s inconvenient for her, you can do it.”

And just like that, right before my eyes, Scarlett stole what was meant to be mine.

She stepped forward, lifted the knife and cut into my exclusive birthday cake, a towering masterpiece over a meter tall.

She took it a step further, her malice on full display as she sliced my chocolate figurine clean in half.

Then, without warning, a loud bang could be heard.

She shoved the cake stand toward me with force. Gasps rippled through the crowd as every pair of eyes snapped in our direction.

The metal support inside the stand nearly struck my face.

Elijah rushed over, his expression tight with concern. “Wife, are you okay?”

Then, with perfect timing, he turned and snapped at Scarlett.

“Clumsy! You can’t even cut a cake properly. Get lost!”

I lowered my gaze, masking the sarcasm flickering in my eyes.

How laughable.

He had seen it. He had watched her do it on purpose, yet his reaction was impeccably staged.

The ideal soninlaw my parents had chosen was clever, calculating and always knowing what to say.

At his outburst, my parents exhaled in relief, waving someone over to clean up the mess.

The grand banquet hall buzzed with life once more and Elijah seamlessly slipped back into his role as the perfect host, entertaining the guests.

The air felt suffocating.

I needed to leave.

Just as I moved to wheel myself away, a pair of hands suddenly gripped the handles of my wheelchair.

Scarlett pushed me toward the garden, her grip firm on the handles of my wheelchair.

“Sister, long time no see,” she purred, smugness lacing every syllable.

“Did you notice? When they sang the birthday song earlier, every single pair of eyes was on me.”

“So many years have passed and yet they still love me more than you.”

“You should’ve just stayed an orphan,” she sneered. “Why did you come back, trying to compete with me? Look at you now, crippled, stuck with a husband who was never yours to begin with. If I were you, I wouldn’t have the dignity to live another day.”

I tilted my head up, my gaze steady as I met hers.

“The only one who should be ashamed is you.” My voice was calm, but every word hit like a blade.

“The man you wanted was set to be engaged to me, so you resorted to the lowest tactics to steal him, nearly landing yourself in prison in the process. And now?” I let my lips curl into a faint smile. “You’re nothing but a ghost. Forced to live in hiding, change your name and never dare to show your real face. Even now, just to stand in front of me, you have to disguise yourself like this.”

“Tell me, Scarlett, who’s really the pathetic one here?”

Scarlett’s expression twisted at my words, her pride taking a direct hit. Without warning, she raised her foot and kicked my wheelchair hard.

“What’s a cripple like you so smug about? Dad and Mom erased all the evidence for me. No matter how arrogant you act, you can’t touch me!”

Seething, she pushed me forward again, her grip tightening. A slow, eerie smile curled on her lips as we neared the pool's edge.

“Let me show you who they truly care about.”

Before I could react, she shoved my wheelchair forward. The world tilted and the next instant, icecold water swallowed me whole.

The sharp chill surged into my lungs, stinging my skin. My limbs flailed uselessly as the weight of my chair dragged me down.

“Wife!”

“Daughter!”

The frantic shouts of Elijah and my parents cut through the chaos. Water splashed violently as Elijah swam toward me. I reached out, my fingers desperate to grasp onto something, someone.

But just as I thought he was coming for me, he bypassed me without hesitation. His hands found Scarlett instead, pulling her into his arms.

On the edge of the pool, my parents leaned forward, their hands outstretched, not for me, but for her.

A bitter smile curved on my lips as my hand fell away, my body sinking deeper into the abyss.

As darkness threatened to pull me under, Elijah’s hands yanked me back to the surface.

Coughing and gasping for air, I lay on the ground, water pooling beneath me. Beside me, frantic voices filled the night.

“Scarlett, wake up! Wake up!” My parents’ anxious cries rang out thick with desperation.

A soft gasp broke through the commotion. Scarlett’s lashes fluttered and with a feeble voice, she murmured, “She… she suddenly sped up her wheelchair. I tried to save her, but… I got pulled in with her…”

Whispers rippled through the crowd like an uneasy tide.

“I heard her foster sister shattered her legs on her birthday five years ago… Could the memories have been too much? Did she try to end it all?”

Elijah’s gaze flickered, a fleeting trace of guilt flashing across his face.

My father’s expression twisted with something that almost looked like regret. My mother, sobbing, threw herself at me, clutching my drenched sleeves.

“Daughter, why would you do something so foolish? We’ll take care of you for the rest of our lives!”

I looked at them, my lips curling into a cold, humorless smile.

Not long ago, all their worry had been for Scarlett. But now, under the scrutiny of the guests, they put on this grand performance, one dripping with feigned concern.

Bitter resentment coiled in my chest.

Truly, what a spectacle.

How laughable.

Before leaving, Scarlett cast me a triumphant glance, her smirk brimming with satisfaction.

My birthday banquet had turned into a complete disaster. In the end, my ohsoloving family escorted me straight to the hospital.

When the doctor declared I was fine, a sigh of relief filled the room.

Moments later, my phone buzzed. Another message from Scarlett.

[Did you see? He saved me first.]

[Even your parents called out for me as their daughter. If you still don’t get it, you’re truly pathetic.]

[Their love for me runs deeper than it ever did for you. After all, I was the one who lived with them the longest.]

[So tell me, who’s the real fool here?]

I didn’t reply. Instead, I took my time saving every single message, taking screenshots one by one.

That night, my family dropped me home, only to rush straight to Scarlett’s villa to care for her.

Alone in the study, I printed out the chat logs, preserving every last word. Then, I transferred the recorded hospital conversation onto a USB drive.

A final parting gift.

By morning, not a single one of them had returned.

Elijah had sent a message saying that he and his parents were going out to purchase mourning items and had asked the butler to look after me.

I stared at the screen, my fingers tightening around the phone.

So that was how much I mattered.

I let out a cold laugh and summoned the butler, instructing him to pack up and discard everything Elijah had given me over the years.

With that, I turned and made my way to the study.

My fingers traced the edges of the framed calligraphy my father had once written for me before I yanked it down. Without hesitation, I hurled it into the fire pit.

Two words. That was all he had given me. [Health.]

For Scarlett, he had carefully penned: [A harmonious family brings prosperity.]

Yet for me, his only wish had been health, something he had stolen from me the moment he shattered my legs, ensuring I would never walk again.

The irony burned deeper than the flames before me.

Overcome with rage; I grabbed the scarf and leg warmers my mother had knitted for me and tossed them into the fire, followed by every family photo we had taken over the past decade.

One by one, memories turned to ashes.

Since I was leaving, I wouldn’t leave behind a single trace of my existence in this house.

As I watched the fire consume everything, I made my final decision.

I stepped out into the night and made my way to the lawyer’s office, handing over the printed documents.

I entrusted him with the evidence, instructing him to file a lawsuit against Scarlett the next day.

Even if I couldn’t have her sentence, I wanted the world to know that she was still alive and that my family had been protecting her all along.

Then, I logged into my social media accounts, uploaded the pictures and audio and carefully edited them before scheduling their release to a selected group.

Only then did I reply to Scarlett’s message.

[Do you think I can make them abandon you and come back?]

She took the bait instantly.

[You think too highly of yourself. They’d never return today. Just wait and see.]

A cold smirk played on my lips as my phone rang right on cue.

My parents’ voices spilled through the receiver, full of feigned warmth. “We still have a lot to prepare. We need to place an urgent order overnight, so don’t wait for us.”

Exactly as I had expected.

After hanging up, I sent the final piece of evidence to the doctor they had hired—tying up the last loose end.

Then, clutching my plane ticket, I turned my back on the house I had lived in for the past ten years and disappeared into the night.

The next morning, at the grand ribboncutting ceremony for Scarlett’s company.

A call from the doctor shattered my father’s composure.

"Chairman Harrison, this is bad! Azalea discovered the truth about the accident five years ago… She heard everything we said in the hospital that day!"