Chapter 8

• Chapter 8
• Lexa
• The smile on my face fell when I heard the things guests were saying about me. And my eyes welled up with tears.
• This wasn't what I wanted. I wanted people to love and adore me. To think I was an innocent girl who was hated by the person who was supposed to be my sister. I didn't want them to think I was a second choice.
• Jaxon looked even worse than me. He was fuming, his face red with anger and his body shook as he struggled to hold it in.
• “Jaxon,” I called his name, holding his hand. “Calm down. You shouldn't be so angry. Elysia is just trying to get under our skin, and it'll look like she's succeeding if you're this mad...”
• “How dare she talk to me like that? How could she move on so fast? Especially to Kade Blackridge of all people! It'll make me seem incompetent and like a fool to everybody!” Jaxon snapped, gritting his teeth.
• “Just calm down, please—” I was saying when he cut me off, snatching his hand from mine.
• “I'm sure she's just angry that I ran out of the engagement party. She couldn't possibly have moved on that quickly. I'm sure she's just with Kade Blackridge to spite me. She'll come back to me,” Jaxon said more to himself, and I watched as he stormed off to the bar.
• My heart raced when I realized how much Elysia's stunt affected Jaxon. And I couldn't just watch and do nothing about it.
• I looked around for Elysia, and I found her after a few seconds. She was standing beside Kade Blackridge as he spoke to some people. However, after a few minutes, she left the hall of the Citadel through the backdoor. All by herself.
• My lips stretched into a smirk when I realized she was alone, and I followed her to the garden outside.
• It was a cool night. The moon was full, and the breeze was blowing lightly. Elysia stood beside the swimming pool which was sparkling under the moonlight, and I approached her.
• “Elysia,” I called, and I heard her groan before she turned to look at me.
• She hissed, rolling her eyes. “What do you want?”
• “Can't I say hi to my sister?” I asked with a fake smile, and she sneered.
• “Drop the sweet sister act, Lexa. Nobody's here to see. It's only me and you,” she snapped impatiently.
• My smell fell immediately and I glowered at her.
• “What are you doing at this gala? You shouldn't be here. You don't have any place here since you left the family. You shouldn't even be showing up in front of us!” I seethed, and she laughed, but I knew she didn't find what I said funny.
• “You are the one who shouldn't be showing up in front of me, you fake thieving bitch. You took my family from me, and the man who was supposed to be my fiancé. You ran to him for every little thing like you couldn't do anything yourself!”
• “There is nothing between me and Jaxon. We're just friends, and we've been friends before you got engaged to him! I didn't steal your family either. It's not my fault that they don't love you!” I snapped back.
• “Oh really? You and Jaxon are just friends? I've never seen friends show that much affection towards each other. It looks more like you're in love with him to me,” Elysia said coldly, and my eyes grew wide.
• I had no response to what she said. Her words had caught me by surprise.
• “You... You...” I was about to say something when I saw a familiar figure walking towards our direction.
• I moved closer to Elysia, stopping by the poolside where she stood.
• Elysia raised her brows at me when I leaned close to her.
• “This is all your fault,” I told her and she looked confused for a second.
• And then I fell into the pool.
• I let out a loud scream immediately, shouting for help.
• “Help! Help! I can't swim!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, splashing around in the pool.
• “Why did you push me, Elysia? Why did you do that when you know I can't swim?” I cried.
• A few seconds later, I heard the rushing of feet as someone ran towards the pool.
• “Are you out of your mind, Elysia?!” I heard the person shout, and within the blink of an eye, they jumped in and wrapped their hands around me.
• It was Jaxon.
• I knew he was coming towards us, and that was why I jumped into the pool.
• I shivered in his arms as he pulled me out, tears streaming down my face.
• “Jaxon...” I called his name, teeth clattering from the cold. “I... I. Just wanted to apologize to Elysia... I didn't know she... was going to push me into the pool.”
• “When did you get so wicked, Elysia? You were not this kind of person!” Jaxon snapped at her.
• Elysia rolled her eyes and she smirked. “Please, Jaxon. Don't tell me you're so stupid to fall for such an obvious trick.”
• Jaxon scoffed. “How could you call this a trick? You clearly pushed her!”
• I held Jaxon's hand, shaking as the cold air hit my wet body. “Don't blame her, Jaxon. She probably did it because she misunderstood our relationship...”
• Some of the guests had come out to the garden and we're watching what was happening. I could hear what they were saying. Most of them were sorry for me.
• “Lexa, are you seriously using the same old tricks? Don't you have anything new?” Elysia said teasingly.
• “I don't know what you're talking about, Elysia,” I muttered, looking away from her.
• “Oh, really? You don't know what I'm talking about?”
• I didn't give her a response. I was only happy that my plan was working. Jaxon and the crowd were on my side.
• But my happiness was short-lived when Elysia approached me. Before I knew it, she picked me up like I weighed nothing, and she shoved me into the pool.
• I gasped in shock, flailing in the pool.
• “Why did you do that?!” Jaxon shouted at her, and Amelia folded her arms, staring at me coldly.
• “I didn't push her earlier, but since everybody is going to blame me anyway, I might as well make it real.”
• Gasps rang out amongst the guests.
• “Are you having a good time in the pool, Lexa? Is the water nice and cold?” Elysia asked mockingly. “You should climb out when you're done, since you literally know how to swim.”
• I choked on water, and I nearly cried when I imagined how much of a mess I looked like.
• Nobody helped me as I splashed around in the pool. I ended up swimming to the edge and pulled myself out.
• I looked around to see everybody was staring at me with annoyance, and I felt so embarrassed.
• It seemed they all believed what Elysia said.
• “What is Lexa Ashbourne’s problem? Why did she even push herself into the pool?”
• “I wonder why the Ashbournes took such a liar and faker in as their daughter.”
• “She's just going around causing problems lately.”
• I wished the ground could open up and swallow me.
• At that moment, Kade Blackridge walked towards us, and he stood beside Elysia.
• “Are you alright? Need help?” he asked her, and she shook her head, smiling.
• “Nope. It's nothing serious. Just had to deal with some cheap trash,” she responded.
• “We can leave now if you're done dealing with the cheap trash,” Kade said, sparing me a glance.
• “Yes, let's go,” Elysia said as they walked away.
• My face turned red with embarrassment as I watched them leave like nothing happened. I stood frozen, unable to say anything.
• Jaxon stopped in front of me, looking at me with an unreadable expression. “Why did you do that, Lexa?”
• Tears streamed down my face. “Jaxon... Let me explain...”
• “Do not do something like this ever again,” Jaxon said, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment.
• The guests talked loudly amongst themselves, not caring that I could hear them as they pointed at me.
• I was too ashamed to leave the scene, and Calden ended up coming to drag me away.