Chapter 218: Finally I Win

Chapter 218: Finally I Win
Tara’s POV

He laughed loudly. "Whether you believe it or not, I am indeed Howard. Tara, if you still don't believe me, we can go get a DNA test together."

I frowned, mind racing through possibilities. I had personally verified Howard's death—checked for pulse, breathing, brain activity, body temperature. I had watched his cremation. If this wasn't Howard, where had the ashes gone? Had something happened at the crematorium?

The man watched me intently, seeming to read my thoughts. "You're not disbelieving so much as unable to accept it. Before, no matter what I did, I couldn't bear to hurt you. But now I no longer have that restraint for you, and the contrast makes it difficult for you to accept."

His eyes narrowed accusingly. "But Tara, have you considered who caused all this? I loved you so much, treated you so well, and you? You would never love me, always thinking about reconciling with Luke Carter. Why should I still spare you? Why should I remain in the heart of someone who has no place for me? Just to watch you grow old with Luke Carter?"

"So you're saying that if you can't have me, you'll destroy me completely," I stated flatly.

"Yes," he agreed, his eyes wild with fervor. "If I can't have you, no one can. Not Luke Carter, not Finn Foster—none of them! If we're going to hell, you and I will go together!"

I studied him more carefully. Though his eyes contained the same intensity that Howard's once did, something felt off. If this truly was Howard, why steal his own ashes? The more I observed, the more certain I became—this man was not Howard Harrison.

Without warning, I launched a swift punch toward his face. "So Finn is in your hands too!"

He blocked my attack with surprising speed, rage contorting his features. "Tara, you truly won't believe until it's too late!"

We engaged in a violent exchange of blows. As we fought, I noted that his fighting style differed significantly from Howard's methodical approach. Another confirmation of my suspicions.

"I told you you're not Howard, yet you still deny it!" I taunted between strikes.

"Tara, stop pretending you know Howard so well," he spat back. "If you truly knew him, you wouldn't have been deceived by him for so many years!"

I caught the slip immediately. "If you were really Howard Harrison, you wouldn't speak of him in the third person. Stop the charade. You're not him!"

The man paused, his breathing heavy. When he spoke again, his tone had changed entirely.

"Since you're convinced I'm an impostor, let's stop wasting time. You came here to save Lucy Carter, and you know what I want. Let's begin! Jump from this cliff, and I'll release Lucy Carter immediately."

I remained silent, calculating my options.

"What's wrong?" he taunted. "Didn't you claim to love Lucy like a sister? It seems it was just empty words. When it comes to sacrificing your life for hers, you can't do it! Tara, in the future, don't make grand claims you can't fulfill, acting as if you're so noble!"

"I'll give you my life," I replied calmly. "But first, release Lucy and Finn."

His expression darkened with anger. "Tara, enough talk! Do it now, or they both die today!"

I weighed my options carefully. If Lucy were truly dead, he would lose his leverage over me. It was a calculated risk, but I believed he needed her alive—at least until he had what he wanted.

"If you want my life," I said firmly, "have your master come out."

My words struck a nerve. His facade of control cracked, rage seeping through.

"Tara, do you think I wouldn't dare harm Lucy Carter? Fine, let me show you just how far I'm willing to go!"

He snapped his fingers sharply. From the shadows, two men appeared, dragging a bound figure between them. As they stepped into the moonlight, my heart clenched painfully.

Lucy—bruised, bloodied, and bound. Her beautiful face was marred with cuts and swelling, her designer clothes torn and stained. Despite her injuries, her eyes blazed with defiance.

I fought to maintain my composure, to hide the rage and anguish threatening to overwhelm me. I needed to stay calm, to think clearly. Any display of emotion would only give him more power.

"Tara, you wanted to see Lucy Carter. Now you have. Yet you don't seem particularly concerned," the man observed mockingly. "Where's your compassion?"

He turned to Lucy, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "Lucy Carter, you were so worried about your former sister-in-law that you were willing to die for her. But look at her! She doesn't care about your suffering at all. She must see your injuries, yet shows no reaction. Blood may be thicker than water—and you're not even blood relatives anymore since she divorced your brother. All those kind words she spoke to you were just for show."

Lucy raised her head, her split lip twisting into a snarl. "Shut up... You have no right to comment on my sister! You're nothing but an outsider!"

She turned to me, her eyes filling with guilt rather than accusation. "Sis, I'm sorry. I've become your burden again."

Her words shattered the wall I'd built around my emotions. All pretense of indifference crumbled as I looked at her battered form.

"Lucy..." My voice cracked. "I should be the one apologizing. You could have had a happy, peaceful life. It's my presence that reduced you to this state. Lucy, I've ruined your life..."

"No, no, sis, don't say that!" Lucy protested desperately, struggling against her bonds. "None of this is your fault! If anyone's to blame, it's these wicked people! If not for them, you and my brother wouldn't be in this situation, and I wouldn't be like this. Everything is because of them!"

My throat tightened with emotion. "Lucy... why are you so foolish?"

The man interrupted our exchange, his voice gleeful. "Tara, since you feel so guilty toward Lucy Carter, why not atone with your death? You can apologize to her face and save her life!"

"No!" Lucy shouted, her voice hoarse. "Sis, don't listen to this bastard! You owe me nothing, really! On the contrary, the Carter family owes you so much! During those years when my brother treated you poorly, you suffered greatly, and I couldn't help you. Especially during that explosion when you nearly died on the operating table—I didn't even know. Sis, please leave now, don't worry about me, just go!"

The desperation in her voice tore at my heart. Looking at her—so brave despite her injuries—I knew I couldn't abandon her. No matter the cost.

"Lucy," I began, my voice strangely calm, as if I were simply leaving instructions for a short absence rather than saying goodbye forever. "Take good care of Gloria in the future. She's getting old, and that brother of yours is completely unreliable. It's up to you..."

Horror dawned on Lucy's face as she realized my intentions. "Sis, what nonsense are you talking about? Even if I survive because of you, how could I live with myself? How could I ever find peace?"

I smiled gently at her. "I'm not doing this just to save you. I'm... I'm tired. From age five until now, I haven't had a single day's rest. I thought finding my father would end everything, but who knew..."

My thoughts drifted to my father, who had never shown me the warmth he now lavished on the fake Sophia. "My father's heart now only has room for Sophia, with no place for his own daughter. And Finn Foster, who should have lived carefree, is now missing—alive or dead, who knows—because of me. Your brother became crippled because of me. You nearly lost your life before, and now you're in this state..."

I exhaled deeply, a lifetime of guilt weighing on my shoulders. "I must be bad luck. Why else would everyone connected to me be so unfortunate? So Lucy, I don't want this to continue. If my death can bring you all peace for the rest of your lives, then I'm willing."

Without waiting for her response, I turned and walked toward the cliff's edge. Behind me, Lucy's desperate cries tore through the night air.

"Sis! Please don't! I'm begging you!"

Her words faded into the background as I approached the precipice. Below, darkness waited, promising an end to the pain, the constant struggle, the endless cycle of those I loved being hurt because of me.

One step. Another. The edge was before me now. The wind seemed to welcome me, tugging at my clothes, urging me forward.

I closed my eyes and stepped forward into the void, feeling the momentary weightlessness of freefall.

Behind me, the man's voice rose in triumphant exultation. "Finally I win!"