Chapter 22 I Will Be Your Eyes
I told Melissa everything about my current situation, down to the smallest detail.
She sounded so relieved after hearing it all.
"Catherine, you've changed so much!"
I felt a bit embarrassed. If it weren't for my past life...
Melissa had a hero's heart. In my past life, she'd urged me to run away multiple times, even helped me plan escape routes. But I couldn't let go of the Rosewood family.
My indecisiveness had sealed my fate. The foolish girl had even blamed herself for what happened.
Hearing that she was still the same as before, I silently swore to myself—this time, I wouldn't let her down.
"Catherine, so what's your plan now?"
Melissa asked worriedly. After graduating college, she'd gone to work as staff at the Rosewood estate. With her parents there to help her blend in, she maintained a low profile while earning a steady paycheck each month.
I mulled it over briefly before stating my real reason for contacting her. "Lisa, I want revenge. I need you."
"No problem. What do you need me to do?"
She agreed without any hesitation. My throat tightened with emotion.
"Aren't you afraid I'll ask you to do something bad?"
Melissa laughed coldly. "Catherine, I might not know other people, but don't I know you?"
The Rosewood family's eldest daughter was the kindest, most naive kid she'd ever met!
I understood what she meant. If I'd had even a shred of malice during all those years, Sabrina never could've trampled all over me.
Yes, my kindness had made me give in again and again. In the end, it had killed me.
I explained my plan to Melissa. She quickly agreed. "Catherine, don't worry. Starting today, I'm your eyes and ears in the Rosewood family."
My nose stung and tears welled up again.
"Be careful."
Not long after, I suddenly received a long video from Melissa.
I opened it—
The Rosewood estate, Sabrina's room.
"Sabby, how are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"
Michael's concerned voice came through first. James stood beside the bed with a stethoscope, examining her.
Andrew and Jason hovered nearby, tense.
Sabrina lay in bed looking like she was barely breathing. "Mike, my chest hurts so much."
Michael paced frantically. Just then, James straightened up.
Michael immediately asked, "James, is Sabby...?"
James's expression was grim. He looked at Sabrina with pity. "Sabby's condition has worsened. She needs medication as soon as possible."
"How could... just a few days ago she was..."
Michael looked panicked. I let out a mocking laugh. He must've been thinking about how he'd brought Sabrina to confront me recently.
Sure enough, the next second—
"This is all Catherine's fault!" Michael's face twisted with hatred that practically leaked through the screen. "She's cursed. If she hadn't bullied Sabby, this never would've happened..."
With that, he headed straight for the door without thinking.
Andrew frowned and grabbed him. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to drag Catherine back here to test medications for Sabby!"
Andrew let go. But then Sabrina struggled to sit up in bed. "Michael!"
Michael rushed back to her side. "Lie down, quick. Be good. Once Catherine tests the medication, you'll slowly get better."
But Sabrina weakly shook her head.
"Michael, don't go."
She broke into a fit of coughing. When it finally subsided, Sabrina continued, "Catherine is healthy. It's only natural she doesn't want to help me."
The implication was clear—reminding the four brothers that I was selfish and unwilling to sacrifice.
"When Dad saved Catherine all those years ago, he must've hoped she'd grow up safe and healthy."
"I'm not well. Just being your family for all these years has been enough for me. When I die, bring Catherine back home. After all, you're the real family."
Her expression grew desolate. Sabrina started coughing again.
The atmosphere in the room became oppressively heavy.
Those involved couldn't see clearly, but as an observer, I could. I understood exactly what Sabrina wanted to convey.
She'd brought up the past to remind the four brothers that the Rosewood family owed her. That I owed her. Then she used the specter of her own death to deepen their guilt and pity.
Sabrina and I had become a stark contrast—she was the sister they desperately needed to compensate, while I was the ungrateful wretch who owed someone a debt but remained unreasonable and selfish.
"So this is how you brainwash them when I'm not around, Sabrina?"
I stared mockingly at the video on my screen.
Andrew looked utterly devastated. He knelt beside the bed, carefully holding Sabrina's hand and promising to cure her.
James made phone calls to his connections—he knew plenty of big names in the medical field. Someone would have a solution.
Michael stood there with tears streaming down his face.
Only Jason remained relatively calm. Without warning, he suddenly spoke up. "Sabby, why did you mislead me into wrongly accusing Catherine before?"
Jason was referring to the incident on set.
The room fell instantly silent. Sabrina's already pale face turned even whiter—fragile as a porcelain doll that could shatter at any moment.
Her eyes reddened as she looked at Jason, her voice soft and weak. "Jason, why would you say that about me?"
"That day I kept telling you Catherine hadn't bullied me. You were the one who didn't believe me."
Jason froze. I nodded along. "True. That day Sabrina only kept dropping hints."
It wasn't that Jason was stupid. After all these years, he'd just grown accustomed to protecting Sabrina. So even the slightest disturbance set him on high alert.
Sabrina spoke up again. "Jason, I did make Catherine misunderstand that day, but she secretly recorded a video and deliberately waited until you'd embarrassed yourself to show it... cough cough..."
Sabrina didn't finish her sentence, but I already knew what she was going to say.
Michael played his part perfectly as her mouthpiece.
"Jason, did you get your brain caught in a door?"
"Catherine is manipulative as hell. This is obviously her scheme to turn us against each other!"
"We watched Sabby grow up, but Catherine? She's been lying since she was little. Is it really that surprising she'd pull something like this? Instead of worrying about Sabby's health, you're bringing up old grievances!"
"Jason, if you think Catherine's so great, go be with her and get the hell out of the Rosewood family!"
Andrew and James also stared at Jason with dark expressions.
"It's okay. Jason was just deceived by Catherine. Don't blame him."
Michael glared at Jason, then turned to comfort Sabrina. "Sabby, you're just too kind. That's why people take advantage of you!"
That tiny seed of doubt in Jason's heart was completely extinguished by their words.
Right—how could he suspect Sabby? It must be Catherine's manipulation. Damn her!
Watching Jason's changing expression, I could guess most of what was going through his head.
"I'm sorry, Sabby. This is all my fault..."
Hearing his apology, my ears filled with a buzzing sound.
How utterly... predictable.