Chapter 2

Christmas. It was the annually festive season commemorating the holy birth of Jesus Christ, the sacred saviour who acts for the sake of the people. Scarlett rose that morning with a crystal ball in her arms. It was the first time she received presents of any sort, for Christmas. This year did not turn out so bad after all, she thought as she fondly stared at the miniature snowman and two adults inside the crystal globe. The globe was enchanted, its snow of various illuminated shades changes every now and then. It was so intriguing. One moment it was indigo, the next moment was turquoise. She wondered what color will appear next. She could do this all day!

It was half past ten when Scarlett grew suspicious of the people who lives in the Ko Mansion. It was Christmas, and every year her family invited guests over for a Christmas party. The mansion was silent. No posh cars parked outside. The party was not happening this year. Scarlett wondered why. Scarlett had grabbed her wooden sword and tiptoed down the staircase. It was her kendo practice sword. She stared at the horrifying sight in terror. The living room was full of blood. Her grandfather’s ire tone was aimed towards someone.

It was Qing Ran. The elder had been knocked out of his wheelchair, both hands firmly grabbing Qing Ran’s feet. Qing Ran had raised her hands against the elder.

“Stop!” Scarlett had yelled. She leaped, three feet into the air, sliced Qing Ran across her face and performed an one-arm shoulder throw. It was no wonder Scarlett had a strange feeling. Qing Ran had lured her parents away from the mansion, the butlers and servants were forced to take a day off for Christmas. Everything was part of her grand scheme. Qing Ran, Scarlett and powerless elder of the Ko Mansion.

Qing Ran groaned, grimaced from the pain she suffered from the impact. This is Scarlett, her hateful and acrimonious half-sister’s true self. Qing Ran could not believe her eyes what Scarlett had just done to her. She had tossed her, the dignified and elegant Ko Qing Ran meters into the air. Scarlett dropped her practice sword and ran to her grandfather.

“Grandfather! Are you okay?!” Scarlett’s irises were filled with intense trepidations of anxiety and worry.

Her grandfather groaned, slowly opening his eyes in his granddaughter’s arms. Scarlett was the only child he recognized and approved as the successor of the Ko family. Qing Ran and Amelia were clearly venomous imposters who were after the Ko family’s fortune. The elder would never let it happen. He always has been protecting Scarlett, unlike the icy cold son who did not care if Scarlett was alive or dead. He was the only one who loved and understood Scarlett for who she was. The elder reached for the inner chest pocket and slipped a tiny plastic into Scarlett’s secured pocket.

“Scarlett! I underestimated you!” Qing Ran pulled herself together and scrambled from the cold floor. She had miscalculated her half-sister’s unpredictability. Her face was injured, and the tremendous impact should have caused a few broken ribs. At the very least, Scarlett was sure her shoulders were dislocated at first glance.

“You will be arrested for this!” Scarlett had snapped, flared with outrage and fury. The elder’s own granddaughter had been after his own life.

“Hmph.” Qing Ran wobbled towards them. She used the cabinets as aids to guide her. It was unexpected. Scarlett was too strong to be taken down. Not alone. Qing Ran realized her mistake after receiving first blow head-on. Scarlett was a world-class martial arts champion who won the first place for consecutive seven years. Because of her naivety and inexperience, Qing Ran was taken down in one blow. Qing Ran felt discomfort in her shoulder and arms joints. “The perfect heir. The wonderful successor. The caring granddaughter. You only see her in your eyes! You never cared for me! What about me? My mother? You abandoned us!” Scarlett, the capable and caring successor people talked about endlessly. No one had bothered to spare a single glance at Qing Ran. Constantly trapped in her half-sister’s shadow, Qing Ran and her mother swore to make the Ko family theirs.

“Y…you always wanted things I have! My position. My job. My reputation. My family. My lover. And now you are after my most beloved person? Do you think you could defeat me in that state?” Scarlett glared at Qing Ran. “You both are just mere imposters after our fortune. I can give you everything you want. But you can’t have grandfather’s life!” She gently laid the elder behind her and picked up the wooden sword she had dropped. “Even if you have my position and become the mistress of this house, you can never replace me. You’re not good enough to inherit our fortune. This is a waste of time. Let’s go, we need to take you to the hospital.”

Scarlett turned to carry the elder back to his wheelchair. Qing Ran could not believe the words coming out from Scarlett’s mouth. All her efforts were in vain. She was never be good enough to take over Scarlett’s position. Forever in her shadow. No, she reprimanded herself. She and her mother had been waiting for this moment. The Ko family would be theirs. She will become Scarlett’s replacement. She picked the nearest weapon. A vase.

“Be careful!” the elder had yelled. He had tried warning his granddaughter. As a last resort, he pushed Scarlett out of the way. The elder had received the impact in Scarlett’s place. His last wish. For Scarlett to live. And one day, avenge the devil who ruined their peaceful family. He had caressed Scarlett’s pale cheek one last time before darkness took over. Both had fallen unconscious.

Be strong…. Scarlett, my dear granddaughter. I love you.

Qing Ran felt wonderful. An awesome feeling. Supreme! Ecstatic! The pleasure of robbing someone’s most treasured. And this time, she ruined Scarlett’s family. Her wish had come true!

“Grandfather!!” Scarlett had bellowed, her piercing tone penetrated through the awkward silent pause. Clinging desperately onto the last of her consciousness, the elder’s death was her only regret. Tears flowed profusely from the sides of her corneas. She glared at her vivacious half-sister in resentment and wrath. “This is not over.”

After that, everything happened so fast. In a spur of moment, the police and paramedics arrived at the scene. Scarlett frowned at her half-sister. The next-door neighbours must have heard the shrills and protests. They dialled the hotline for help in panic. The rescue team and paramedics rushed into the mansion to find blood splatters painted the clean tiles, an unconscious elder in Scarlett arms, possibly suffered a vital injury and passed away. The second daughter was grovelling on the floor a few metres away. A wooden practice sword was tossed forgotten in a corner. The elder was taken into custody by the paramedics in an ambulance. Qing Ran was provided first aid and then helped onto the stretcher.

The Ko Mansion was turned into a crime scene. The dispatch team studied Scarlett closely. Extremely observant. Down to each cue she made. Verbally and non-verbally. Everything serves as a clue to crack the case. Scarlett stared at the officer, exasperated. She can’t believe she was being treated like murder suspect and letting go the devil who was behind this entire incident. Being locked in the interrogation room, Scarlett refused to answer a single question during the interview. The officers were at wit’s end. They knew. If this goes on, they’ll get nothing.

Scarlett recalled her last memory of her family. Qing Ran had turned on her vulnerability switch. A total turn from her true self. A fragile and powerless young mistress of a rich family. She was the perfect actress. Wept and grieved of their grandfather’s death, she had put the blame on Scarlett. She had pushed herself onto their cold-blooded master of the Ko family and begged for forgiveness. Scarlett knew her long enough to prognosticate the intentions behind those stupid effort. She was trying to get on their father’s good side. Ko Qing An was doomed. Blinded and fooled by the mother and daughter’s sweet words. He was goaded, double-crossed the legitimate daughter entitled to the family. With the elder’s will nowhere to be found, Scarlett knew for sure the family business was gone. Taken control by imposters who had been eyeing their family fortune since the first day.

“Let me explain, father!” she remembered herself defending her innocence. But no one was willing to listen. Qing Ran was firmly wrapped in her mother’s arms. This was her way of revenge. I’m taking back what’s mine.

“Don’t bother. I didn’t you had it in you to murder your own grandfather!” Qing An had glanced at the practice sword in the corner. “You’re just like your mother. A witch, just like Amelia had said. Get lost! I don’t care if you die or live! You’re no longer my daughter of mine!”

Just like that, Scarlett was arrested. She became the prime murder suspect. Her belongings were seized, and she was sentenced for probation. She was left with nothing, but the wooden practice sword and a mythical crystal ball. Three days after she was tossed into prison, she was summoned to the police headquarters. Scarlett looked up as a new face entered the interrogation room. The man introduced himself as a police detective.

“You look well, considering yourself a murderer.” The detective commented. “My name is Detective Evans. Pray, tell me, where did you hide the murder weapon?”

Scarlett was silent. She observed the detective closely. This man was six feet tall. Evans. An English descent. That is rare in Wisteria. Black hair, golden eyes. Just like her. They share similar features Scarlett could not find an explanation for it. “Aren’t you the detective? It’s your job, Detective Evans.”

Detective Evans tossed a file in front of her. It was her case file. An autopsy report on her grandfather was included. “Read it. You will be surprised. This just came from the crime lab.”

Scarlett glared at Evans. Reluctantly, she flipped through the pages. There it was. Her grandfather’s cause of death. Died by haemorrhage concussion to the head. Possibly by a blunt object of twenty centimetres. Scarlett returned her attention to the detective. “You people concluded I was the murderer and tossed me into prison. What now? Are you telling me I’m not a murderer now?”

The detective closed the file with a loud snap. “Look at you. You don’t even know where the murder weapon is. Well, you’re in luck.” He smirked. “I don’t believe you did it. All you had with you was the practice sword. True, the practice sword could have been the weapon, but it doesn’t fit the autopsy report description.”

“So, why are you telling me this now?” Scarlett scowled at Detective Evans.

“Someone’s here to meet you, Scarlett.” The detective replied. Scarlett. It felt just like yesterday that she was just another student at Wisteria Academy. Ever since she was framed and was turned into a scapegoat, no one had called by her name. She was forgotten. Vanished from the face of earth. Her shabby presence had grown more fragile. More vulnerable. Transparent. Ironically, the people who remembered who she was were the people on the national task force. The people who are ultimately responsible for putting her in prison.

“Who?” Scarlett was doubtful. She had no one who cared and loved her like her late grandfather did.

“Come in,” Detective Evans answered the rapid knock on the door. Scarlett was astonished. Appalled. He was the man she had met yesterday on the prison rooftop. His appearance was an eye-candy. Fair smooth skin, short ash-blond hair, and lithe muscles. He was two feet taller than Scarlett. The prison attire was gone. Instead, he was now donned in refined and expensive finery. He must be a young master from a rich family, Scarlett had pointedly figured. Dressed in garments from famous brands, one could tell this man before them was dangerous. You shouldn’t get on his bad side if possible. Pale blue shirt and black slacks, along with a beige muffler.

The man had a satisfied smirk etched on his face as he made his entrance. “We meet again, little one.”