He Chose Her, The Desert Chose Me - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
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"Bah!" My father's cane cracked against the floor, his face contorted with rage. "You think the Lawson family gives a damn about your filthy money? If my daughter suffers any permanent damage from this, Arthur, I'll make sure you pay—with everything you've got!"
Before Arthur could defend himself, Bella slithered forward with theatrical concern. Ignoring my father's blazing glare, she zeroed in on Arthur like a lovesick puppy.
"Arthur, are you okay?" she cooed, her fingers fluttering over his sleeve as if he were some wounded knight. Then she spun toward my parents, her doll-like face twisting into righteous indignation.
"Uncle, Auntie Lawson," she began, voice quivering with fake sincerity, "please don't blame Arthur. He only lost his temper after Lilly pushed me down the dune. I don't even hold a grudge against her anymore—how could Arthur have known Lilly would rather die than accept his help out of sheer spite?"
Her words oozed through the air like syrup laced with arsenic, slow and deliberate.
But my mother wasn't buying it. She lunged forward—SMACK—her palm connected with Bella's cheek so hard the sound ricocheted off the hospital walls.
"You scheming little snake!" Mom snarled, fury sharp as a blade. "You dare accuse my daughter? Where's your proof? Lilly's got a heart of gold—she'd never sink to your level. How do we know you didn't stage this whole thing?"
Chaos erupted. Dad's shouting shook the room, Bella clutched her reddening cheek with crocodile tears, and Arthur stood paralyzed—torn between blind loyalty and dawning doubt.
But I felt... nothing.
The fire inside me had burned to ashes. Weak, voiceless, I cut through the noise with a rasp:
"Stop." The word hung like a fraying thread. "Just... stop. I'll do the treatments. None of this matters anymore."
Silence. For the first time, the room stilled. My parents rushed to me, their arms a trembling cage of love and grief.
"It's okay," I lied, forcing a ghost of a smile. "After rain comes sunshine, right?"
I didn't believe it. But I knew this much—Arthur and Bella wouldn't walk away unscathed. They'd dragged me through hell and back. Now? Hell would come for them.
Later, Arthur's parents—Michael and Yenny Findley—visited. To their credit, they'd always treated me like family. Since we were kids, they'd seen me as their future daughter-in-law, their kindness unwavering. Even now, their concern felt genuine.
"Lilly," Michael said, guilt heavy in his voice, "we're so sorry. Once you recover, the wedding will happen as planned. You'll always be our daughter."
Yenny nodded, dabbing her eyes. "No matter what, you're family."
I smiled weakly, bitterness curdling in my throat. How could I tell them? That their son was a traitor, that I'd never marry him?
They left with promises and apologies—but fate had other plans.
Hours later, disaster struck.
A semi-truck plowed through an intersection, flipping their car like a tin can. Broken bones, internal injuries—both hospitalized.
I reached for my phone to check on them—but Arthur burst in before I could dial, eyes wild with fury.
SLAP. His palm cracked against my cheek, the sting secondary to the shock.
"You vile witch!" he roared. "Want revenge? Come at me! Why target my parents?"
I gaped. "Are you insane? I can't even walk—how would I—?"
"Bullshit!" He slammed a fist on the bedside table. "The truck driver? Your family's butler! He confessed! If not you, then who?"
Ice flooded my veins.
"Uncle Lawson? Impossible! He's like family—and I haven't touched WhatsApp since losing my phone in Dungeness!"
Arthur hurled his phone at me. Onscreen: WhatsApp logs. My account. My photo. Messages I supposedly sent, ordering the hit.
But I knew.
"Someone hacked me, Arthur. This isn't—"
"Save it!" he spat. "I see you now—the real you."
Tears threatened, but I swallowed them. "When the truth comes out, I hope you remember how blind you've been."
He stormed out, leaving me with the wreckage.
Then it hit me.
This wasn't chance. Not a mistake.
It was her.
Bella had orchestrated it all—the messages, the butler's betrayal, the "accident." A spider's web, and I'd flown right in.
But why would Uncle Lawson turn on me? Who accessed my account?
Answers could wait.
One thing mattered: This ended now.
I grabbed my burner phone, dialed a memorized number, and spoke two icy words:
"It's time."
The game had just begun.
Before Arthur could defend himself, Bella slithered forward with theatrical concern. Ignoring my father's blazing glare, she zeroed in on Arthur like a lovesick puppy.
"Arthur, are you okay?" she cooed, her fingers fluttering over his sleeve as if he were some wounded knight. Then she spun toward my parents, her doll-like face twisting into righteous indignation.
"Uncle, Auntie Lawson," she began, voice quivering with fake sincerity, "please don't blame Arthur. He only lost his temper after Lilly pushed me down the dune. I don't even hold a grudge against her anymore—how could Arthur have known Lilly would rather die than accept his help out of sheer spite?"
Her words oozed through the air like syrup laced with arsenic, slow and deliberate.
But my mother wasn't buying it. She lunged forward—SMACK—her palm connected with Bella's cheek so hard the sound ricocheted off the hospital walls.
"You scheming little snake!" Mom snarled, fury sharp as a blade. "You dare accuse my daughter? Where's your proof? Lilly's got a heart of gold—she'd never sink to your level. How do we know you didn't stage this whole thing?"
Chaos erupted. Dad's shouting shook the room, Bella clutched her reddening cheek with crocodile tears, and Arthur stood paralyzed—torn between blind loyalty and dawning doubt.
But I felt... nothing.
The fire inside me had burned to ashes. Weak, voiceless, I cut through the noise with a rasp:
"Stop." The word hung like a fraying thread. "Just... stop. I'll do the treatments. None of this matters anymore."
Silence. For the first time, the room stilled. My parents rushed to me, their arms a trembling cage of love and grief.
"It's okay," I lied, forcing a ghost of a smile. "After rain comes sunshine, right?"
I didn't believe it. But I knew this much—Arthur and Bella wouldn't walk away unscathed. They'd dragged me through hell and back. Now? Hell would come for them.
Later, Arthur's parents—Michael and Yenny Findley—visited. To their credit, they'd always treated me like family. Since we were kids, they'd seen me as their future daughter-in-law, their kindness unwavering. Even now, their concern felt genuine.
"Lilly," Michael said, guilt heavy in his voice, "we're so sorry. Once you recover, the wedding will happen as planned. You'll always be our daughter."
Yenny nodded, dabbing her eyes. "No matter what, you're family."
I smiled weakly, bitterness curdling in my throat. How could I tell them? That their son was a traitor, that I'd never marry him?
They left with promises and apologies—but fate had other plans.
Hours later, disaster struck.
A semi-truck plowed through an intersection, flipping their car like a tin can. Broken bones, internal injuries—both hospitalized.
I reached for my phone to check on them—but Arthur burst in before I could dial, eyes wild with fury.
SLAP. His palm cracked against my cheek, the sting secondary to the shock.
"You vile witch!" he roared. "Want revenge? Come at me! Why target my parents?"
I gaped. "Are you insane? I can't even walk—how would I—?"
"Bullshit!" He slammed a fist on the bedside table. "The truck driver? Your family's butler! He confessed! If not you, then who?"
Ice flooded my veins.
"Uncle Lawson? Impossible! He's like family—and I haven't touched WhatsApp since losing my phone in Dungeness!"
Arthur hurled his phone at me. Onscreen: WhatsApp logs. My account. My photo. Messages I supposedly sent, ordering the hit.
But I knew.
"Someone hacked me, Arthur. This isn't—"
"Save it!" he spat. "I see you now—the real you."
Tears threatened, but I swallowed them. "When the truth comes out, I hope you remember how blind you've been."
He stormed out, leaving me with the wreckage.
Then it hit me.
This wasn't chance. Not a mistake.
It was her.
Bella had orchestrated it all—the messages, the butler's betrayal, the "accident." A spider's web, and I'd flown right in.
But why would Uncle Lawson turn on me? Who accessed my account?
Answers could wait.
One thing mattered: This ended now.
I grabbed my burner phone, dialed a memorized number, and spoke two icy words:
"It's time."
The game had just begun.
End of He Chose Her, The Desert Chose Me Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to He Chose Her, The Desert Chose Me book page.