Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning - Chapter 3: Chapter 3
You are reading Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning, Chapter 3: Chapter 3. Read more chapters of Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning.
With just one sentence, Alyssa had turned my world upside down.
Her words exploded through the room like a gunshot, shattering whatever fragile trust my family still had in me. In an instant, I wasn't their daughter or sister anymore—just the villain, the one to blame for Alyssa's disappearance. The warmth in my parents' eyes vanished overnight, replaced by a cold, suffocating disgust, like I was some mistake they wished they could erase.
Even now, years later, their resentment clung to every glance, every word, every icy silence.
At the birthday banquet, Alyssa spotted Dillon and me the moment we stepped into the grand hall. She glided over, her gold-embroidered gown shimmering under the chandeliers like she was wrapped in liquid sunlight.
Her smile was dazzling, as always. "Sis! Dillon! You actually came—I was starting to think you'd skip it." Then, as if struck by sudden remorse, she pressed a perfectly manicured hand to her lips. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sis. I forgot you can't hear me. I should be signing, but… well, I never learned. You don't mind, do you?"
Her voice dripped with honey, but her eyes—wide and innocent—held a flicker of something darker.
Behind her, my mother let out a sharp, derisive snort. "If it weren't for her, you wouldn't have been taken in the first place. How could she blame you? The only one at fault here is her—for being deaf and dragging the Cole name through the mud."
Her words lashed like a whip. My father stayed silent, but his glare burned into me, heavy with contempt.
I dropped my gaze, my breath hitching. This wasn't new. It shouldn't have hurt anymore. But somehow, the familiarity only made it worse.
Before I could respond, Dillon stepped forward, his voice smooth and unshaken. "Mia isn't petty. No apology needed." Then, with deliberate care, he handed Alyssa a velvet box. "For you."
Her face lit up like he'd handed her the moon. "Dillon, you're too sweet."
As she adjusted the box in her palm, a glint of silver caught my eye.
My heart stopped.
The bracelet.
Knight Holdings' heirloom—the one Dillon had sworn was lost years ago. The one I'd asked about when we were newlyweds, back when I still believed he loved me. "It's just an old trinket," he'd said with a dismissive shrug. "Doesn't mean anything. My heart belongs to you."
A lie.
The truth sparkled mockingly under the chandelier light—always hers, never mine.
A searing pain tore through my chest, sharp enough to steal my breath. My hands trembled, but I forced my expression to stay blank. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"I need air," I muttered, slipping through the crowd toward the garden.
Outside, the night was cool, the pool a mirror of moonlight. I gripped the railing, staring at my reflection—haunted, hollow, a ghost of the girl I used to be.
I didn't hear Alyssa approach.
When she spoke, her voice was no longer sweet. The mask had slipped, revealing the venom beneath.
"I don't know how you have the nerve to show your face here," she hissed. "Can't you see nobody wants you? Your delusion is almost impressive."
I stayed silent, my nails digging into my palms.
She stepped closer, her perfume cloying. "Did you really think Dillon married you for love? He only did it to keep you from ruining my engagement to Gabriel. The night of your wedding, he came to me. Told me the truth—that I'm the one he loves."
Her smile turned cruel. "Face it. You're nothing. If I were you, I'd just disappear."
Every word carved deeper, leaving me raw.
Then, before I could react—
A splash.
Alyssa thrashed in the pool, screaming. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"
I stood frozen, the echoes of her cries ringing in my ears.
Her words exploded through the room like a gunshot, shattering whatever fragile trust my family still had in me. In an instant, I wasn't their daughter or sister anymore—just the villain, the one to blame for Alyssa's disappearance. The warmth in my parents' eyes vanished overnight, replaced by a cold, suffocating disgust, like I was some mistake they wished they could erase.
Even now, years later, their resentment clung to every glance, every word, every icy silence.
At the birthday banquet, Alyssa spotted Dillon and me the moment we stepped into the grand hall. She glided over, her gold-embroidered gown shimmering under the chandeliers like she was wrapped in liquid sunlight.
Her smile was dazzling, as always. "Sis! Dillon! You actually came—I was starting to think you'd skip it." Then, as if struck by sudden remorse, she pressed a perfectly manicured hand to her lips. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sis. I forgot you can't hear me. I should be signing, but… well, I never learned. You don't mind, do you?"
Her voice dripped with honey, but her eyes—wide and innocent—held a flicker of something darker.
Behind her, my mother let out a sharp, derisive snort. "If it weren't for her, you wouldn't have been taken in the first place. How could she blame you? The only one at fault here is her—for being deaf and dragging the Cole name through the mud."
Her words lashed like a whip. My father stayed silent, but his glare burned into me, heavy with contempt.
I dropped my gaze, my breath hitching. This wasn't new. It shouldn't have hurt anymore. But somehow, the familiarity only made it worse.
Before I could respond, Dillon stepped forward, his voice smooth and unshaken. "Mia isn't petty. No apology needed." Then, with deliberate care, he handed Alyssa a velvet box. "For you."
Her face lit up like he'd handed her the moon. "Dillon, you're too sweet."
As she adjusted the box in her palm, a glint of silver caught my eye.
My heart stopped.
The bracelet.
Knight Holdings' heirloom—the one Dillon had sworn was lost years ago. The one I'd asked about when we were newlyweds, back when I still believed he loved me. "It's just an old trinket," he'd said with a dismissive shrug. "Doesn't mean anything. My heart belongs to you."
A lie.
The truth sparkled mockingly under the chandelier light—always hers, never mine.
A searing pain tore through my chest, sharp enough to steal my breath. My hands trembled, but I forced my expression to stay blank. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"I need air," I muttered, slipping through the crowd toward the garden.
Outside, the night was cool, the pool a mirror of moonlight. I gripped the railing, staring at my reflection—haunted, hollow, a ghost of the girl I used to be.
I didn't hear Alyssa approach.
When she spoke, her voice was no longer sweet. The mask had slipped, revealing the venom beneath.
"I don't know how you have the nerve to show your face here," she hissed. "Can't you see nobody wants you? Your delusion is almost impressive."
I stayed silent, my nails digging into my palms.
She stepped closer, her perfume cloying. "Did you really think Dillon married you for love? He only did it to keep you from ruining my engagement to Gabriel. The night of your wedding, he came to me. Told me the truth—that I'm the one he loves."
Her smile turned cruel. "Face it. You're nothing. If I were you, I'd just disappear."
Every word carved deeper, leaving me raw.
Then, before I could react—
A splash.
Alyssa thrashed in the pool, screaming. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"
I stood frozen, the echoes of her cries ringing in my ears.
End of Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning Chapter 3. Continue reading Chapter 4 or return to Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning book page.