Their Queen's Back - Chapter 45: Chapter 45

Skye draped her coat over Emily's shoulders once more. "Let's go home," she said, then took her hand and led her away.
Emily followed behind with mincing steps, muttering under her breath so only she could hear, "Why should I go with you? Just because you order me home, I have to obey? As if you're so important. You hit me, and I haven't even settled that score yet. If it weren't for this heavy rain, I wouldn't be following you. Hmph, you bully."
Emily climbed into the car with reluctant steps. The heater was on full blast, enveloping her in warmth—first thawing her chilled limbs, then gradually melting the stubborn coldness in her heart.
Skye glanced sideways at the adorable short-haired girl beside her, who was squinting contentedly in the warmth. Her skin was fair and smooth, like a peeled hard-boiled egg, though her cheeks were slightly tanned—evidence of recent sun exposure.
Fair skin ran in the family—even a tan would fade completely within days.
Her long lashes fluttered over her peach blossom eyes. "Peach blossom eyes?"
Emily thought to herself, "My maternal grandmother had those same peach blossom eyes—charming and slightly upturned. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, she was a nationwide sensation: a talented beauty and the national crush. Practically every household owned her records and posters."
Noticing Skye's persistent stare, Emily huffily turned her head away, presenting the back of her head to Skye and stubbornly fixing her gaze out the window, refusing to acknowledge her.
No way was she going to talk to her first—that would make her seem like she had no self-respect, Emily thought. After all, that slap was still fresh in her mind. She was only eighteen, not senile; she remembered everything perfectly.
That slap was all for Sophia's sake—it landed right on my cheek, and she still hasn't even apologized to me, Emily thought bitterly.
Honestly, the slap didn't hurt at all—it was feather-light.
"When Jessica hit me, it hurt ten times more than this. But somehow, this pain is worse," Emily thought, her chest aching as if a thousand tiny needles were pricking at her heart.
Skye seemed to see right through her. She said softly, "I'm sorry."
Emily shuddered violently, her whole body going rigid. She bit down hard on her lower lip, refusing to turn around, fighting desperately to hold back the surge of hurt and the tears threatening to spill.
"But my body just wouldn't obey," Emily thought desperately. No matter how hard she tried to control herself, her shoulders began to tremble and quiet sobs escaped.
I struggled to hold back my tears, unaware that my face was already streaming with them.
Skye reached out to pull her into a hug, but Emily cut her off with a defiant, "Don't touch me!"
Skye's hand froze awkwardly in midair, her face clouded with guilt and sorrow. Slowly, she let her arm fall back to her side, eyes fixed ahead as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.
"She didn't even try to comfort me," I thought, feeling a fresh wave of hurt.
See? She's just putting on an act, I thought bitterly. Not once did she try to comfort me—not from the start, not at all.
I thought bitterly, "She's so domineering and unreasonable. She just hits me and then brushes it off with a flimsy 'sorry'—like that fixes everything."
I can't stand this kind of behavior—it's completely insincere.
"The least she could do is give me a hug," I thought.
"But it's not like I care," she thought stubbornly. "It's not like I don't have anyone else who'd hug me."
"But at least I still have Jessica," Emily thought to herself.
"Jessica isn't like her," Emily thought resentfully. "When Jessica hit me, at least she'd say more than just a 'sorry' as light as a feather."
"Skye only came to check if I'd died out there," Emily thought bitterly. "If anything happened to me, Sophia would be labeled as a murderer."
"She's only doing this for Sophia," Emily thought bitterly.
At this thought, tears streamed down my face like a surging tide—utterly uncontrollable.
I kept wiping at my tears, but they just wouldn't stop.
"Emily, you're such a fool," I thought to myself.
"Sophia's the only sister she cares about," Emily thought bitterly.
"For Sophia's sake, she's really going out of her way to share a car with me," Emily thought bitterly.
Skye sneezed—likely from the chilly wind she'd been exposed to earlier.
Lauren's heart skipped a beat—Ms. Sky must be coming down with something. She immediately instructed the doctor to be on standby.
Hearing Skye sneeze, Emily's tears paused for a few seconds.
"Don't turn around, I warned myself. She's definitely doing it on purpose," I thought stubbornly.
She actually came looking for me through that storm—dark clouds overhead, rain pouring down—just to find me.
"She even gave me her coat," I thought bitterly, trying to convince myself she cared.
She even apologized and gently asked if I was hurt—like that actually meant anything.
"But... even after all that, it doesn't change one thing—she's only here because of Sophia," Emily thought bitterly.
Little did Skye know that her simple sneeze had sparked such a whirlwind of thoughts in Emily's mind.
Skye glanced at Emily's back and noticed she seemed to have stopped crying.
Though provoked, she struck her—but never once regretted what she'd done.
What's done is done. Skye never wasted time second-guessing her choices—dwelling on the past only weighed her down with unnecessary guilt.
"It's only natural for Emily to resent me right now," Skye thought to herself.
Skye understood Emily needed space to compose herself. Without a word, she withdrew her gaze, letting it rest heavily on the intersection ahead—traffic was at a complete standstill in the downpour, cars jammed bumper to bumper.
Lauren asked, "Ms. Sky, we might be stuck here for over an hour. There's a convenience store nearby—would you like me to get you anything?"
My heart skipped a beat. "Is she finally going to ask me something?"
"Should I answer?" Emily wondered to herself.
"No way, I'm not answering her," I thought stubbornly. "She only hit me because of Sophia."
"But if she talks to me and I don't respond, wouldn't that be super awkward? I'd end up making a fool of myself," Emily thought to herself.
In the very next second, Emily's excitement and anticipation were doused with a bucket of cold water, chilling her to the core.
"No," Skye replied.
I was fidgeting restlessly. "God, Emily, you're such an idiot—did you really think she'd care about you?"
"She treats me like I'm invisible—like I don't even exist," I thought bitterly. "Even asking me a single question is too much trouble for her."
A prickling bitterness welled up in my chest. I lowered my head, silently cursing myself—tears threatening to fall again. How pathetic.
"Lauren, go back first and tell Sophia I'll be back later. Emily and I are going to grab a bite to eat."
The rain had stopped. As the car door opened, a crisp freshness filled the air. Some wildflowers along the roadside had weathered the storm, bursting forth in vibrant purples, blues, and reds, while others lay scattered peacefully by the roadside, their fallen petals adding delicate accents to the rain-washed landscape.
As Skye opened the car door, Emily huffily turned her head away, planting herself stubbornly—her whole posture radiating refusal to get out.
"Who does she think she is, making decisions for me like that?" Emily fumed inwardly. "She just announces we're getting out to eat, completely ignoring my feelings. She's so domineering—always acting like she knows best!"
"Did she even ask me?" Emily thought resentfully.
"Does she even realize how much I don't want to get out?" Emily grumbled inwardly. "It's freezing out here—even with this coat."
Emily let out a quiet huff, refusing to admit she was actually following Skye's lead.
"Let's grab a bite to eat, Emily. Aren't you coming?"
Emily gave a stubborn little huff, but her feet betrayed her as they stepped onto the pavement.
Emily muttered to herself, "I'm not following her orders or anything. I'm just hungry. Of course, it's only natural to eat when your stomach's growling."
Skye couldn't help but chuckle at Emily's tsundere display of stubbornness. "Let's go then," she said, amusement coloring her voice. "What would you like to eat?"
Emily huffed, "I want the most expensive thing!"Get ready to empty your wallet.
If Skye knew what Emily was thinking, she'd probably burst out laughing. Emily could eat to her heart's content for a lifetime and still never make a dent in Skye's fortune.
Sure.
Skye took her to a fancy restaurant. Without holding back, Emily went straight for the priciest dishes on the menu—determined to make Skye pay.
Skye watched with quiet amusement, remembering how this kid had been obsessed with seafood back when she was little—and clearly, nothing had changed. Without a word, Skye ordered one of every seafood dish on the menu for her.
After ordering the most expensive items on the menu, Emily shot Skye a defiant look. "Don't think buying me dinner will make me forgive you," she huffed. "I'm telling you right now—that's never happening."
"Alright then, no forgiveness," Skye replied, her voice laced with tender amusement.
Emily crossed her arms and lifted her chin haughtily. "At least she knows her place," she thought to herself.
"If you want my forgiveness, go slap Sophia—then we're even."
Skye looked up at her and set her phone aside. Her phoenix eyes radiated the commanding presence of a natural leader—one glance was enough to intimidate.
Skye fixed Emily with a steely gaze. "Emily, do you still not realize what you did wrong?"
Emily faltered for a moment under Skye's piercing gaze, but still insisted stubbornly, "I'm not wrong!"
"Sophia totally deserves it—she's such trash!" Emily fumed inwardly.
"She doesn't deserve to share my bloodline," Emily thought bitterly.
Skye's voice was firm and brooked no argument. "No, you're wrong, Emily. I don't regret hitting you—not for a second. Whether you forgive me or not, you crossed the line with what you said. Do you understand that?"
Hearing Skye's stern, icy tone, Emily's eyes instantly reddened again. She shouted back defiantly, "I'm not wrong! I'm NOT wrong! Sophia's a bitch—she doesn't deserve to be my family. She's disgusting trash—she hit Mom and cursed at her!"
Skye was a bit angry, but she still reined in her temper.
Skye fixed Emily with a stern look and said, "Emily, can't you see you're making another mistake right now?"
There wasn't a trace of warmth in Skye's eyes; her glacial stare was cold enough to freeze you where you stood.
A jolt of fear shot through Emily, her face turning pale. Too scared to speak, she...
"Emily," Skye asked coldly, "do you even know your mother's name?"
"I..." Emily was at a loss for words. Ten years ago, her dad had brought Linda home, claiming she was her mom. Linda had been so kind and caring—back then, Emily truly thought, "I've found a mother's love again."
Skye's voice was icy and razor-sharp, her eyes flashing with fierce intensity. "Emily, remember this—you have only one mother, and her name is Margaret. If I ever hear you call anyone else 'Mom' again, I won't hesitate to teach you another lesson."
Skye's words left no room for argument. Tears welled in Emily's eyes as she bit down hard on her lower lip, not daring to say a word.
Skye's lashes trembled slightly as she looked away, her tone softening. "Emily, do you remember? When you were little, you wandered off and got kidnapped. Our mother—Margaret—was stabbed three times in the stomach, her whole body drenched in blood, leaving crimson trails in the snow as she fought to save you. You don't have to acknowledge me as your sister, but you must never deny your own mother."
"I..." Emily's gaze turned vacant and unfocused. In her dazed state, her arm accidentally overturned the teacup, sending tea spilling across the table. Without missing a beat, Skye calmly signaled for a waiter to clean up.
Emily was still lost in her thoughts when the memory surfaced—a gentle figure in white, her hair tousled by the breeze, looking so radiant.
A gentle voice from her memory whispered, "My sweet Emily, you're so adorable. Promise me you'll always be in charge of being cute for me, okay?"
Skye continued, her voice cold and unyielding: "I don't know what happened between you and Sophia, Emily. But when you said those things—did you really feel proud of yourself, or were you shaming your own flesh and blood? Or is it that what you truly want is to see Sophia bullied, violated, empty-eyed and driven insane?"
Emily's pupils dilated violently as images of Sophia being bullied flashed unbidden through her mind; her hands trembled uncontrollably.
"No, that's not what I meant... I... I just..."
Skye said, "Eat first. When we get home, you'll apologize to Sophia for what you said today. Understood?"
Emily sulked, thinking to herself, "There's no way I'm apologizing to Sophia. I can't stand her."
Skye's voice came again the next second: "Admitting your mistakes makes you a good girl. Apologize properly, and I'll take you out this weekend."
Emily's eyes lit up at this, though her pouting lips betrayed her mood.
"Fine, since it's you. What's the big deal about saying sorry? Let's just say I'm feeling charitable today."
Skye smiled gently. "Eat up, it'll get cold soon."
Skye returned with Emily, which left Jessica feeling a wave of inexplicable irritation. Forcing a smile, she called out, "Emily, you're back! Come here and let your big sister take a look at you."
Emily instinctively started toward Jessica, but halfway there, she turned back to look for Skye—only to find her already heading upstairs.
Jessica caught Emily staring at Skye, a shadow of malice flickering in her eyes. "That little minx," she thought to herself.
"Emily, tell your big sis—where did you go just now? You know you can tell me anything. I wanted to come find you, but you know how my whole body aches whenever it rains, so I had to rest first. And honestly, Skye was way out of line—what was she thinking, hitting you for no reason at all? That was just too much. If she's making you unhappy, let's just not bother with her from now on, hmm?"
Jessica reached out and ruffled her hair, beaming with feigned warmth as she spoke.
Hearing what Jessica said, Emily felt an inexplicable discomfort. "Ignore Skye?" she thought.
"Maybe that's how it should be," Emily thought to herself.
Jessica watched the obedient Emily with delight, her smirk practically spelling out "triumphant" across her face.
Skye, what's the point of running around like a desperate fool to find her? All it takes is one word from me to turn you into the enemy.
"Sis, you're back?" As soon as Sophia saw Skye come in, she immediately put down her book, dashed over, and wrapped her arms around Skye's arm.
Sophia asked, "Sis, I heard from Lauren that you went looking for Emily?"
As she spoke, Sophia looked up at her, and Skye nodded.
"Is she back yet?" Sophia continued to ask.
Skye said, "She's back. I'll have her apologize to you later."
"Hmm," Sophia replied calmly, her eyes betraying a hint of disappointment.
Sophia felt a pang of disappointment, her eyes flashing with a barely concealed obsession. "Why did you have to come back, Emily?" she thought bitterly.
Sophia thought bitterly, "Aren't you just Jessica and Linda's little lapdog?"
"Then just be their lapdog for life—don't you dare come near us," Sophia thought bitterly.
"She's mine," Sophia thought bitterly.
Linda just said Dad's in the hospital and she's gone to see him. Sis, should we go too?
Skye gently ruffled her hair. "Would you like to go, Sophia?"
Sophia shook her head. "No, I don't." She'd long since lost faith in this father of hers—he was nothing but willfully blind, always hurting her. "It'd be best if he just stayed in the hospital. If he didn't come back for weeks, that'd be just fine with me."
"Don't go if you don't want to. Sophia, I don't care what happened between you and Emily before, but at home, we don't wage war against each other. Remember, you'll always be sisters. She's still young and impulsive—she needs your patience and care."
Sophia's heart skipped a beat. "Emily must have said something to our sister to turn her against me. She just got back and is already badmouthing me in front of her. So despicable," she thought bitterly.
"Okay, Sis," she said. "I want to go see Anna tonight."
"Alright then," Skye said. "Let Lauren go with you."
Sophia smiled gently. "No need, Sis. I can manage on my own."