Both women appeared preoccupied, Katelyn, however, was quietly scheming, searching for a way to determine if Lindsay’s paralysis was genuine. Suddenly, inspiration hit her. Holding a bowl of hot soup, she pretended to stumble, spilling the scalding liquid toward Lindsay’s legs.
Lindsay let out a sharp, instinctive cry, momentarily forgetting her supposed condition.
She sprang from her wheelchair, yelling angrily, “You idiot! How could you be so clumsy?”
As her eyes locked onto Katelyn’s astonished expression, realization dawned-she had just given herself away.
For a brief moment, panic flickered across her face, but she quickly composed herself. Recognizing that the charade was over, Lindsay decided it was time to face the situation head-on.
She locked eyes with Katelyn and began to speak, her voice heavy with emotion. “Katelyn, do you have any idea how hard it’s been for me to survive living with the Clark family? When I rescued Matthew, I did injure my legs. But I saw this as my chance to stay close to him. How could I just give that up?”
Her eyes burned as she continued, “Do you even understand what that means to me?”
Katelyn, still reeling from the confession, struggled to respond. “But Mr. Clark is married now, and he’s been nothing but kind to you. If your legs have healed, shouldn’t you tell them? Lucia would be happy too.”
Lindsay let out a sharp, almost mocking laugh before her expression darkened. “Happy? You think they’d be happy? No, Katelyn, they’d just see me as a burden—a problem they could finally be rid of.”
Katelyn froze at the sight of the fury etched on Lindsay’s face. Panic surged through her, and she stammered in an attempt to backtrack.
“Miss Wheeler, I didn’t mean that… I-”
But her words faltered. Lindsay’s grip tightened around Katelyn’s wrist, the pain silencing her attempts to speak.
As Lindsay studied Katelyn’s frightened expression, a cunning idea crossed her mind.
Realizing the danger, Katelyn grew more desperate. She stammered, promise… “Miss Wheeler, I won’t tell anyone! You can trust me!”
Lindsay’s tense demeanor softened slightly, a faint smile curving her lips. “Now that’s more like it. Katelyn, fetch some cutlery and join me for dinner.”
Katelyn nodded hastily and turned to leave.
But as she turned her back, Lindsay’s expression darkened. Without hesitation, she grabbed a vase from a nearby table and brought it crashing down onto the back of Katelyn’s head.
Katelyn’s eyes widened in stunned disbelief, her face frozen in terror.
Before she could utter a single word, she crumpled to the floor, motionless.
Standing over her while looking down, Lindsay laughed, the sound dark and hollow. “Only the dead can keep secrets.”
Lindsay stared at the blood slowly spreading around Katelyn’s head, her expression void of any emotion or remorse.
Calmly, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. Her tone was icy as she spoke. “I’ve found a way to clear Stella’s name, but I need you to handle this for me. Immediately.”
The person on the other end agreed without hesitation.
When Lindsay ended the call, her face remained hardened, her eyes filled with cruelty and seething malice.