Broken Memory: Complicated Love, Pure Desire

The rain came through the holes in the tattered roof and fell straight into Sylvia Qiao's mouth, wetting her parched throat.

By then, she was awake.

It was her sixth day locked up in that rickety old house. Without proper food and water, she had become weak and her body had shrunk considerably. She didn't know if she would be alive when the sun was up again.

She felt lost and smiled bitterly.

She didn't know who had kidnapped her, or if that person was also planning on killing her.

Her memories were hazy. Suddenly, she heard the door creaking open.

She finally mustered the strength to lift her head and look at the person standing at the door. "Is that really you?

This can't be happening. How could you do this to me, Selena?" Sylvia Qiao asked, completely mortified.

Selena Qiao cast an icy stare at her and said with a sneer, "Why wouldn't I? Did you really think it was someone else?"

It was a rare delight for Selena Qiao to see Sylvia Qiao in such a horrid state. Selena Qiao felt happy and satisfied every time she saw Sylvia Qiao being miserable.

The worse Sylvia Qiao's life was, the happier Selena Qiao would become. She felt superior.

"I'm sorry. You probably don't even remember me, since you hoarded all the attention ever since we were kids. After all, I'm not even worth mentioning," Selena Qiao said in a sarcastic voice.

"Sylvia, do you regret being nice to me all these years?"

Upon hearing that, Sylvia Qiao raised her head and looked at her. She was perplexed. It was almost as if Selena Qiao was a completely different person now.

"Selena, you may not related to me by blood, but we grew up together ever since we were kids. I think of you as my sister. I'll give you whatever you want. I won't regret it."

Selena Qiao laughed maniacally, glaring at her. "Even now you're behaving like a saint. You can give me anything I want, because everything belongs to you. What do I have? I have nothing, and I can only fight for it! But this time, I won't let you get in my way!"

Her eyes were burning with pure hatred.

Sylvia Qiao was taken aback. She had never thought that Selena Qiao would hate her so much. She didn't know why she had offended her.

Suddenly, Sylvia Qiao felt a thick oily liquid poured over her. It was gasoline! Selena Qiao had emptied a whole bottle of it, soaking her body. She then pulled out a lighter from her pocket and clicked it till a flame appeared. She threw the lighter at Sylvia Qiao's gas-soaked body.

Sylvia Qiao screamed and shrieked as the flames engulfed her body. Her burning skin felt like a thousand swords stabbing at her.

"Sylvia, I'm sure you would have never thought of this, would you? Aren't you at least a little bit surprised? Would you like to know why I hate you so much?

Don't worry, I'll tell you everything so that you can pass with closure.

Why were you forced to quit your job in the entertainment industry? It was because of all the rumors about you that I asked people to spread. Your mom died because I replaced her medicine with just vitamins. You were in jail for three months because I told Director Xu that it was you who refused to sleep with him and tried to kill him.

What else should I say? Do you remember your ex-fiance, Ethan? He found you to be too boring and stereotypical, so I lured him away from you." Selena Qiao stroked the slight bump on her belly and smiled with satisfaction.

"What's more, you don't know that I am Joey's biological daughter. You and your mother had dust thrown in your eyes!" she added, clapping her hands and laughing gleefully.

The truth had finally dawned on Sylvia Qiao. She raised her head and looked at Selena Qiao with blood trickling down her cheeks. Hatred poured out of her body, but soon, she felt relieved.

She turned her wrist and glared at Selena Qiao, feeling the flames kiss her body. Her clothes, her skin, and even the ropes that bound her were burnt to ashes. She was finally free.

She had never thought that Selena Qiao, to whom she had shown all the kindness in the world, would turn into an ungrateful bitch. She had gone so far as to kill her mother. How cruel!

'Since I'm dying, then...'

"Selena, do you really want me to die? If I die, you won't get any of my shares!"

Sylvia Qiao said in a hoarse voice. Upon hearing that, the evil grin on Selena Qiao's face disappeared instantly, and by then, she had also calmed down.

"Why didn't you tell me before? Aren't we a little too late for that? The fire is burning all around you now!

You're so kind! If you had told me this sooner, I wouldn't have tried to kill you," Selena Qiao said apologetically and took a step towards her.

Sylvia Qiao owned twelve percent of the shares while Selena Qiao only had two percent.

Why did she deserve less?

They were all Joey Qiao's biological daughters, his own flesh and blood. Yet, how could Sylvia Qiao get more than her?

"You're right! It might be late for you, but not necessarily for me!

Selena, I'll take you with me because I care for you so much!" Sylvia Qiao yelled and sprang up from the floor. She pounced on Selena Qiao, wrapping her body with flames.

Selena Qiao let out a scream. She was dragged to the floor and the flames began devouring her.

"No!

Don't do this, Sylvia! Please, let go of me. It hurts. You're scaring me.

I'm so sorry for what I did to you. Please let me go.

You're going to hell all by yourself, you bitch! I am not just gonna die yet,"

Selena Qiao screamed and tried to wiggle out of her hands, but Sylvia Qiao had firmly gripped her throat, pressing on it like molten iron.

"Selena, don't be afraid, I'll take you to see my mother!

She must be lonely there. I'll take you there, so you can apologize to her yourself, okay?"

Sylvia Qiao hissed. She was becoming insidious. After learning all the truth, how could she possibly let Selena Qiao go?

Selena Qiao's plan was smart, but it was poorly executed. Gasoline was sprayed all across the room, which was already in shambles. With that kind of a fire, they would both be burned to a crisp before dawn.

Sylvia Qiao had regretted the mistakes that she had made in the past. There was no reason for her to stay behind, and she would rather die gracefully.

The flames were still burning, but she no longer had the energy to scream even though she felt the pain of her burning heart and bones. At the very end, she felt warmth, just pure warmth greeting her.

She was leaving the world.

Suddenly, she heard a loud noise, followed by the vague screams of a man. Or perhaps, it was just her mind playing tricks on her.

"Sylvia! Stay with me, please!"

Even through the fire, she could feel the anxiety and despair in his voice.

Sylvia Qiao was too exhausted to move.

She curled up in the flames, unable to even open her eyes.

It was the faint fragrance of pinewood, so familiar, yet so far away. She could remember the same fragrance on Ryan Zhan.

However, her consciousness was fading away. A lone tear drop fell from the corner of her eye, almost like a pearl, before it dried up from the flames.

"Ry... Ryan... is that you?"

"I won't let you die, Sylvia! Now, come on, get up!"

He was bossy as always.

'Thank you, Ryan, for accompanying me when I'm leaving the world, ' she thought.