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I set down my chopsticks.“That’s exactly what I’m going for.”
She shadowed my life and caused my death last time.
No revenge was too much.
Ethan didn’t see it that way.“How can you be so cruel?”
Lucas slammed his chopsticks.“How can you be so stupid?”
“With eyes like that,all you do is blink,not see.That head on your shoulders is just for show.”
Ethan snapped,“What do you know?I’m Zoe’s boyfriend—that’s why I care.”
Oh, not that line again! I’m so sick of hearing it.
I clenched my fists,overwhelmed with frustration.
I’d fought with him before over his bias toward Lily.
He and everyone else called me an ungrateful wretch.
I once doubted myself,wondering if I was as bad as they said.
Splash!
Lucas dumped his iced cola on Ethan’s face.
Ethan wiped it off.“Are you insane?”
Lucas smirked.“It’s hot—cooling you off.I’m helping,and you’re mad?Ungrateful.”
“You claim to be helping Zoe, but in reality, you’re hurting her. You’re teaming up with Lily to pin crimes on her.Zoe must’ve done something awful in a past life to meet a jerk like you!”
He turned to me.“Get it,dummy?Don’t just listen to his words—watch his actions.He says he’s helping,and you buy it?Really?”
It hit me like a revelation.
I grabbed my cola and splashed Ethan.“This is me helping you cool off.Like this kind of help?”
Ethan,drenched,was stared at in disbelief by onlookers.
“You don’t see my good intentions,but I can’t let you go astray.Come with me to the station to apologize to Lily—”
I cut him off.“Got nothing better to do than bother me for attention?Fine,I’ll give you something to do!”
I messaged Ethan’s half-brother,spilling how Ethan set up a mistress for their dad to sway him for more shares.
Ethan stared,too late to stop me,and rushed off,panicked.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.“You fought back?You’re not getting back with him in a few days,right?”
“Nope.I dumped him yesterday.”
Lucas’s eyes seemed to sparkle,though I might’ve imagined it.
Lily’s prison sentence was set in stone.
Auntie and Uncle,furious,bad-mouthed me to everyone.
But this time,no one lectured me or played peacemaker.
It hit everyone’s interests.
In the family group chat,they argued:
[Mom had$30,000 saved for surgery.Your daughter stole it for a car—why should we cover it?]
[Exactly.Your kid stole it—you pay.]
[My daughter’s going to jail,and you want me to pay$30,000?Are you human?]
[You failed to raise her—don’t blame us.]
[If you don’t pay in five days,we’re reporting you to your workplace!]
Grandma’s pension was nearly$2,000 monthly—her kids wanted her alive.
Uncle and Auntie,both government employees,cared about their reputation.
They couldn’t refuse but resented paying,so they came to my apartment.
