"Sonya!"

Xavier's violent voice roared.

But Sonya laughed desolately: "Xavier, are you afraid? Hahaha, so even you can feel fear!"

I was utterly bewildered. Why couldn't I understand what they were saying?

Tortured to death... by Xavier?

How is that possible!

He treats me so well, I'm his wife—how could he possibly hurt me?

"You don't believe it? Or did he lie to you, saying you fell into the sea after being accidentally hurt? Hahaha, Clara, let me tell you—you committed suicide! And the reason you committed suicide was because—"

"Shut up!"

Xavier strode forward, but Sonya was highly alert, dragging me back continuously.

At this point, I didn't even think of struggling; my mind was filled only with the woman's words—

Back then, I had committed suicide!

Suicide—not, as Xavier had claimed, being kidnapped, harmed, and thrown into the sea.

At this moment, I looked at the man standing not far away, not daring to approach, my eyes filled with doubt.

Is it... is it true?

Right now, as I looked at him, as long as he said "It’s not like that, this woman is lying," I would believe him unconditionally!

But he didn't.

At some point, the depths of Xavier's eyes had turned blood-red.

It was the kind of powerlessness that comes when a shameful secret is exposed and cannot be refuted.

"Clara, listen carefully. This is the man who kept you imprisoned for years; he is the one who indirectly caused the death of your parents! It was even him who had people hurt you, causing you to lose your children time and time again! Oh, and... you didn't know yet, did you? When you were being harmed, he stood by and watched for his own amusement. The person you should hate most is him—Xavier!"

No—!

In that instant, my mind was flooded with those agonizing images.

Scene after scene pierced my heart.

No, I don't believe it!

"It's not like that..."

My vision gradually blurred, my head ached intensely, and various pains surged from every part of my body.

It was an unspeakable sensation; I felt as if I were about to die.

"Clara, let's die together!"

Sonya laughed manically, looking at everyone present.

"If it weren't for you, I would have been a global superstar long ago. Why would I have had to degrade myself like I do now!"

"But what I couldn't get, you, Clara, didn't get either!"

"Clara, with you accompanying me to hell, I won't be lonely!"

As Sonya spoke, she picked up a liquid bottle and smashed it hard on the ground.

In that split second, Xavier's pupils contracted.

He lunged forward, shielding me in his arms with total disregard for himself.

In a single second, the bottle hit the ground. The moment it shattered and the liquid touched the air, there was—

A deafening "Bang!" Everyone present screamed!

Sonya, being closest to the blast, was blown away instantly.

Protected by Xavier, my brain was rattled by the shockwave of the explosion, and everything went black.

There was no pain on my body because... he had protected me.

Before I lost consciousness, all the memories in my mind came flooding back...

Chapter 23

I remembered.

Everything. All the tragedy.

Outside the emergency room, I sat on a chair with a detached expression, while Mrs. Hannigan, who was by my side, was trembling with fear.

Inside the emergency room, Xavier was still being resuscitated.

Sonya had died on the spot.

Right now, the police were asking something, but I couldn't hear a word of it, as if I were a mere paper cutout of a person.

Mrs. Hannigan thought I was worried about Xavier, but little did she know...

What I was thinking right now was: why isn't this man dead yet?

Sonya was right; Xavier had ruined my life.

I was no longer the Clara who was bent on seeking death all those years ago.

The me of today has been brought back to life and is unwilling to endure the torture of death once more.

And as for Xavier...

Heh. I remember everything now, and I have nothing but hate for him!

I shot a cold glance at the lit sign above the emergency room door and stood up to leave.

Mrs. Hannigan quickly stopped me, asking where I was going, but I remained silent.

"Sister, Xavier is still being rescued. Where are you going..."

Celine rushed over, but I didn't want to deal with her at all.

She stepped forward, blocking my path.

"Sister, didn't you hear me? Aren't you worried about him? He..."

I suddenly curled my lips into a smile.

"Why should I worry about him? It would be best if he died. Otherwise, even if I go to the ends of the earth, I will still hate him."

Celine's expression shifted several times; she covered her mouth, unable to make a sound.

"Sister, you... don't go. Wait for him to wake up, okay? I beg you!"

Celine's voice was shaking.

"Celine, if he dies, it's what he deserves. Don't tell me how much he loves me; it makes me feel sick."

As I spoke, the smile on my lips grew increasingly desolate.

"But if he lives, consider him lucky. Just tell him not to look for me again. For the rest of my life... I never want to see him again."

Thinking back on the past, every single injury was enough to make me want to kill this man with my own hands!

And so, I put Celine's crying behind me.

One step at a time, I walked away.

Mrs. Hannigan chased after me.

"Clara, don't scare me... what on earth is wrong with you?"

I shook my head and simply said I was tired.

"Don't go wandering off. I'll get the car and take you back."

At the word "back," I shook my head.

"No, I'm not going back to that place."

That was not my home.

"Clara..."

Mrs. Hannigan was clearly worried. She hailed a taxi and got in with me, saying we would go to the hotel where she was currently staying.

I slowly closed my eyes and said nothing.

The whole ride was silent.

Mrs. Hannigan checked her phone from time to time; I didn't make a sound.

Whether the man in the operating room lived or died had nothing to do with me.

Inside the hotel room.

For the entire afternoon, I sat by the window, staring into space.

Until my phone rang; it was a call from Celine.

I glanced at it, looked away, and remained unmoved, ignoring it.

Seeing this, Mrs. Hannigan took it upon herself to answer the call.

After a few words, a look of joy appeared on her face.

But after the next sentence, Mrs. Hannigan fell silent.

"She might... still need time."

Celine said something else, then hung up.

Mrs. Hannigan was stunned.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Mrs. Hannigan opened the door to find the police walking in.

Back at the hospital, I had refused to say anything. The police thought my emotional state was unstable, so they had let me rest for a while.

Now they were likely here to take a statement.

After all, in this incident, the perpetrator had died on the spot and Xavier was still unconscious.

Only I, the victim, knew the situation best at the time.

"Clara, can you... give a statement now?"

I slowly turned my head, looked at the officer, and nodded slightly.

And so, the police went through the routine and asked about the situation.

I told them everything I knew; everyone had witnessed the scene.

However, when the officer asked what grievance the perpetrator, Sonya, had with me, I fell silent.

After a moment, I shook my head.

"I don't know. I... don't know her at all."

Don't know her at all.

I wasn't lying when I said that.

Whether it was years ago or now.

Sonya and I were never meant to know each other.

But because of one man, a woman I had never met became my romantic rival.

"But according to our understanding, she was your husband Xavier's... former girlfriend."

"No, that's not my husband. We ceased to have any relationship years ago."

The police were speechless.

That seemed to be a marital issue, irrelevant to this criminal case.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

After the police left, Mrs. Hannigan looked at me, hesitated for a moment, and stammered: "Clara, Miss Riverton called just now and said..."

"I know."

Before Mrs. Hannigan could finish, my eyes darkened.

I knew what she was going to say, and I had already guessed it. That man...

He wouldn't die that easily.

During this entire afternoon, I actually did think about it—if Xavier died, if he died, then I...

Would I forgive him?

The truth is, I was overthinking it.

He didn't die.

And I have no need to force myself to forgive.

Chapter 24

Three days passed just like that.

During these three days, I stayed in my room and acted as if everything were normal.