"Die!"
With no stop, their voices merged into a furious chant.
My body trembled under the barrage of hatred.
I clenched my teeth tightly, trying to stay steady.
Bending down, I muttered, "I'm sorry..."
Rotten vegetables, shoes, and even phones came flying toward me.
The impact left blood on my forehead.
When I looked up, a familiar figure appeared behind the crowd.
Nicole stood there, watching me.
At that moment, I actually saw a hint of pain in her eyes.
I thought... maybe I was just dazed from the blows, but Nicole turned and walked away.
When I stumbled back to the backstage area, the brooch was, as expected, safely nestled in the velvet box.
It had been wiped clean, looking brand new.
"Here, it’s for you from Nicole," Charles muttered as he reluctantly pushed the box toward me.
My hands trembled as I reached for it. Just as I was about to touch the brooch, another hand snatched it away.
Charles’s cold smile flashed before my eyes.
The next moment, the brooch hit the floor, shattering into pieces.
"You think I’ll really give this to you?" Charles sneered. "Dream on!"
I could no longer contain my patience as my fist struck his face, leaving a dark red imprint.
He stumbled back and fell hard.
"Bastard!" I roared, raising my fist again as fury took over me.
But someone yanked my wrist back.
Another sharp slap echoed through the room.
The sting on my face was sharp, sending pain through my entire body.
I fell to the ground and saw Nicole standing over me. She had never hit me before, not once. Even when she had completely ignored me in the past, the worst she ever did was mock me.
This time, she raised her hand for Charles. Her stiletto heel forcefully crushed the broken brooch into dust.
"The brooch is already with you," she said coldly. "Why did you have to hit Charles?"
I muttered in pain, "Nicole..."
"That's enough, Lawrence!" She gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with fury. "I thought you were just being willful, but you’re even more pathetic than I imagined! Your father never had to see you act like this; it’s truly a blessing for him!"
"You!"
A mouthful of blood shot out of my mouth.
I was already injured, and now, with anger rushing to my head, everything in front of me went black.
In the meantime, the voice that had been so calm just moments ago turned frantic:
"Lawrence?"
"Lawrence, wake up!"
Someone urgently shook my shoulders.