My mother’s expression was icy as she stepped forward and shoved me hard. My lower back slammed into the railing. A sharp pain shot through me, making me gasp.
On the floor, Adeline sat up slightly and clung to Brian’s clothes with tears glistening in her eyes.
"Brian, don’t blame Lilian. Maybe I accidentally bumped into her and made her angry. Just … pretend I fell on my own. Don’t make things difficult for my parents."
Adeline’s pitiful act only made Brian’s expression grow darker and darker. He snatched the engagement ring from my hand and hurled it to the floor. It shattered instantly, fragments scattering everywhere.
Then, Brian turned to me as he looked at me with eyes burning with fury.
"Why do you always hurt and put the blame on Adeline? Do you know that intentionally harming someone can land you in prison for years?"
I stared at the broken ring. My heart couldn’t help but twist painfully. The man I loved most stood firmly by Adeline’s side once again. He was defending her without question.
Slowly, a bitter smile spread across my face.
"You want to send me to the police because of this? Fine by me. Let them check the CCTV footage and see who staged this little performance!"
I shoved Brian away, raised my hand and slapped Adeline across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the hall.
"See that? This time, I really hit you. I won’t let him falsely accuse me without proof."
Adeline froze. Her hand was covering her cheek. For a moment, she forgot to even cry.
Brian snapped out of his shock and raised his hand. His palm struck my face with full force. His eyes looked at me coldly.
"I haven’t even dealt with what happened last time. You’ve barely left the hospital and you’re already targeting Adeline again. I’ll send you to prison. You can stay there until you’ve reflected on your actions. When you finally understand what you’ve done, I’ll come to get you."
Before I could respond, his bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me toward the door. Brian didn’t even glance at me. Instead, he turned and gathered Adeline into his arms, his eyes full of heartache as he comforted her.
The moment I had come at the police station, he followed shortly after. He then threw a confession document onto the table in front of me.
"Put your signature on it," he ordered coldly.