The day when Laura learned that she was about to leave, she planned to secretly give the man she loved a surprise. The man was Darren Bill.
But when she stood outside the door, she saw the man who had rejected her countless times hugging a woman and kissing her.
The woman caught a glimpse of her figure and deliberately groaned twice. She asked with a smile. "Darren, the little girl in your family looks so much like me. She confessed to you seven times. Are you really not moved?"
Darren sneered and said nonchalantly. "She is just a pet who is paying for you."
Later, Darren knelt down, begging for forgiveness, but Laura had already died alone on the hillside.
Almost everyone in the world knew that Laura's dream was to become Darren's wife.
***
She herself thought the same way, so when she found out early in the morning that the confidential project team had been approved, she couldn't wait to find Darren.
However, when she stood at the door of the dimly lit private room, she saw the man who had rejected her confession seven times holding a woman by the waist and amidst the teasing cheers from the crowd, he kept drawing closer to her.
Laura stood at the door, frozen, staring at the scene unfolding inside, her ears ringing with the noise.
Darren raised his eyes and saw Laura at the doorway. He froze for a moment, then slightly turned his head, continuing the unfinished gesture.
The man cupped the woman's head with one hand and in full view of everyone, he pressed a kiss to her lips.
Tears quickly welled up in Laura's eyes.
It was only now that she understood. It wasn't that her uncle didn't want to find someone, nor was he cold and indifferent to everyone. It was just... she was never special to him.
Melanie smiled, leaning into Darren's arms with the disdain of someone in a superior position and let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"You must be Laura, right? I'm Melanie Rush. I've heard Darren mention you before. You're ... a very persistent girl, I hear you've confessed to Darren seven times, is that right?"
The people around them laughed in unison, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Laura looked up at Darren in shock. Was her love just a tool for these people to mock?
The color drained from her face, leaving only a pale, hollow expression.
One man laughed and chimed in, glancing around before playfully pushing Laura in front of Darren. "Laura, don't worry. It's all just for fun. Darren is still yours. Who would dare to compete with you? After all, no one's courage is as big as yours. Your mom worked so hard to marry into this family and if you marry him, wouldn't that be incest..."
Before he could finish, Laura, flustered and panicked, quickly interrupted. "No, I don't have a blood relationship with him. I... I and he..."
"Ah!" Melanie let out a loud gasp.
Her movement just now caused the glass on the table to fall and smash onto the floor.
Since the floor was tiled, the fragile glass shattered instantly and a shard sliced across the ankle of the closest person, Laura.
She felt a sharp pain in her ankle and looked down to see bright red blood flowing out, staining her slippers, which she had failed to change in her rush.
At that moment, she felt like a joke, with nothing but a buzzing sound ringing in her ears.
"I'm sorry, Laura, are you okay? I was just trying to get up and make room for you, but I didn't expect my movement to knock over the glass."
Darren pulled Melanie's hand back and spoke in a low voice.
Chapter 2"Don't move, Melanie, there's broken glass everywhere. Be careful not to get hurt."
But in the next moment, his gaze shifted to the crimson stain on Laura’s body. His hand tightened slightly, then slowly relaxed. In the end, he just irritably tapped the table.
"What are you doing here, Laura? Are you here to make a fool of yourself? Get out!"
Laura opened her mouth, but her throat felt dry, unable to speak.
“I... I'm sorry..."
She couldn't understand. Why was he always so gentle with Melanie, yet when it came to her, all he showed was disdain?
If it was because of the misunderstanding from before, she had already explained everything.
Laura was truly exhausted. She knew that the incident from back then was like a thorn lodged between the two of them. If either of them took a step forward, they would be pierced and bleed.
***
Her mother, fearing her own aging and fading beauty, obsessed over money. From the moment she married into the Bill Family, she constantly reminded Laura.
Her mother believed that the only way to secure a stable future was to seduce Darren. The Bill Family only had two brothers. If she married the elder and her daughter married the younger, they would never have to worry about poverty or illness.
Her mother wasn’t a wise woman, so she could only use the methods that had worked for her to teach her daughter.
It meant confessing love over and over again, constantly enduring and maintaining a delicate balance of being close yet distant.
She had done all of this in an attempt to win the man's heart.
But all of it was overheard by Darren, the very person involved.
From that moment on, no matter how much love she had, it was all twisted into something manipulative in his eyes.
The man standing before her had a dark and stormy expression, one that only grew more terrifying. Inside, he was filled with disgust and anger.
Under the gaze of those around him, he scolded, "What are you standing there for? Get out! Laura, stop using these tricks to get men’s sympathy!"
Laura trembled at his harsh words. An overwhelming sense of shame mixed with pain made it impossible for her to stay there any longer.
She wiped away her tears and turned to run out.
No one tried to stop her, because they were all Darren’s friends, not hers.
The group exchanged glances and soon someone started joking again.
“Darren, are you not going after her? What if your little arranged wife really runs away and gets lost?”
“Honestly, it’s ridiculous. Her mom was crazy to marry your brother. They both died and now she still wants to marry you? Just the thought of it is disgusting.”
Darren lit a cigarette against the wind, turning a glass in his hand.
Listening to their insults, his gaze darkened and a sudden wave of anger rose within him.
He burst out with a curse. "Everyone just shut the hell up! That was enough!"
Laura stumbled back home in a daze. She clutched a confidential notice tightly in her hand, leaning against the wall as she slowly slid down to the floor.
If it was fear of moral ethics, there was no blood relationship between them. If it was fear of the age difference, she didn’t care.
She had explained countless times before. She sincerely and passionately loved him.
Whether it was a ten-year difference or twenty, her love was simply love, not something to be trampled on or dismissed as worthless.
Laura looked at the confidential notice in her hand. It was about a national radioactive materials team experiment in an uninhabited zone, a secret project that would require six years of research.
Today, Laura had intended to share this news with him. Perhaps leaving would ultimately be the best outcome for both of them.
Silently, Laura began packing her things. By evening, she made her way to the living room.
Chapter 3"Miss Marsh, didn’t Mr. Bill come back with you? Do you still want me to keep the hangover soup warm for tonight?"
Brenda came out from the kitchen and, noticing Laura's red, swollen eyes, felt a pang of sympathy.
"Miss Marsh, those eyes of yours are meant for scientific research. It won’t be good if you cry them out."
Laura responded with a bright smile, thinking of how in the past, Darren would often be out for social events.
She would always ask the small kitchen to prepare some nourishing porridge and hangover soup for him in the evening.
Thinking about today... she wondered if Darren would return. After all, he was like an uncle to her, the one who had raised her for so many years.
After a moment of contemplation, she nodded.
"Keep it warm. If he comes back, he can have it. If not, just throw it away."
Laura stood beneath a large photograph in the living room, a photo taken when she was eighteen, where she had insisted on having a picture taken with Darren.
At the time, she had her own motives. She thought the large photo displayed in the living room looked like a wedding picture, so her one and only moment of stubbornness and insistence was to have this oversized photo taken.
Back then, Darren had simply smiled, assuming she felt insecure since she had just arrived and wanted to establish that he was the one in charge.
Laura gently stroked the photo, reminiscing about the past. A faint smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of her lips.
"Brenda, help me take this photo down."
Since Melanie had returned, there was no need for her to keep these things around and embarrass herself.
From now on, the owners of this place would be Darren and Melanie. And to him, she was nothing more than a scheming woman trying to seduce men.
"Miss Marsh, this isn’t..." Brenda looked at her in confusion.
Laura only smiled, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new."
Now that Melanie had returned, why should she stay here and be an eyesore?
By the time Laura had finished packing her things, it was already late at night.
She didn’t feel tired at all; she just sat on the sofa, waiting for Darren to come back, like the countless nights before.
Since she was leaving, it was time to say a proper goodbye.
As she was thinking this, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
Darren, reeking of alcohol, staggered in. His steps were unsteady and even his movements seemed more irritated than usual.
But when he saw her sitting upright on the sofa, a sense of inexplicable calm washed over his heart.
Thinking about everything that had happened today, Darren impatiently yanked at his tie, his tone harsh and dripping with sarcasm. "Did I tell you to leave? You only know how to go home? Laura, do you not know how to get to the hospital, or are you just pretending to be pathetic?"
Laura lowered her head, remaining silent. Her nails dug into her flesh as she inhaled the strong scent of alcohol from him.
She went over to support him, just like she used to, soft and gentle, like a little rabbit who never cried out in pain.
"Darren, there's hangover soup in the kitchen. You should have some to help with your stomach," Laura said softly.
Darren abruptly pulled his hand away from her grasp, his displeasure evident as he snapped, “Why didn't you fight back? Didn’t you have any temper? Why did you just let those people talk down on you like that?"
Laura swallowed the bitterness in her throat. She sniffled, feeling a wave of helplessness and grievance.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to fight back, but what they said... was the truth.
After all, it was Darren himself who had told them the truth.
They stood there, neither of them moving.
Laura’s heart was filled with a mixture of conflicting thoughts, unsure if she should speak or not.
Chapter 4Darren looked up and saw nothing but an empty wall.
He pointed at the wall, his face darkening and the moonlight only deepened his suspicion. "Where's the painting?"
"I took it for repairs. It hadn't been taken down and cleaned in a long time and it had accumulated a layer of dust," Laura replied, not wanting to say much more. After all, whatever she said, it would always be her fault. Perhaps Darren had long been dissatisfied with her.
She just couldn’t understand why, despite his usual control over his alcohol, he had drunk so much tonight.
It must be because of Melanie. She was the woman he had once dated, the only woman he had ever been involved with.
Darren collapsed onto the sofa, one hand shielding his eyes as he muttered to himself.
"Laura, you must be upset after seeing me kiss Melanie today, right? So why don't you get angry? Are you following your mother’s second lesson: learn to tolerate?"
Laura’s steps faltered as she was about to go upstairs, a chill spreading through her heart.
"Laura, your methods are inherited well. Persistent confession, pretending to be pitiful and wronged, all to seduce men. After all, your mother succeeded in this way, didn’t she?"
With each word he spoke, Laura's heart grew colder.
Darren wanted to see anger or jealousy on her face. He didn’t want to see that expression of indifference, as if nothing mattered to her.
His tone grew sharper, his hand trembling slightly in the shadows as he spoke, each word cutting like a blade. "Back then, when your mother married into the Bill Family, we all saw her true intentions. It’s pathetic. She couldn’t just climb the ranks for herself. Now, she wants you to cling to me? Are you really that desperate to hold onto wealth and status?"
Tears slipped from her eyes in the darkness, falling one by one before fading into the night.
Everyone could blame her mother, everyone could curse her mother—but not her.
Her mother had schemed everything for the wealth and prosperity of the Bill Family.
But Laura? She had done it for herself for the chance to enter the prestigious family and enjoy a better life.
Her mother had once told her that her talent and abilities should not be confined by poverty, which was why she was willing to do anything, even sleep her way to the top.
"Darren... I will leave, no one is irreplaceable..."
Her voice trembled, every word feeling like an immense struggle. It was as if her heart was being torn apart from within.
"Really? Then why haven't you left? Laura... you think just by acting like your mother..."
"Enough!" Laura shouted, her face pale as she walked back to Darren's side.
"You can't stand me, so I'll leave. It has nothing to do with my mother! I'll do as you wish and never come back..."
Under the moonlight, Laura seemed so fragile, as if a gust of wind could shatter her into pieces. She stood there before Darren, tears glistening in her eyes.
"If you don't even cherish my own love, then so be it..."
Darren's tousled hair covered his eyes. He lifted his head slightly, staring at Laura, his voice growing even more somber.
"A person who said she wanted to be my wife at eighteen, what does she even understand about love? Or is it just about using me? Stop pretending. It’s been seven years, haven't you pretended enough?"
"Darren, the one who truly lacks courage is you!"
Laura's eyes turned red, her tears falling uncontrollably in large drops. All the accumulated grievances transformed into anger and hurt.
Chapter 5"My love is honest and clear, I don't have any hidden motives! There’s nothing up my sleeve! It's your pride, it's your own guilt! Even if you don't love me, you shouldn't trample on my sincere feelings. You are the true coward..."
Darren suddenly stood up, gripping Laura's wrist tightly. His gaze was intense, filled with a mixture of deep love and hatred.
"Laura, if you really had the ability, you wouldn't have stayed until now! On your eighteenth birthday, it was your mother who manipulated you into seducing me, wasn't it? You've been doing a great job of following through all these years!"
She had explained countless times before. She loved him even before that. She wouldn’t debase herself and chase after a man just to get into the Bill Family.
But she was exhausted, so this time, Laura didn’t argue anymore. Instead, she lifted her head to look at him and crystal-clear tears slid down her cheeks.
"Yes, it's a pity that the plan didn’t succeed over the years... Darren, I won’t bother you anymore."
She supported herself against the wall and stood up. Her eyes were filled with numbness and resolve as she continued to walk toward the stairs.
Darren seemed to snap back to his senses in that instant.
He looked down at his hand in disbelief, then let out a bitter laugh. In a slump, he collapsed onto the sofa, feeling as though all his strength had been drained away.
Laura spent the whole night awake, her mind constantly replaying the past, bit by bit.
She remembered that it all started when she was eighteen. Every year, her birthday wish was the same: she hoped that she and Darren would be together forever, growing old together.
Back then, Darren would sit at the table, watching her with eyes that carried emotions she couldn’t understand, remaining silent.
Until one day, Darren finally spoke up. "Laura, do you think I'm that easy to fool?"
Later, he discovered that Laura made the same wish every birthday and his gaze grew more and more disdainful. But he didn’t say another word.
The next evening, Laura looked at the room she had tidied up and suddenly realized how foolish and pitiful she had been.
There were very few things left in the house that belonged to her. Most of it consisted of the gifts Darren had casually given her over the years, or anything related to him. Laura cleaned up once more, letting the memories fade as she put everything away.
Just as she finished tidying up, the door was knocked on.
Quickly wiping away her tears, Laura glanced at the research applications she had gathered on the table and said, "Come in."
She thought it was Brenda, but the person didn't speak for a long time.
Darren hadn't changed his clothes. He looked around the room that was once filled with so many things and for a moment, a sense of unease crept into his heart. After a long silence, Darren finally spoke, his voice carrying a slight tremor that was barely noticeable.
"Why is the room empty?" Darren asked, his voice low.
"I felt those things were a bit old and the broken ones were thrown away. The rest will be sent for maintenance and repair this afternoon," Laura replied, her voice calm.
Darren, who had been tense until that moment, finally let out a sigh of relief. He nodded in agreement, "It's fine. You can get whatever you want, just swipe your card."
Laura instinctively lowered her head to look at the research applications, not acknowledging the card.
Suddenly, a hand reached around and snatched the paper from her. Darren's temple twitched as he frowned, his tone growing impatient. He scolded her, his face twisted with displeasure.
"Laura, do you think this will threaten anyone? Or are you just following the third step your mother taught you—acting distant with men? You’ve only said a few words, yet here you are, putting on this act. Who are you doing this for?" Darren's voice was filled with mockery and frustration.
Chapter 6Laura didn't have a chance to explain.
Before she could react, Darren directly tore the application form to pieces. The shreds of paper scattered down like fallen leaves, as if he had personally torn apart her dreams.
Brenda arrived at the door, breaking the tense silence inside with a timely knock.
"Mr. Bill, Miss Rush is looking for you."
Melanie appeared from behind Brenda dressed in a red dress with her voluminous waves of hair casually draped over her shoulders. She leaned against the doorframe, a charming smile on her lips.
"Alright, Darren, why does the family have to argue like this? It's well known that Laura likes you, how could she bear to leave? She just wants you to pay a little more attention to her."
She walked in with a smile, but when she saw Laura, she paused for a moment. A fleeting understanding flashed in her eyes before she quickly regained her smile.
"Darren, women understand women the most," Melanie said with a smile. "Laura is twenty-four this year, right? Let me have a heart-to-heart with her. It's raining outside, could you find me a change of clothes?"
Darren, who had been looking for an excuse to leave, nodded in agreement and turned to walk out.
The room was left with only Melanie and Laura.
The two of them exchanged a glance.
What had felt unreal in the dimly lit private room now stood before her, in the flesh.
Laura froze for a moment, surprised.
She realized that Melanie seemed to share a resemblance to her, maybe three or four points similar.
"Laura, you and I look a bit alike," Melanie said with a casual smile. "No wonder... Darren is so reluctant to let you go."
She walked slowly to Laura's side, picking up some application papers and chuckled softly.
"Are you using this to catch a man? You think he’ll panic because you’re about to leave? Laura, your mother really was a hostess back then, wasn’t she? Such lowly methods."
Laura didn’t like the way she spoke. She frowned and urged her to leave. "I have nothing to say to you. Please leave."
"Leave?" Melanie's tone was laced with mockery. "Laura, are you embarrassed now? Who doesn’t know that every year, you’ve been saying you want to be Darren’s wife? What a young, shameless girl, thinking about becoming your own uncle’s wife."
She casually tossed the papers aside, then picked up a nearby ornament, a rather ugly chubby doll.
"As expected, a pheasant can never become a phoenix. You rose to your position because of your mother’s body and you’re still keeping such trash!"
"Give it back to me! Melanie, get out! You’re not welcome here!" Laura's voice was sharp and cold.
"It’s pouring rain outside and the one who should leave is you," Melanie said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Go cleanse your filthy mind. You were just a substitute and now the real deal is back. Why haven’t you left yet? Do you really need to be kicked out like a stray dog before you’re willing to go?"
Melanie could clearly see the flicker of concern in Laura's eyes.
She seemed to be afraid that the clay doll would be harmed.
Step by step, Melanie retreated, until half of her body was outside the door. She then raised the doll high in her hand.
"What are you doing? Melanie! Stop it!" Laura shouted, panic rising in her voice.
The chubby doll had been a toy made by her mother before she married into the Bill Family and it had always been her emotional support.
"Sorry, but I’m going to destroy everything you care about," Melanie sneered, her voice cold. "Your man, your dreams..."
Melanie let out a soft laugh and smashed the doll onto the ground without hesitation.
The doll shattered instantly, the yellow clay mixed with broken grass turning into dust and debris.
Laura's hand was still suspended in the air, as if trying to stop it, but she could only watch helplessly as the doll was destroyed.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked up at Melanie. How could she go so far, destroying something so important, just to provoke someone?
Chapter 7"Ugh, things made by a worthless person are just like her. It's destined for an unhappy end." Melanie continued to provoke her, the mocking smile still hanging on her lips.
Laura's gaze was as silent as death. She slowly reached for the vase beside her and hurled it directly at Melanie's head.
Melanie didn't expect her to actually take action. Startled, she dodged, but the vase still grazed her arm, crashing loudly onto the floor.
"You’re crazy! Laura, it's just a broken doll! What... what are you doing?” Melanie was shouting, but suddenly her words faltered. She trembled in fear.
All Melanie could see was Laura, her eyes bloodshot, slowly advancing toward her with a chilling, intense gaze.
Laura seemed to go mad. She threw herself at Melanie, knocking her to the ground.
She punched her on the nose, then pulled her hair and pressed her body.
Laura kept hitting her face, punching and kicking her.
"Why? Why did you take away the last thing I had, Melanie? You shouldn't have touched my things!"
Melanie was now filled with fear. She desperately hugged her head and struggled, shouting, "Help! Darren! Help me! Please help me!"
Upon hearing this, Darren rushed over, only to witness the scene. "Laura! Let go! Are you trying to kill her?”
Darren roared in anger, wanting to separate them but not knowing where to start.
In his moment of desperation, he grabbed Laura's arm and forcibly pulled her away. However, the force was too strong, causing her to fall to the ground, her back crashing onto the broken pieces of the vase.
Laura ignored the pain in her waist as she crawled forward, mixing with the glass shards and desperately clutching the last doll's body.
The glass fragments, mixed with dirt, pierced into her palms.
She didn't feel the pain. Her hands pressed tightly against the doll, holding it to her chest as she wailed uncontrollably.
Darren stood frozen, staring at the doll that had fallen to the ground, a flicker of panic passing through his eyes.
"La... Laura..."
He reached out, just about to touch her, but was stopped when Melanie grabbed his hand.
She threw herself into Darren's arms, crying uncontrollably. Her face streaked with tears as if she could hardly breathe.
"Darren, it hurts so much... She's trying to kill me... She's gone completely crazy, I’m going to sue her!"
Darren's earlier panic and guilt melted away when he saw Melanie in such a pitiful state.
Melanie had a congenital heart condition and psychological issues; she couldn't be under any stress. Moreover, if this really ended up on record, Laura would probably...
His face hardened as he kicked the shards in front of her aside and commanded, "Laura, apologize to Melanie!"
Laura's heart ached beyond words.
She lifted her head, her face drenched in tears, screaming in agony.
"Apologize? Why should I apologize? She is the one who is wrong! Yes, I am going to kill you, Melanie! Why don't you just die!"
"Laura, enough! Apologize to her, or get out of the Bill Family!"
Darren's expression darkened as he stood before her, towering over her with an overwhelming sense of authority.
But Laura was not afraid. She lifted her head and stared directly at him, speaking each word slowly.
"I won't apologize... I did nothing wrong!" Laura's eyes were bloodshot, filled with seething hatred.
The rain outside grew heavier, accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder. It illuminated the deep coldness in her gaze.
Chapter 8Her heart was filled with hatred for Melanie and for Darren.
Meanwhile, Darren was pierced by the intensity of her gaze.
"Darren, what should we do..." Melanie grabbed his shirt and collapsed weakly, gasping for breath.
"I... I feel so unwell, my heart hurts... Darren, I'm scared..."
After saying that, Melanie fainted in his arms.
"Melanie!" Darren panickedly lifted her up and quickly started walking toward the door.
As he took a step, his peripheral vision caught sight of Laura, who stood silently and a surge of unexplained anger rose in his chest.
Then he ordered the servant, "Get someone to take her out and have her kneel and reflect! She can come back only when she admits her mistake!"
As he passed by, noticing the others hadn’t moved, he frowned and scolded, "This is the Bill Family! If you don't want to work, then leave!"
The other servants dared not breathe, fearful of causing trouble.
Two male servants quickly dragged Laura outside.
The blood on her palms was dragged all the way and no matter how she struggled, the servants were indifferent. In the end, she could only roar and curse in pain.
"I'm not wrong! I won't go! Darren! I hate you!"
Darren trembled while holding Melanie's body. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't stop. Instead, he held Melanie and rushed into the rain, getting into the car.
Laura was pressed down by two servants, forced to kneel in the rain. The large raindrops poured down relentlessly, hitting her body.
Her knees sank into the cold rainwater as she lowered her head, staring at the doll in her hands.
The last bit of dirt, soaked by the rain, had turned into a yellowish mud. It slipped through her fingers and carried away the final remnants of her hope.
Laura knelt in the muddy water, her eyes hollow and devoid of emotion, not even hatred remained.
She simply stared blankly at the car disappearing from her view, neither crying nor making a scene. Her body slowly sank lower and lower.
The servant beside her couldn't bear to watch any longer and kindly tried to persuade her.
"Miss Marsh, it's too cold out here. Just admit your mistake and go back. If you kneel for so long, how can your body handle it?"
The rain soaked her hair and her clothes clung tightly to her body.
Her eyes were vacant and lifeless, repeatedly muttering to herself, "I'm not wrong... I won't admit my mistake, why should I admit my mistake?"
"But... in the past, when something went wrong, you would admit your mistake first. Miss, don't be so stubborn. Just apologize, like you used to. Wait for Mr. Bill to come back, everything will be fine. There's no lingering grudge between you two."
Laura lowered her head, reflecting on everything from the past.
Every time she and Darren argued, it was always her who softened first, even though those things weren’t her fault.
But she felt that her conversations with her mother had made Darren insecure about love.
So, she was willing to be the one to bow down. She was willing to compromise countless times for him, just to repeatedly confirm to him that she truly loved him.
But now, Melanie had been dating him for just three months before cheating and going abroad. Yet, Darren still loved her just the same.
Laura tugged at the corners of her lips, but she couldn't force a smile.
She only felt a sharp, sour pain in her throat, a sense of agony, as if everything was pointless.
What was she even pursuing? Love? But had Darren ever truly loved her?
Laura looked up at the overcast sky, her tears mixing with the rain, slowly eroding the last remnants of her love.
Chapter 9Her voice was very soft, almost disappearing into the wind, constantly repeating the same words. "But... I'm not wrong... This time, I won't soften."
Brenda, standing nearby, didn't know what to say and could only sigh. She held the umbrella, quietly leaning it toward Laura's side.
Time passed minute by minute.
From day to night, Laura had lost track of time. She didn't know how long she had been kneeling.
She kept her head bowed, everything before her blurry. She could feel heat rising from her body, a fever slowly taking over.
Even Brenda couldn't bear to watch anymore. She slapped her thigh and sighed. "Miss Marsh, please listen to me. Just apologize for now and once everything calms down, we'll talk. Mr. Bill definitely loves you. I remember how he secretly went to check on you when you were asleep..."
Laura finally couldn't hold on any longer. One hand braced on the ground, swaying unsteadily and everything in front of her became a blur.
Seeing this, Brenda immediately dialed Darren's number. It rang a few times before being hung up.
The third call was finally answered.
Darren's tone was sharp. "What happened?"
"Mr. Bill, Miss Marsh has a high fever now. Please let her go back. As for what happened today..." Brenda hesitated, unsure how to continue.
Darren was silent for a few seconds before asking, his voice harsh. "Has she apologized? Melanie needs three stitches, while she only has to kneel. What else does she want? Tell her to apologize! If she doesn't, don't bother notifying me if she dies out here!"
Brenda's expression changed and she hurriedly turned off the speaker on her phone.
But Laura had already heard. She braced herself and stood up unsteadily, reaching for the phone.
"Darren... I'm not at fault. Who's really to blame in this matter? She deserves it, doesn't she?"
On the other end, there was a sharp intake of breath and even through the phone, one could feel Darren's anger.
"Laura, if you still don't understand your mistake, then get out of the Bill Family!"
Normally, this threat was the most effective. Laura had long since lost her home, so he knew she had nowhere else to go.
In the past, every time he said this, Laura would admit her mistake. Even if she ran away, she would sneak back the next day as if nothing had happened.
But this time was different.
Laura remained silent, her hand gradually loosening. She spoke softly. "Then I won't come back. You don't want me to come back, do you?"
The breathing on the other end grew heavier and Darren was panting deeply. "Fine... you’ve even learned to threaten people. Laura, if you have the guts, then never come back!"
This time, the expected softening didn’t come.
Laura looked up at the gray, overcast sky, unable to see even a trace of sunlight.
It was just like her mood. After too long under the clouds, she had forgotten the existence of the sun.
Her voice was light and airy as she gazed at the sky. "Darren, do you remember the weather when we first met? It was just like this. It's so nice. Now, as I leave, it's the same weather. I won't come back."
Darren's heart sank, a panic he had never felt before overwhelming him.
In his mind, the thought of how Laura could leave flashed quickly and he even started to believe that this time, she wasn't just speaking out of anger.
Chapter 10For the first time, Darren felt afraid. His mood sank along with it.
He instinctively turned around, intending to go back, but the rain outside had grown heavier.
Melanie lay in the hospital bed, holding onto the edge of the bed to prop herself up. Her arm was stitched up with three stitches. She wiped away her tears, quietly sobbing. "Darren, go back. Laura really seems to be in a bad mood. I don't know why that thing was so important to her. How could it be left out in the open like that..."
In an instant, Darren understood. If Laura were really leaving, she wouldn’t have left that clay doll out like that.
He felt even more frustrated with Laura's behavior.
"What's this? Is this the third trick your mother taught you? The art of trapping by pretending to let go?"
Laura let out a long sigh. "Think what you want."
This time, she didn't want to explain anymore. There had been too many explanations about the past over the years.
So many that every time she showed her true feelings, Darren just thought she was being manipulative, putting on a performance for him.
Now, she was tired. It was enough.
If he didn't believe her, so be it. Those who were willing to believe had already done so, but she had already said it ninety-nine times.
The call was abruptly ended.
For the first time, Darren was the one on the receiving end of a call being hung up by Laura. His irritation grew as he paced back and forth in the hospital room.
Outside, the storm raged with flashes of lightning and thunder. Darren closed his eyes, his thoughts heavy.
He couldn't stop thinking about the wound on Laura's wrist, which hadn't healed yet. She was still kneeling. His frustration grew even more.
Melanie, perceptive as always, spoke gently. "It's okay, Darren. You can go to her. Laura is really impatient today. She probably wants you to go be with her. Go ahead."
Darren let out a cold snort and stopped in his tracks.
"It’s just a tactic. She doesn’t have a heart," he said.
A flash of smugness flickered in Melanie's eyes before she quickly replaced it with a gentle smile. "Don’t be stubborn."
"She should be taught a lesson," Darren said, standing by the window. On the surface, he appeared calm, but the clenched fist betrayed the turbulent emotions inside.
Darren thought for a moment, then decided to call again. If she called back once more, he would let her come back.
He had to protect Melanie this time, but why wasn’t Laura angry anymore? She wasn’t jealous like she used to be?
The torrential rain poured down outside.
Laura felt a rush of warmth throughout her body, as if she no longer felt cold.
She wrapped her arms around herself, her mind clearer than ever before.
"Miss Marsh, you're being foolish... Why not call again? This time, let me do the talking."
Brenda still couldn’t bear to watch. She had heard it clearly just now that Mr. Bill had given her an out. As long as Miss Marsh admitted her mistake, this matter could be put to rest. But she never expected that Miss Marsh would be so stubborn.
Laura, however, let out a soft laugh. The beautiful memories of the past now seemed so few and far between.
She wiped the rain off her face, unable to tell whether it was rain or tears.
"Brenda, may I borrow your phone?”
She lifted her head and tears once again fell uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes. But her smile was even more bitter than her tears.
Laura had made up her mind. She wouldn’t go back.
Brenda nodded with a sense of relief. "Ah, this is the right thing to do, Miss Marsh. It's always better to admit when you're wrong."