Chapter 29 Revenge
Sloane's POV
So this was the cousin who called Jared away yesterday.
I understood now, but I couldn't even muster the energy to twitch my lips.
Christian didn't seem to care about my coldness. He pulled over a chair and sat down on his own, his gaze sweeping over my right hand in its cast. There wasn't a trace of sympathy in his eyes, only undisguised scrutiny and assessment.
"I've been too busy with work to visit you. You don't mind, do you?" he said, his words polite, but his smile never reached his eyes.
"No," I replied flatly.
He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my sensibility. That fake mask lasted only a few seconds before he ruthlessly tore it off.
"Sloane, I know you're a smart person, so I won't beat around the bush." He leaned forward, hands folded on his knees, speaking in a negotiating tone. "Your marriage to Jared is over. I hope you can quickly go through the divorce procedures with him and stop delaying Keira's happiness."
Hearing these words that were so matter-of-fact that even God would laugh, I couldn't help but let out a very light snort.
"So you're here to pressure me into divorcing for Keira's sake?" I looked at him, the mockery in my eyes undisguised.
My reaction clearly angered him. The smile on Christian's face completely disappeared, replaced by an offended coldness. "Pressure you? Sloane, you think too highly of yourself."
He stood up, looking down at me with contempt in his eyes, as if looking at an ant that didn't know its place. "Don't forget, if you hadn't used tricks back then, the one standing beside Jared now should be Keira. Everything you have now—the house, the status, the identity of Mrs. Montclair—you stole it all from Keira."
"A thief should know her place." Each word was like a poisoned nail, driving hard into my heart. "Now, it's time to return what doesn't belong to you."
He actually called me a thief.
These people, one more shameless than the next!
It was clearly Keira who didn't want to marry into the family back then, but now they're saying I stole it!
Humiliation flooded through me. Heat rushed to my face, but my voice stayed eerily calm. "Are you done? Get out."
Christian's face became extremely ugly. He probably didn't expect this reaction from me.
He stared at me for a long while, finally snorted coldly, and turned to leave.
At the door, he stopped and turned back with a cold warning. "Sloane, don't be ungrateful. Keira was seriously hurt this time. We won't let this go. If you want to live peacefully for the rest of your life, you should know what to do."
The door closed, and his disgusting face disappeared.
I looked at the bunch of sunflowers blooming brilliantly on the bedside table and found them unbearably glaring.
I threw off the covers and got out of bed. With my good left hand, I grabbed the bouquet, walked straight to the trash can in the corner, and threw them all in without hesitation.
After doing this, I felt drained of all energy. I slid down powerlessly, leaning against the cold wall, burying my face deep in my knees.
There was a gaping hole in my chest, cold and empty. Each breath sent a sharp ache through me.
So that's how they all saw me. A scheming homewrecker who'd stolen another woman's place.
I was... so pathetic.
I don't know how long I sat there. Only when my legs went numb did I support myself against the wall, slowly stand up, and get back into bed.
I curled up my body, wrapping myself tightly in the blanket, just wanting to fall asleep and not think about anything, not care about anything.
Half-asleep, I heard the hospital room door being pushed open, followed by steady footsteps approaching.
Thinking it was Christian returning, I didn't even bother to open my eyes. I just tiredly turned over, facing away from the door, and murmured hoarsely, "Get out, don't come in and bother me."
As soon as I finished speaking, instead of the expected silence, I felt a sharp, intense pain in my scalp!
I cried out in pain as a brutal force dragged me from the bed and I fell hard onto the floor.
I didn't even see who it was. Everything was spinning. Instinctively, I reached out with my left hand to protect my abdomen.
"You bitch! How dare you sleep here!" A shrill female voice exploded above my head, filled with overwhelming hatred.
Enduring the pain of my scalp nearly being torn off, I was forced to look up and finally saw the crazed woman before me—it was Isabelle.
She wore an expensive Chanel suit with perfect makeup, but her well-maintained face was now full of savagery and distortion.
"Why did you do this? What did Keira ever do to you that you had to get someone to hurt her!" She gripped my hair tightly, her eyes so red they seemed ready to bleed. "Wasn't breaking your own hand enough? Did you have to drag my daughter to hell with you? You evil woman!"
The pain made everything go dark. My voice trembled. "Your daughter? What about me? I'm a victim too..."
"How dare you argue!" Isabelle didn't listen to my explanation at all. She seemed convinced I was the culprit. Her other hand rose and slapped me hard across the face.
The crisp sound of the slap was particularly loud in the empty hospital room. My cheek swelled instantly, and I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.
Isabelle looked at my right hand in its cast, the hatred in her eyes growing stronger.
She released my hair, walked to the table, and picked up a glass water cup.
"You wanted to destroy Keira's hand?" She walked toward me step by step, her eyes crazed and venomous. "Fine, then I'll destroy your good hand first! I'll make sure you never pick up a scalpel again in this lifetime!"
She raised the glass cup and smashed it down hard toward my left hand protecting my body!
I struggled to dodge, but Isabelle's strength was surprisingly great. She pressed down on me hard, her crazed eyes filled only with malicious satisfaction.
"We're both your daughters," I looked at her, years of grievance and unwillingness erupting in this moment, my voice hoarse as I demanded, "Isabelle, why do you treat me like this?"
My question made her pause in her crazed action. Then her face showed a kind of twisted regret.
"My biggest regret is bringing you back!" she said through gritted teeth. "I thought if I raised you by my side, you'd be grateful and obedient. But what did you do? You learned all those low-class bad habits from outside, constantly going against Keira, whom I carefully raised! She's so kind and gentle—you're not worth a fraction of what she is!"