Chapter 5
Half an hour later, I was soaked through and pushed open the apartment door.
The living room was dimly lit, with flickering candlelight casting shadows of two figures.
Lily was raising her wine glass to toast with Henry.
When she saw me, she pretended to be surprised and stood up.
“Gabriella, you’re back?”
“Sorry, my clothes got wet in the rain. Mr. Grant was worried I’d catch cold and kindly lent me your nightgown.”
I shifted my gaze to Henry.
He sat at the dining table, still handsome, but his eyes were cold.
As if I were merely an unwelcome intruder at their private dinner.
“Why didn’t you say you were coming back in advance?”
Henry’s tone was indifferent, without even a word of concern.
I clenched my fists, suppressing my rage.
“This is my home. Do I need to make an appointment to return to my own house?”
Lily immediately explained, her voice carrying deliberate grievance: “Gabriella, please don’t misunderstand. I just came to deliver documents to Mr. Grant. I didn’t expect the sudden downpour…”
I couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted her: “Delivering documents requires wearing my nightgown? Requires having a candlelit dinner?”
“Get out!”
Lily stepped back half a pace, putting on a frightened appearance, her eyes even slightly reddening.
“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault… I’ll change out of it right away…”
As Lily spoke, her hands deliberately moved slowly to unbutton the nightgown, her eyes secretly glancing at Henry.
Sure enough, Henry suddenly stood up and blocked in front of her.
“Gabriella, enough!”
“Lily is my guest. What right do you have to treat her like this?”
“Guest?” I snorted coldly, “Fine. If she won’t leave, I will.”
I turned toward the bedroom and hastily stuffed several sets of clothes into a backpack.
Henry moved as if to stop me, but Lily tugged at his sleeve, and he sat back down.
When I passed the study, I pushed the door open to take my mother’s portrait.
But when I entered, I froze.
The frame was smashed on the floor, the glass shattered, and there was even a footprint on the photograph.
My blood seemed to freeze instantly.
“Who did this?”
tdy voice was low, suppressing barely controllable rage.
Lily walked over, pretending to be innocent: “Gabriella, I’m sorry.”
“I accidentally knocked over the frame after my shower. Let me buy you a new one.”
“Accidentally?”
I slowly turned around, staring at Lily’s hypocritical face.
“Did you accidentally knock it over, or deliberately step on it?”
Lily’s expression froze for a moment.
Then she put on that pitiful look again.
“I really didn’t mean to. Please don’t be angry…”
Henry also walked over, frowning: “Gabriella, Lily has already apologized. What more do you want?”
“It’s just a photo of your mom. You can reprint and frame it tomorrow.”
“She said it wasn’t intentional. You don’t need to be so fierce.”
These words completely ignited the rage I had been suppressing.
I suddenly grabbed Lily’s collar and slammed her hard against the wall.
“Who do you think you are, daring to touch my mother’s photo?!”
A flash of panic crossed Lily’s eyes.
But she quickly squeezed out a few tears: “Gabriella, really didn’t mean to!”
Henry rushed over to pull at my arm.
“Gabriella! Are you crazy? Let her go!”
I ignored him, grabbed a handful of Lily’s hair, and slammed her head hard against the wall.
After a dull “thud,” Lily’s forehead immediately swelled red, and blood from her nose dripped down her chin.
“Gabriella! Stop it!”
Henry roared, desperately trying to pull me away.
Lily finally stopped pretending. When she glared at me, her face was twisted with anger.
But her voice still carried fake sweetness: “Gabriella, if you do this… Mr. Grant will be heartbroken…”
“Heartbroken?” I slammed her against the wall again, “What does his heartbreak have to do with me?”
Henry rushed over and held her tightly, turning to roar at me: “Gabriella, you’re completely unreasonable! We’re done!”
“We’re getting divorced tomorrow!”
I slapped Henry hard across the face.
“Henry, divorce won’t solve this problem anymore!”
“You can trample on my feelings, but you cannot insult my mother!”
“If I don’t destroy you both today, I’m not Gabriella!”
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.