Diana felt a bit freaked out by Charles' laughter, but she mustered up the courage to glare back at him. "What's so funny?"
Charles squatted down to meet her eye level.
His face was annoyingly handsome, making it hard to look away, but his words were dripping with sarcasm.
"You say you regret it? Who was it that told Grandma, 'I want to marry Charles, we'll be so happy'?" Charles sneered. "And who was it that, after signing the agreement, kept trying to seduce me?"
He added, "And who was it that ignored all the warnings, wore those skimpy outfits, barged into my important meetings, and cost me a ten-million-dollar deal?"
Charles didn't hold back, listing all the dumb things the old Diana had done.
Sweat started to bead on Diana's forehead, and she cursed the old Diana in her mind, 'Diana, you idiot. You could've liked anyone, but no, you had to go for this ice-cold guy.'
All her efforts just made Charles hate her more; doing nothing would've been better.
Seeing Diana turn her head and stay quiet, Charles thought she felt guilty. He reached out, turned her face back, and mocked, "Weren't you just talking a lot? Why so quiet now?"
Diana suddenly smiled and said, "If I say it, Mr. Percy, can you promise not to get mad? And not to hit me."
Charles, curious about what she had to say, replied slowly, "Go ahead, I won't get mad."
With his assurance, Diana took a deep breath and let out all her grievances.
But at this moment, she wasn't speaking as Diana; she was speaking as an observer, Sophia.
She stated calmly, "You say I tried to seduce you, and I admit it. But I'm a young woman in my prime. What's wrong with going after someone I like? I liked you back then, so what's wrong with wanting to marry you?"
Diana looked Charles straight in the eye, taking in his handsome face, and suddenly understood the old Diana a bit. If she had seen such a face, she might've done the same thing.
Charles' throat felt a bit dry from her blunt words.
In love, women were always seen as the weaker party, as if a woman taking the initiative made her cheap.
Diana continued, "When I married you, I had just graduated. There were guys who chased me, gave me flowers and gifts, said they liked me, but I didn't care for any of them."
"I fell for you at first sight and didn't know how to win you over, so I used the wrong methods. That's on me." Diana's tone was sincere, like she was confessing.
But then, Diana's tone shifted, and she raised her voice, "But Mr. Percy, didn't you do anything wrong?"
Charles, who had been swayed by her emotions, was suddenly thrown off by her question.
"What did I do wrong? How many times have you embarrassed me? How many business deals have you ruined? Did I ask you to do that?" Charles shot back.
Diana lifted her chin and replied, "You didn't ask me to do it, but you didn't say you didn't like it either. And why did you dress so handsomely the first time we met? Weren't you trying to attract a naive college girl like me?"
Charles clearly didn't expect her to be so bold. He raised his hand and pinched Diana's face, not holding back, squeezing hard. He said coldly, "I told you more than once not to do those pointless things. It was you who kept clinging to me. Diana, can you be any more shameless?"
Diana winced in pain, struggling to break free, feeling her cheek hot and sore. She covered her cheek and defended herself righteously.
Diana shot back, "Clara told me that when a guy says he doesn't want something, he actually does. I've never chased a guy before, how was I supposed to know if you really meant it?"
Charles was taken aback. 'What the hell has Clara been teaching her?'
Diana said it on purpose. The dumb stuff the old Diana did was all tied to Clara. If she didn't use this chance to get some payback, she'd be letting herself down.
Charles didn't get distracted by her twisted logic. He stood up, looking all high and mighty. "Everything you said is nonsense. Diana, get out. I don't want to see you anymore."
Diana sat on the ground, looking all pitiful, but her words cut deep. "Charles, why are you acting like the victim? You never liked me from the start, so why did you marry me? You gave me a chance, and now you're acting all high and mighty."
Nolan, who showed up late, heard this and felt his hair stand on end. He rushed forward, wishing he could shut Diana up.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Shut up!" After scolding Diana, Nolan turned to the increasingly pissed-off Charles. "Mr. Percy, I'll throw her out right now."
But Charles raised his hand to stop him, stepped forward, and grabbed Diana's jaw. "Say that again."
Nolan, standing behind Charles, prayed Diana wouldn't keep pushing his buttons. If she died here, he'd have to clean up the mess. He just wanted to be a regular assistant!
Diana, her speech slurred from the grip, stubbornly said, "I said, you're a hypocrite, and I regret marrying you!"
Nolan was in despair, already thinking about where to bury Diana.
Diana's words hit Charles hard, like his chest was stuffed with cotton, making it hard to breathe.
The next second, Charles let go of her jaw, yanked her up, and shoved her into the car.
Nolan rushed forward, his tone anxious. "Mr. Percy, where are you going? I'll drive."
Charles pushed him away, coldly saying, "Get lost."
Nolan silently stepped aside, thinking, 'It's over. Charles is going to kill her himself.'
Seeing Charles get into the car, Diana struggled to pull the door and bang on the window, but everything was locked tight.
Diana shouted, "Charles, you jerk! You told me to speak, and now you want to kill me to shut me up? You're not keeping your word! Let me out!"
As the car started, Diana got more panicked and wondered, 'Where is he taking me?'
Charles' face was cold, like it was covered in frost.
"Since you said you regret it, let's go tell Grandma how you regret it. You wanted to marry into a wealthy family, and now you want to play the victim? Ridiculous!" Charles said.
Hearing this, Diana struggled even more violently.
But Charles drove at high speed, sometimes narrowly avoiding collisions with quick maneuvers.
The bumps made Diana dizzy, but it also calmed her down, and she even obediently fastened her seatbelt.
Once they left the city, Diana realized she knew this road until the car stopped at the entrance of a cemetery.
A sign at the entrance read "The Percy Family Cemetery."
Charles dragged Diana out, almost dislocating her with his strength.
Diana was practically dragged forward, stumbling and falling several times until they reached Juniper's tombstone.
Charles threw Diana down, his tone stern. "Go on, continue! Say you regret marrying me! Did you forget how your mother took advantage of saving Grandma to force this marriage? A woman like you is truly despicable!"