Chapter 124 My Angel | 017
\[A WHILE AGO\]
NOELLE
The door creaks open so softly I almost miss it. My heart is jackhammering from the replay of the fall in my mind and Azren's blank expression. It's been haunting me since he left me in here. My ribs still ache as if they remember every step I hit on the way down, even though the pain has dulled to a deep, throbbing bruise.
I snatch the bedside lamp before I can think. The base is heavy, the cord ripping free from the wall with a faint pop. I swing it up like a club, my grip tight.
Sabrina freezes in the doorway, one hand still on the knob, her head tilted. She's back in her pristine white coat now, her green eyes wide with that fake concern. It makes me want to hurl. She's a bloody chameleon. That much I'm sure of.
"Don't come any closer," I rasp. I hate how small and pathetic I sound.
She doesn't move. She only watches me, her lips curving into a chilling smirk.
"Careful with that, sweetheart," she says softly. "You're already concussed. One good swing and you'll probably knock yourself out before you hit me."
I tighten my grip until the metal bites into my palm. "Stay back."
She exhales through her nose, amused, and takes one step inside anyway. The door swings shut behind her, and I nearly flinch.
Being all alone with this witch sends my blood pressure spiking. Because the difference is clear. I'm only human. And she's a monster.
"You're adorable when you're scared," she purrs. "Like a kitten hissing at a lion. All teeth, no bite."
My arms tremble. "Get out."
She ignores me. Sabrina struts towards me like she has all the time in the world. I back up until my shoulders hit the headboard with nowhere left to go.
"Azren will never believe you, you know," she says, stopping just out of reach. "He thinks he's been having brain fog for years. Little memory slips. Moments where his head feels... fuzzy. That's what I let him believe."
She taps her temple lightly with one manicured finger.
"But it's not a fog. It's me." Her smile turns syrup-sweet. "A gentle little spell. Nothing dramatic. Just enough to twist every ugly truth into something he can swallow. Every time you speak, every time you cry, every time you beg him to see me for what I am... it all warps. He hears concern. He sees fragility. He feels guilt. And he stays blind."
My stomach protests. Bile burns the back of my throat.
"You're lying," I whisper. But the words feel hollow. I remember his blank stare earlier. Suddenly, it all makes sense.
How can someone be so cruel? Poor Azren.
"Am I?" She moves closer. I swing the lamp instinctively. She doesn't even flinch, she effortlessly catches the base mid-air with one hand.
I yank, but the bitch doesn't let go.
"Why didn't you just kill me?" I choke out. "If you hate me that much. Why drag this out?"
She tilts her head, her eyes switching from green to yellow and back again. I'm shaking from the fear that she could strike again.
"Where's the fun in that, little human?" she purrs. "I want to break you. Slowly. I want you to wake up every morning wondering if you're crazy. I want you to look at Azren and see doubt in his eyes. I want you to leave on your own, crawling, sobbing, and convinced you're the problem. That's the kind of ending that hurts forever."
She leans in until her lips nearly brush my ear.
"And when you're gone? When he's hollow again, screaming inside his own skull? He'll come back to me, like he always does."
I wrench the lamp out of her grip with a desperate jerk. She lets it go this time, stepping back with a soft laugh.
"You're a psycho," I spit, my voice shaking so hard the words almost don't come out.
Sabrina smiles. "And you're in my way."
She turns and glides toward the door like nothing happened.
"Sleep well, Noelle," she calls over her shoulder. "You'll need your strength. The real fun hasn't even started."
The door shuts behind her, and I drop the lamp. It clatters against the floor.
I wrap my arms around myself, shaking so hard that my teeth chatter.
What do I do? If she's strong enough to cast a spell on someone like Azren, she won't be an easy opponent.
Worse, his mind is wrapped around her finger so conveniently.
Judging from everything she said, she's obsessed with him. It has probably been going on for the longest time.
A pained whimper slips from my lips. Azren is all I've got. If I lose him, Haden will undoubtedly take me back. The thought has me breaking out in a cold sweat.
I don't belong here. I never did.
But I just can't give up. I can't. If I did, all of my efforts so far would be in vain.
I bite my lower lip, gripping my hair. I only have two options. Seduce Azren or provoke him. If I have control over his body, if he's unable to hold back...if I can please him so well...maybe, maybe he'll be on my side. And if that doesn't work, I'll provoke him. From what I've learnt so far, he can't stand his father. So if I go to his dad for help, he'll get all possessive, won't he?
My stomach tightens at the thought of it.
I can't believe these are my options. But they will have to do. I must fight. I'm only human, but I'm also stubborn as hell.
I can go mad too. Whatever it takes. I just have to plan meticulously.
Suddenly, a sharp cramp stabs at my stomach. I double over, biting my lower lip.
Shit.
Am I really carrying Haden’s spawn after all? My periods were never this painful.
Tears well up in my eyes, streaming down my cheeks. Damnit, the last thing I need is a complication.
The pain in my stomach worsens until I’m whimpering softly, clutching at my belly. I lose track of time for a bit, yearning for Azren.
I need him so bad.
I sit up slowly, thinking about going to talk to him. If I try, maybe it could work?
Letting out a sigh, I ease out of bed only to freeze when I see the light red stain on the sheets. Blood?
I’m on my period?!
My knees nearly buckle from the realization. I’ve never been so happy to welcome the old friend whom I detest. I’m so relieved, I’m on the verge of going to the rooftop to shout at the top of my lungs and tell everyone that I’m not pregnant after all.
I bet that would earn me awkward reactions.
I sniffle with a smile, wiping my tears away.
I need tampons, ugh! I can’t exactly ask that bitch for help. Do I really have to go ask Azren?
Biting my lower lip, I grab the blanket and tie it around my waist, carefully hiding the stain. I have to move very fast and make sure this will hold steady.
This is so embarrassing.
Steeling my resolve, I march out of my room and head down the hallway. My heart pounds harder with every step. I can feel the blood flow increasing, and it’s freaking me out. My chest is heaving, heat creeping up my face. I can’t believe I’m doing this!
When I finally arrive at the door, panting, I lift a hand to knock on the door, only to pause. What if he turns me down? What if he refuses to hear me out at all because of the spell?
Panic-stricken, I fling the door open. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for the jaw-dropping sight that greeted me.
Sabrina and my husband. Utterly naked. Pressed against each other like a bloody sandwich. Oh hell no.
I see RED.
The bitch is scheming again, I just know it. Gritting my teeth, I storm towards the both of them.
Azren moves her off him, his lips already parting to give me an explanation. But the thing is, I don’t need an explanation!
Without warning, I lift my hand and slap her across the face as hard as I can. The silence that follows is deafening.