Chapter 2

2

For two whole days, I was forced to watch Jasper Garrison and Seraphina Blair act like a pair of lovebirds.

My initial rage slowly turned into a hollow numbness.

I learned that the high-and-mighty Jasper could actually humble himself to wash clothes and even scrub Seraphina's feet.

It made me realize that for five years, I had been nothing but a clown.

Suddenly, the hospital room door was kicked open with a bang.

Hazel Montague rushed in, her face dark and her eyes burning with a murderous red.

She went straight for Jasper, grabbing him by the collar and pinning him against the wall.

"Lyra died such a brutal death, and you're here playing house with your little girlfriend!"

"Come with me! Lyra is still waiting for you!"

Hazel was my only true best friend.

She had always despised Jasper.

She thought any man would be better than him and had begged me to divorce him a thousand times.

Hazel pulled his wrist, trying to drag him out.

Jasper struggled and finally managed to break free. He raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.

"Are you insane? Whether she's dead or alive has nothing to do with me! Tell her to drop dead somewhere else!"

"I'm sick of her. Tell her to get lost!"

My world spun, and a loud ringing filled my ears. I clenched my fists so hard they shook.

"What the hell did you just say!"

Hazel's eyes were bloodshot, the veins on her forehead bulging. She let out a roar.

"Repeat that! Say it one more time!"

"This is a hospital! Who gave you the right to―"

Seraphina had barely stepped out of bed to play the hero when Hazel kicked her straight into the wall.

"I've hated your guts for years! Lyra's death is on your hands too!"

Hazel was pure fury. She grabbed Seraphina's head and slammed it against the wall.

The "delicate" Seraphina stood no chance against Hazel's rage.

"You stole another woman's husband! You fake little brat! I'm going to make you pay for everything Lyra suffered―"

Hazel's voice suddenly cut off. Her body swayed, and she collapsed backward.

Blood began to trickle from her forehead onto the floor.

"Jasper Garrison!"

I watched in shock as Jasper dropped the heavy crystal ashtray he had used to hit her.

He rushed over to support Seraphina, who now had a bruised and swollen forehead.

"Seraphina, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Jasper, your wife is dead! Do you even have a heart? The woman next to you is a murderer!"

Hazel clutched her head and screamed, her eyes filled with raw hatred.

I caught a fleeting glimpse of panic and guilt in Seraphina's eyes.

Jasper turned a cold, piercing gaze toward Hazel.

"Don't think I won't touch you just because Lyra usually protects you."

"My patience is gone. She's the reason Seraphina's hand is injured. Seraphina might never be able to perform surgery again."

"If Lyra has any conscience left, she'll get back here now, crawl on her knees, and beg Seraphina for forgiveness."

"Then we'll discuss how she's going to lure out that killer again."

"If she keeps hiding, I'll assume she's dead. I'll stop all her mother's medical payments immediately."

"That useless woman isn't spending another dime of my money!"

Blood continued to drip down Hazel's face. She stared at Jasper with a look of pure, unadulterated loathing.

She knew better than anyone how much I had worshipped Jasper all those years.

She knew I had traded my dignity for him.

Neither she nor I could have imagined he would ever be this cruel.

A chill ran through my soul.

All these years, I was just a gold-digger to him. A parasite.

How pathetic.

Hazel closed her eyes, her body trembling violently. It took her a long time to speak.

"Jasper, I'm begging you. Just come with me. Lyra really is dead."

"She died in that alley. That maniac stabbed her twenty times! Do you hear me? Twenty times!"

"Every cut hit bone. They even took her internal organs…"

Hazel's pride vanished in a second. She looked at him with pleading eyes, her voice cracking.

I turned my head away, unable to look. My heart was a mess of grief and regret.

My friend shouldn't have to suffer this for me.

Jasper showed a moment of hesitation. But then, Seraphina let out a sharp cry of pain.

"Ah!"

Jasper's expression shifted instantly. He looked down at her hand with frantic concern.

Seraphina gave him a weak, trembling smile. "It's nothing, really."

When Jasper looked back at Hazel, his eyes were like ice. "Since you two want to play games, tell her to come back and sign the divorce papers."

He called for the guards outside the door.

"Teach her a lesson and throw her out. Don't let her anywhere near this room again!"

Following his orders, the guards began to kick and punch Hazel.

She tried to fight back, but she was outnumbered. She curled into a ball, protecting her head.

"Jasper Garrison! You'll regret this! Lyra is dead! If you want a divorce, go find her in hell!"

"I'll be waiting for the day you crawl to her grave and beg!"

As I watched Hazel being dragged away, I wanted to laugh.

I laughed at my own stupidity. I laughed at the man I had loved for so long.

I laughed at my own delusions.