Chapter 4

Yvonne had always loved showing off. Within just a short while, her WhatsApp Stories were already flooding with updates.

Meanwhile, Hugh sent me a voice message every half hour, reminding me to rest.

I replied with a simple, "I'm asleep."

Sitting in a cozy corner of The Orangery Café near Hyde Park, I scrolled through my phone. The elegant script on the screen betrayed the filthiest of intentions.

"The first time I met Jane, she was timid, weak, and plain. She—she's no match for me."

"I've loved Hugh for so many years, and yet he fell for that wretched Jane! What does she have that I don't?"

"I hired someone to drug her, hoping to ruin her. But the next morning, it was Hugh who appeared on that bed instead. I can't believe I pushed them together with my own hands!"

The decorative charm on my phone had shattered at some point, its sharp edges cutting into my palm. The metallic scent of blood filled the air.

"I wasn't ready to give up. At Hugh's bachelor party, I got him drunk. Pretending to be Jane, I clung to him all night. Even at the height of passion, he called out for her. I couldn't stand it!"

"But that night, luck was on my side—I got pregnant. And so did Jane. I was going to give her the surprise of her life."

"That wretched woman doesn't deserve my Hugh. He belongs only to me!"

Outside the café window, fireworks lit up the night sky, their brilliance unable to pierce the desolation within me.

"After nine months, I came back! I met Hugh alone. We both knew Jane had a childhood sweetheart, Liam Sinclair. If it weren't for that drugging incident, she might have ended up with him. But she ended up in bed with Hugh instead. And Hugh? Somewhere along the line, he heard that a woman's first time should involve blood. That scumbag—he values virgins. It's laughable. Their first time didn't even happen. Hugh always doubted her, convinced she'd already been with Liam. Fate must have been on my side because he believed it! He thought the child in her belly wasn't his, but Liam's! Haha, love really can't withstand a little poison..."

Midnight struck. The Ferris wheel must have reached its peak by now, with their happy little family of three basking in the view.

"I kept provoking Hugh recently. He finally decided to make a move against her. But he couldn't bear to go through with it fully. All he wanted was to get rid of the baby inside her! Of course, I wouldn't let that happen. After the car accident, I bribed the doctor and convinced Hugh to have her uterus removed! And the cherry on top? She went blind!"

"The Harrington family wanted another child, and I handed them one on a silver platter! Even Jane's parents were so disappointed in her that they turned a blind eye. Haha... Holding my enemy's child in my arms—what a thrill!"

"So what if I can't have Hugh's heart? Everything he has will be mine eventually. Sooner or later, it will all fall into my hands. Just like back then, when I fooled those foolish parents of ours with just a few words! If I could ruin her once, I can ruin her again. In a few years, I'll make sure she dies in an 'accident,' without anyone suspecting a thing."

"It's so convenient that she's blind now! I seduced Hugh in their living room, their kitchen, even their bed. Sometimes, she was right there, and we would kiss and make love as if she didn't exist. That lifeless Jane—how could she ever satisfy Hugh? He's mine. He's always been mine!"

"This is the price you pay for taking what's mine, Jane!"

"The thrill of adultery is simply intoxicating..."

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Digging up evidence from back then was nearly impossible. But provoking her? That was child's play. Tell me, if the Ferris wheel at the peak of its arc suddenly plummeted, shattering into pieces, would it be poetic justice?

The pain in my palm paled in comparison to the searing hatred in my heart. I opened the dial pad on my phone. Once, I thought I'd never contact this number again.

"Hello?"

I didn't speak for a long time.

"Say something!" The voice on the other end grew impatient, then hesitated before speaking again. "Jane?"

There was an unsteady tremor in his voice. Finally, I spoke hoarsely. "I need your help."

Liam Sinclair. The one man Hugh had always feared. In our youth, Liam's mere existence made Hugh jealous. Now, with Liam's wealth and power, Hugh could hardly compare.

A soft chuckle came from the other end. "At last, you've come to me, Jane. Whatever you need, I'll move heaven and earth to make it happen."

I pressed my lips tightly together. "Good. I want two people to live out the rest of their lives in utter ruin."