After finishing her soup, Eulalia reclined on her bed, twirling her spoon aimlessly. Her mind was too restless for sleep, so she decided that talking was the lesser of two evils.
“Where is Cassius now?” she finally asked, her voice tinged with boredom.
“Handled,” Percival responded. His voice was devoid of emotion, but his eyes betrayed a chill when he mentioned Cassius. He had been hoping that Eulalia would be the one to bring up the ‘indenture contract’ they’d signed, but all he got in return was an indifferent ‘Oh’ from her. Realizing she wasn’t going to say more, he decided to continue.
“I tore up that contract you signed. Cassius won’t come sniffing around you anymore. Your brother won’t be in trouble either,” Percival offered, trying to gauge her reaction.
Her face changed instantly. “Whether he’s in trouble or not has absolutely nothing to do with me at
Eulalia frowned, her mind a whirlpool of anxiety. Percival must’ve thought of all this already. If the video she had couldn’t make a dent, she had no clue how she’d win this case.Everyone knew Percival was cheating, but when it came to evidence, she had nothing concrete—no intimate photos or videos of him with Evadne.And Percival’s feelings for Evadne? Totally unreadable. If he really loved her, why wouldn’t he give her a proper title?“Ms. Clearwater, there’s no such thing as a guaranteed win in court,” the lawyer paused, adding, “And keep in mind, Percival might try to bribe the judge.”Given Percival’s standing in Windwatch, it was entirely possible. Percival’s M.O. was never to fight a battle he wasn’t sure he’d win.Eulalia felt her spirits sink further. She had already braced for the worst. “What if I just... crash headfirst in the courtroom if the judge rules against the divorce?” she croaked, sipping her bitter coffee.The lawyer looked stunned. “Well, that’s... extreme.”He
“Next Wednesday is my divorce hearing with Percival. I need you to testify for me,” Eulalia got straight to the point.With just that one sentence, Eulalia had spent an entire afternoon contemplating. The idea of asking Evadne to testify that Percival had been cheating with her was almost laughable.“Testify about what?” Evadne asked.“To prove that Percival has been with you for the past four years.”“So you want me to testify that Percy cheated on you?”“Yep.”“Eulalia, are you out of your mind?” Evadne finally snapped. Asking her to testify about Percival’s infidelity was like announcing to the world that she was the other woman.Eulalia tried to reason with her, “Don’t you want to marry Percival? If you help me, you’ll be the next in line once we’re divorced.”“Eulalia, are you here to rub it in my face?”Eulalia was taken aback. She was being honest and actually trying to negotiate, but now it sounded like she was bragging?“I’m not rubbing anything in your face. I genuinely want
“So, I was just guessing, but now that you’ve confirmed it... Do you know what happened to Cassius the night he was rushed to the hospital?” Sarah’s cherubic face broke into a slight smile as if she found something amusing. Yet, the words coming out of her mouth sent chills down one’s spine.“He was covered in blood, slashed all over...” Sarah’s eyes sparkled as she recounted the gruesome details, her smile deepening. She was practically acting it out.“Stop, just stop. You’re making me nauseous,” Eulalia interrupted.Sarah’s lips tightened, and after a few seconds, her excitement faded, replaced by her usual aloof demeanor.Eulalia immediately suspected Percival was behind Cassius’s ordeal. The thought of his ruthless methods made her face stiffen.“You look pale. Scared much?” Sarah nudged Eulalia’s shoulder.“Must be the cold,” Eulalia touched her icy face, her hand trembling.“Want to take some meds?” Sarah offered, getting up to fetch a cup of warm water.Eulalia read the instruc
Eulalia found herself running dangerously low on funds. Sarah, sensing her friend’s financial strain, cautiously broached the subject, “Do you want to visit him after the surgery is done?”“No, I’d rather not,” Eulalia responded, her voice tinged with a sadness she couldn’t quite mask. “Of all the people Benedict would want to see right now, I’m probably at the bottom of that list.”She paused, contemplating her next words carefully. “People are at their most vulnerable right after surgery. The last thing I want to do is add more stress to his already fragile state.”“Could you arrange for a dedicated nurse to look after him? As for the medical expenses, I won’t be covering those. Benedict got ten million from Cassius just last week. He should be fine.”“But if he does run out of money,” she added, almost as an afterthought, “give me a call.”
Percival shot Oliver a glance, his eyes icy and unreadable. Oliver met his gaze and felt a shiver run down his spine. He tightened his shoulders, trying to shake off the unease. “Do you think we should explain things to Eulalia?” he ventured, attempting to change the subject.“Explain what?” Percival’s voice was as cold as his gaze.“That you didn’t actually chop off her brother’s hand, obviously,” Oliver replied, his voice tinged with nervousness.Percival squinted, his eyes narrowing. “She’s already convinced that I did it. What good would explaining do?” He paused, reflecting on his own actions. “I guess I’ve brought this upon myself. If I hadn’t been using her brother Benedict as a threat against her all this time, she wouldn’t have jumped to such conclusions.”Oliver nodded, sensing the weight of Percival’s regret. “Why don’t you have someone investigate who actually did it?”“Alright, I’ll get on it,” Oliver said, preparing to leave the room.“Wait,” Percival interrupted, his fa
“He’s got a wife at home but still plays the field? And that’s not enough, he wants his wife to legally transfer their child to his mistress?”Percival’s gaze remained steady, unfazed. He had anticipated that Eulalia would release this video.His eyes deepened, intrigued, as he glanced at Eulalia. “What does a video prove? It was a heated moment, and the woman beside me is just my sister—my mom’s goddaughter. If the judge doesn’t believe me, she can testify herself. I’ve brought her here.”Eulalia’s breathing became labored, as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Her face paled under the lights. She hadn’t expected Percival to bring Evadne to court to testify that he hadn’t cheated, let alone use the excuse of a “god-sister.”All eyes turned to a secluded corner where Evadne stood up, her voice hoarse: “Yes, there’s nothing inappropriate
Killing a person is nothing but the execution of the heart, and Percival’s goal was to make her watch as the people by her side betrayed her one by one, abandoned her, and discarded her.Percival relished the thought of her stepping deeper into quagmires, struggling for her last breaths, and finally being dragged into the endless abyss of hell.From start to finish, she was the sole tragic character in a farce that played out thoroughly.The judge finally withdrew Eulalia’s appeal, advising her to stay with Percival and take care of her health.How could she possibly recover? A tumultuous surge of blood and breath choked her throat, Eulalia unable to discern if it was her heart aching or her stomach that hurt more.The judge’s retraction of the divorce was expected by Percival but not by Eulalia.No one anticipated that Percival could be so ruthless, countering move for move with traps more lethal than the last, like heavy shackles on Eulalia that she could not avoid. From the very be
People who don’t listen need to be tied up like dogs.Percival had truly seen Eulalia as a person before, wanting to treat her well, but she didn’t appreciate it, insisting on defying and challenging his limits.He had said that if she insisted on divorcing him and failed, she would have to bear the consequences.Percival picked up the iron chain from the bed, a pinky-thick and quite heavy one that Eulalia couldn’t break no matter how hard she struggled—unless she cut off her own foot.Percival pursed his lips slightly, a sinister glint passing through his eyes. He was a man of his word; locking up Eulalia wasn’t just talk.Eulalia was too disobedient. To tame her, he had to use the most brutal methods—whatever worked best to grind down her rebellious spirit.After cleaning the room and finishing her IV drip, Percival carried Eulalia in his arms to the third floor via the elevator and carefully placed her on the bed, then tethered the chain to her ankle....When Eulalia woke up, it w