Chapter 1 Confrontation
"God, what a mess! This book is total crap! Someone should pay me for this nonsense!" Cindy slammed the book shut in frustration and took an exaggerated bite of her hot dog bun, as if trying to chew away her irritation.
Out of nowhere, the bookshelf behind her rattled, making Cindy freeze. She glanced up, her heart skipping a beat, and let out a startled scream. Everything around her went black.
"Well, look who's finally awake!" Bernard Silva, the smug hospital president, sneered from the corner, his voice thick with mockery.
Cindy groaned, clutching her throbbing forehead and opening her eyes slowly. "Uh, my name's Cindy. You’ve got the wrong girl, buddy."
Bernard smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Oh, so now you’re pretending you don’t remember? Didn’t you call yourself a Wallace just a few days ago?"
Cindy’s expression darkened. His words hit her like a brick, and suddenly, everything made sense.
This was the plot. The whole damn story.
The fat, pompous guy standing in front of her? He was the head of the psychiatric hospital in the book. And her? She was Lynette, the female lead.
Lynette and Yuliana Wallace had been switched at birth. At seventeen, Lynette was finally brought back to the Wallace family, only to find Yuliana had already taken her place.
Her parents? Divorced. Her life? A dumpster fire. And those three stepbrothers? They acted like she didn’t even exist, throwing all their love at Yuliana as if she was the real Wallace.
Cindy—no, Lynette—closed her eyes, trying to chill out. Focus, she told herself. She could fix this. She could make the story less of a disaster.
The memories kept flooding in, and Lynette croaked, "Did you mess up my leg?"
The question caught Bernard off guard. For a second, he froze, then let out a harsh, humorless laugh.
"Are you kidding me? Still pretending to be a Wallace? Get a grip, girl."
As Bernard stepped forward, ready to grab her, Lynette slowly stood up, acting like the pain in her leg didn’t even exist anymore.
"Then you owe me a new one," she said with a smirk, her tone colder than an ice cube.
Her eyes—sharp, daring—glinted with something that sent an uncomfortable chill down Bernard’s spine. For a second, he thought he was in some twisted nightmare.
This wasn’t the shy, introverted Lynette he remembered. This was something completely different—something dangerous.
"So, which leg are you gonna give me as payment, Bernard?" she asked, her voice smooth but with a bite. It was like a sweet promise of death.
Bernard stumbled back, his cocky attitude faltering. His face went red with anger and humiliation. "You little bitch! How dare you talk to me like that? I’ll rip you apart!"
With a snarl, Bernard lunged at her, hands outstretched to silence her.
But Lynette wasn’t backing down. This time, she wasn’t running.
Chapter 2 I'm Not Exactly Myself
Lynette stepped aside right when Bernard tried to pounce on her.
Bernard's stout, clumsy body went flying forward, and he landed flat on his face, looking pathetic.
"What a good-for-nothing," Lynette muttered with a scornful glance and a soft, derisive laugh.
Then she walked over, bent down, and picked up the dagger Bernard had used to cut her clothes earlier.
Bernard was hurting all over from the fall. He still had that fierce look on his face when he saw Lynette fiddling with the dagger, and he got a cold sweat on the back of his neck.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Bernard's face was pure panic. He quickly realized what was happening and started shaking as he reached for his phone.
"Wanna find out whether help will get here faster, or my dagger will get to you faster?"
Lynette bent her knee a little, looking Bernard straight in the eye.
Her leg was still bleeding, but she didn't seem to care at all, like she was some kind of creature from hell.
Bernard was trembling all over, staring at the tip of the dagger in Lynette's hand, which was pointed right at his throat.
"L-Lynette! Murder is illegal!!"
When this jerk talked to Lynette about the law, her face showed a quick flash of scorn.
Then, she gave a lazy, soft chuckle. "But I'm not exactly myself right now."
Bernard went rigid when he heard that.
"M-Ms. Klein! I'm sorry. Please..."
Bernard's back was drenched in cold sweat, but before he could finish, he let out a painful scream.
After a bit, Lynette said, "I've decided. It's gonna be the third leg."
Her lips twitched into a smile, and her voice was cheerful but totally casual.
The dagger in her hand was covered in blood.
Bernard was clutching his crotch in agony, with a growing red stain, and his plump body was shaking.
After Lynette left, he finally managed to make a call with his trembling hand.
"Liana, Lynette is getting away! She's a psycho! You gotta get her!"
His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice dripped with bitter hatred.
***
The hospital was in chaos, with security guards searching everywhere.
"Did you find her yet? Don't let her get away!"
Nobody thought a young girl would actually mess up Bernard and then run off.
It was too crazy!
Downstairs, Lynette was hiding from the search.
She was holding her bleeding wound, her face pale. When she looked up, she saw it was rainy and gloomy outside.
She looked all messy, but she dropped her head and chuckled softly, wiping the blood off the dagger like it was no big deal.
Her eyes, usually so charming, now gleamed with a cold, ruthless look.
"Alright then, let's see how this goes."
All of a sudden, a howl came from somewhere.
Lynette turned her head and saw a familiar white figure running around in the rain.
"Doggie?"
The name of the only character she liked in the story popped into her mind, and she called it out without thinking. To her surprise, the figure actually stopped.
It seemed to be looking around for something, and then it spotted Lynette downstairs.
"Ooowww!" It let out an excited howl.
Lynette got a weird feeling in her gut.
Sure enough, the next thing she knew, the white Alaskan Malamute was sprinting towards her, howling like crazy.
Lynette didn't have time to dodge before she got tackled to the ground, and her whole body hurt from the impact.
The dog, drenched from head to toe, was rubbing up against her, its beady eyes brimming with happiness.
This was the Alaskan Malamute that Lynette had raised for years until it got beaten to death for biting Yuliana.
Lynette was trying not to yell at the dog, but she was still confused.
Suddenly, a voice full of excitement and surprise came from nearby.
"Mr. Beltran, we found it! Alask is over there!"
Hearing this, Lynette turned her head and saw some shadowy figures through the rain.
Chapter 3 Call Me Honey
Elwood Beltran stood tall, with long legs under his dress pants. As he approached, Lynette got a good look at his face.
His features were sharp and cool, with a bit of a lazy vibe. His light-colored eyes seemed to push people away, but the way they tilted up at the ends was oddly captivating.
Right now, he was staring right at Lynette without blinking.
"Look! She's over there!"
Suddenly, some burly guys with batons came running over, looking fierce.
But when they saw Elwood standing in front of Lynette, they stopped in their tracks.
Elwood looked relaxed, and just by standing there, he made everyone around him feel a bit intimidated.
"Sir, this is a patient who had an episode in our hospital. If there's nothing else, I'll take her away."
One of the security guards stepped forward, looking pretty anxious.
Lynette glanced up and said, "Sir, could you call the police? This hospital has been sexually assaulting underage patients."
She had no recollection of anyone here called "Mr. Beltran."
At this point, if Elwood helped her call the police, that'd be the easiest way to solve things.
But if they were all in on it...
A quick flash of suspicion crossed Lynette's eyes as she tightened her grip on the dagger in her hand.
"Sir, she's a psycho! Don't listen to her crap!"
The guard's face showed a moment of panic as he quickly said, "Get her out of here!"
Lynette was gripping the dagger, waiting for the guards to come closer, but then Elwood suddenly stepped right in front of her.
"Sir, you..."
The guard's heart tightened. He was about to stop Elwood, but Elwood's assistant Frederic Crawford blocked him.
Lynette lifted her head and found herself locking eyes with Elwood's cold gaze.
"Sir, this hospital..."
"Don't call me that."
Elwood grinned, then suddenly pointed his long, well-defined index finger and tapped it on Lynette's forehead. His voice was clear and had a playful, teasing tone.
"Call me honey."
The word "honey" in his deep, low voice sounded more like some kind of flirtatious come-on.
And the warmth of his fingertip on Lynette's forehead left her dazed for a second before she finally realized he was hitting on her.
Frederic spun around, his face a picture of disbelief.
What the heck got into Elwood?!
He had been cool and standoffish for over twenty years, and now he was flirting with a patient in a mental hospital?!
But this girl was way too weird.
Her face was smeared with colors. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was a carnival clown.
"Honey, can you take me away?"
Lynette's lips curled into a flirty smile, her eyes clear and captivating.
But she squeezed the dagger in her hand tighter.
Elwood narrowed his eyes, looking aloof and unapproachable. Before Lynette could react, he yanked the dagger right out of her hand.
"What a bold girl," he thought to himself.
Lynette suddenly stared hard at Elwood squatting in front of her. "You..."
"Frederic, call the cops," Elwood said calmly.
The guard started freaking out.
"Sir, you actually believe a lunatic?!"
Just as he finished, sirens blared from the entrance.
"What's going on?!" someone shouted, panicked.
Frederic hadn't called the police yet.
Everyone in the hospital looked like deer in the headlights, and everything turned into total chaos.
"Frederic, take the dog back."
Frederic nodded and tried to grab the leash, but Alask suddenly growled at him, giving him a scare.
"Doggie, come here."
Hearing Lynette's voice, Alask trotted over and nuzzled her.
Its eyes were bright, and it rolled onto its back on her legs, wanting her to scratch its belly.
Seeing this, Frederic got it right away.
Alask Timothy Beltran found wasn't a stray. It was this girl's pet.
Lynette suddenly chuckled, her voice bold and playful. "Don't steal my dog. How about you take me instead?"
Chapter 4 Going Home
For some reason, the atmosphere got tense, and the bodyguards nearby were holding their breath.
Lynette made it sound like Elwood was a criminal.
The next moment, they were even more shocked.
After tossing the dagger into the trash, Elwood drawled, "Frederic, make sure to flatten this plot of land."
"Oh... Got it!" Frederic quickly agreed.
When others heard this, they looked stunned and got a chill down their backs.
Oh no!
They had crossed the wrong person!
Lynette had a weird feeling that once the hospital was taken care of, she might be next.
Just as she was about to look up, she was enveloped by a cool, refreshing yet distinctly overpowering scent.
And then, before she could even think, her head was spinning, and she landed right into Elwood's warm embrace.
Through his thin shirt, she could feel the heat and his heartbeat, and it made her blush.
Lynette's face changed, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Elwood's neck, like she was afraid of falling.
This reaction made Elwood kind of happy.
After a bit, Lynette heard Elwood's deep, smooth voice, all teasing and flirtatious.
"Relax. I can hold you just fine."
"What are you doing?" Lynette's smile disappeared.
The moment she saw Elwood, she felt he was way too dangerous to mess with. But she didn't expect he'd be so unpredictable.
"Didn't you want to go home with me?"
Elwood looked totally relaxed, motioning for Lynette to take the umbrella before he carried her off.
This whole scene left Frederic and the bodyguards staring in shock.
What was Elwood up to?!
Was he seriously taking Lynette home?
However, just as Elwood got to the door, he heard someone blowing a fuse.
"Where is Lynette?! I'm telling you, if you can't find her, you guys are gonna be in jail for life!"
Hearing the voice, Lynette turned her head and saw Jerrod Wallace's fierce expression.
With his silver-gray dyed hair and good looks, Lynette guessed from the novel's description that this was her third stepbrother.
He was a top esports player who had just won the world championship and returned home in glory.
Jerrod didn't have time to hide his anger when he saw Lynette looking at him coldly.
"Ly-"
Jerrod's throat went dry. Before he could get the words out, Lynette saw a guy who looked like Jerrod and a cute girl not far away.
Lynette snorted, "Those who shouldn't have shown up are all here."
All?
Jerrod was confused, but then he saw his eldest brother Collin Wallace and Yuliana rushing over.
"Honey, didn't you say you'd take me home?"
Lynette's lips twitched into a smile, and right in front of Jerrod, she affectionately leaned in close to Elwood's ear.
Jerrod was stunned.
This was all wrong!
Shouldn't Lynette be running up to him and asking for a hug?!
Why was this guy, out of nowhere, hugging Lynette and getting called "honey" in such a sweet way?
Why was this going so differently from the last life?
Did Jerrod come back too early in this life or something?
As he watched Lynette in Elwood's arms, his eyes turned a bit red, and he clenched his fists without even realizing it.
He'd never held Lynette like that before.
But when Lynette saw his expression, she thought he was going to make some snide comment again.
So she turned her face away and ignored him.
This made Jerrod feel like everything was falling apart.
What was wrong with Lynette?!
"Jerrod, is Lynette okay?"
Suddenly, a soft and girlish voice piped up.
Lynette scrunched up her brow without thinking.
Right then, Elwood, who was holding her, started walking away.
The people who came over didn't even get a good look at him, let alone know he was the CEO of the Beltran Group.
"Ne-"
Before Jerrod could say anything, Yuliana grabbed his hand. "Forget it. She's trying to get your attention."
Chapter 5 I'll Give You My Brother
"But seriously, she has no idea how to behave. You just got back to the country, and she's already stressing you out. Does she really need to compete for attention like this?"
Seeing the scornful and spoiled look on Yuliana's face, Jerrod clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.
In his last life, their family treated Yuliana like a princess and completely ignored Lynette. Later, they got on the wrong side of some powerful people and ended up with their family destroyed and everyone dead.
But the most ironic thing was that Yuliana, who they treated like their own sister, turned against them and became friends with their enemies. She even convinced Collin to accept the girl who would ruin the Wallace family.
Meanwhile, Lynette, who was never loved or cared for, quietly stepped up and took care of them, making them regret their mistakes.
Jerrod took a deep breath and asked, "Why are you here?"
Yuliana bit her lip and replied, "The hospital president is my dad. I heard that Lynette hurt him."
She thought for sure that Jerrod would comfort her like he always did and tell Collin to get rid of Lynette.
But this time, after getting a second chance in life, Jerrod didn't want to waste any breath on Yuliana. All he could think about was that Lynette might be running off with some other guy.
He said impatiently, "Go take care of him yourself!"
Yuliana was stunned. She didn't expect Jerrod to talk to her like that.
"Jerrod..." she started, but before she could finish, Jerrod had rushed off in the direction where Lynette had gone.
But she was already out of sight.
In the car.
"Alask!"
As Lynette got into the car, she noticed a cute boy next to her, wearing a vest and shirt. His delicate features bore a slight resemblance to Elwood sitting opposite her.
"Take a last look at it."
Elwood was wiping his wrist, not really paying attention.
"Why? Alask, what's wrong with you?!"
Timothy's voice was whiny and babyish, holding the wet Alask and looking heartbroken.
"Mr. Timothy, Alask is this lady's pet."
Seeing Timothy's eyes get red from crying, Frederic felt bad and said softly.
Hearing this, Timothy abruptly lifted his head and stared at Lynette without blinking.
When Lynette was wondering if Timothy might be Elwood's son, he said something that surprised her.
"Miss, I'll give you my brother. Don't take Alask away, okay?"
Timothy sniffed back some tears.
Lynette was speechless.
Were dogs worth more than people now?
The air was thick with awkwardness.
Frederic was getting nervous, thinking that Elwood might throw Timothy out of the car.
The CEO of the Beltran Group being traded for a pet?!
"Say that again and see what happens."
Elwood casually glanced at Timothy.
His grandma nagged him to find a girlfriend, or he wouldn't be out here looking for Alask.
Timothy clung to Alask, his eyes welling up with tears.
His brother didn't care about him at all.
After a while, Timothy caught a glimpse of Lynette and looked up at her. "Miss, I'll go with you too."
He'd follow wherever Alask went.
Before Lynette could say anything, Elwood said coldly, "Frederic, stop the car. Take him back to my parents' place."
Timothy couldn't believe it. "You're so mean!"
Elwood snickered and said slowly, "Two more grammar classes every week."
Seeing how sad Timothy looked, Lynette smiled a little and patted Alask's head.
"Stay with the kid for a few more days. I'll come back for you."
Alask rubbed against Lynette, reluctant to leave. It glanced at the eager little boy, then followed along.
Only Elwood and Lynette were left in the car.
Elwood asked calmly, "Do you really want to go with me?"
Chapter 6 You Must Finish Fast
Lynette looked defensive when Elwood first met her. He was indeed intrigued to tease her.
But somehow, as she turned her face coldly and ignored her family, he took her away on the spur of the moment.
He had barely been that impulsive.
"You can drop me off if you're busy."
Lynette looked innocent but it could tell that she was wild and unruly.
In her eyes, she had owed Elwood a favor since he took her away. So, she didn't want to cause him more trouble.
"You've run away from home. I should be responsible for you."
Elwood's voice was deep and lazy.
Lynette's heart skipped a beat instantly.
"How can this man not be the male lead?
"Why does Jayson get to be the male lead? Is it because he's eccentric enough?" she wondered.
Suddenly, Lynette was carried in Elwood's arms before she could come to her senses.
She subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck.
Lynette's face fell especially when she glimpsed Elwood's smile.
She said with a snicker, "You must finish fast."
What she meant was that Elwood must be dumped quickly in a relationship.
However, to her shock, he replied casually, "Fast for other men, not me."
Lynette was speechless.
In a hotel's presidential suite.
Lynette was placed on the sofa.
She looked around only to find the rose petals in a heart shape on the bed nearby.
"Put on this first."
Elwood walked over and tossed the bathrobe to Lynette before sitting aside.
When he turned around, he found Lynette staring at the bathrobe in her hands.
Shortly, she looked at him significantly.
Then, Elwood chuckled and leaned forward, approaching her.
He said in a husky voice, "If I were a bad guy, you would be sitting on my thighs instead of on the sofa."
After saying that, he was about to call the room service when someone knocked on the door.
"Mr. Beltran, Mrs. Beltran sent me to bring you some food as she heard you hadn't had supper yet."
Hearing that, even Lynette raised her eyebrows.
Didn't this fancy hotel provide dinner?
Obviously, the man came with an ulterior motive.
"Do you need me to go to the bathroom?" Lynette asked sensibly.
After all, it was Elwood's grandmother's arrangement out of kindness.
Yet, Elwood looked at her with a half-smile.
"You could be my daughter if you were a bit younger."
Lynette's eyes twitched.
She figured that Elwood was four or five years older than her at most.
Out of the corner of his eye, Elwood noticed that her clothes were wet. "Are you gonna take a shower?"
Lynette found herself a bit dirty and thought Elwood was displeased.
"OK."
She nodded and walked into the bathroom slowly.
"Mr. Beltran, are you there?"
Despite the constant knocking on the door, Elwood took out a cigarette and lit it leisurely.
He bit the cigarette between his lips and leaned against the sofa with a poker face.
Chapter 7 Confrontation
Elwood didn't come to himself until the door of the bathroom swung open.
He stubbed out the cigarette and lifted his eyes.
As Lynette came to his sight, his breath stalled.
The robe showed off her figure perfectly, her legs left uncovered as she moved.
There was a daring arrogance in her eyes, but beneath them flickered a light so bright, so disarmingly innocent.
It was like as long as she acted innocent, no one could bear to reprimand her if she did anything wrong.
"Are you going to take a shower?"
Wiping her hair, Lynette was satisfied with her look. When she turned her head, she noticed that Elwood's trousers had got wet too.
"Hmm."
Elwood looked away from her and replied aloofly, "Don't let anyone in. There will be a female hotel worker coming over later."
Lynette took a glance at him. "OK, thanks."
Before she was reborn, she had met quite some remarkable men who were usually distant from women, but none of them rejected a woman in such a straightforward way like Elwood did.
Lynette even started to suspect that he might have bled for love before.
Shortly, she perished the thought.
She was already picky about men, but even she had to admit—Elwood was exactly her type.
He was right up her alley.
Before Lynette could think further about that, the door was opened.
She turned around only to see a female hotel worker walk in, followed by a nicely dressed-up woman wearing high heels.
"Ma'am, I'll get out of your hair then..."
The hotel worker's eyes flickered. She put the clothes on the table and left the room.
As the door was closed, the intruder asked grumpily, "Who are you?"
"Hmm?"
Lynette turned her head to the side, her pretty features almost languid, as if she'd just been pleasured.
The woman clenched her fists.
"I thought Mr. Beltran was aloof from women.
"What's this girl doing here?" she wondered.
She was overjoyed when she was picked by Mrs. Beltran among so many ladies.
Now she was burning with anger. She believed that Lynette had got in her way!
"Do you know who I am?"
She held back her rage. If Elwood weren't in this suite too, she would surely slap Lynette in the face.
"No idea."
Lynette didn't feel like talking, her eyes closed.
However, the woman felt that Lynette was showing off, especially in this case.
Lynette leaned against the sofa with a drowsy expression drowsy as if she had been thoroughly loved in bed.
"Shameless!"
The woman bit her teeth and then forced a smile. "Do you know how old you are?
"That's my boyfriend. Getting a room with a man who has already had a girlfriend..."
Lynette looked at her before the woman finished her words.
She would fall for this woman's words if it weren't for Elwood.
"So what do you wanna say?" Lynette asked.
"Do you know what kind of woman a man likes? A girl is different from a woman."
While taking out a few dollars from her purse, the woman said with a smile, "Mr... His fascination with you won't last long. You..."
Before she finished her sentence, Lynette stood up.
Lynette untied her robe, showing no regard for the woman.
Then, the bathrobe dropped to the ground, showing Lynette's body in front of the woman.
The woman felt as if being slapped in the face. She wanted to humiliate Lynette with money.
Lynette chuckled and her eyes curved into crescents.
She said slowly, "He's so good."
"You..."
The woman's eyes widened. She was extremely embarrassed as she watched Lynette get changed!
Chapter 8 Troublemaker
"Are you gonna strip yourself?" Lynette sneered.
The woman bit her lower lip and stormed out of the room.
It wasn't that she didn't dare to strip herself. It was just that her love rival had a great body. There was no way she could compete with that.
After the woman left, Lynette got changed and began applying mercurochrome to her wound.
Several minutes later, Elwood came out of the bathroom.
The perfume in the air was still pungent.
"Was someone here?" The look in his eyes intensified.
"Yes. She left."
After addressing her wound, she said slowly with a smile, "I guess your grandma will demand an explanation when you get home."
The way she bandaged her wound was strange. Elwood stood before her. For the first time, he deigned to bandage someone else's wound.
"I knew you'd cause trouble."
In Elwood's eyes, she looked like a troublemaker.
Lynette didn't see that coming.
Suddenly, she regretted not telling the woman the door to the bathroom was open.
"What's your name?"
Elwood bandaged her wound skillfully and well.
"Lynette Klein."
Smiling, Elwood looked at her languidly.
"I'm Elwood Beltran. I'll give you my number later. Good night."
Lynette barely slept that night.
When she woke up the next morning, there was a note on the coffee table.
The handwriting was done with strong strokes.
Hundreds of dollars were placed on the note.
Now, she owed him not only a favor but money.
Considering her situation, it wouldn't be easy for her to pay him back.
After leaving the hotel, Lynette went to the Wallace's house in a cab, although she didn't want to.
At the Wallace's villa.
In a plain white T-shirt, the handsome Jerrod was smoking on the couch.
He looked irritable and rueful.
The day before, he was busy talking to Yuliana and let Lynette go with another man.
In his previous life, the hospital was exposed only because a big shot's daughter died. When Lynette ran away, she had been severely tormented and had become eccentric.
Something she had said before Jerrod was reborn occurred to him. "I don't wanna be your family anymore in the next lifetime." The thought of this made Jerrod's hand shake.
The ashes burned his hand. He subconsciously looked up with pain.
Lynette happened to come in. Their eyes met.
She used to dress herself strangely and wear funny makeup. But today, in a red dress accentuating her fair skin, and her black hair cascading down, she looked stunning.
Her eyes were slightly red, probably due to a bad night's sleep, but they were as charming as ever.
Jerrod clenched his fists. His eyes became moist. He had almost forgotten how attractive Lynette was.
Before the bankruptcy, he knew nothing about Lynette. After he was broke, he learned she was gorgeous. But he couldn't even afford lipstick. He could only watch her do three jobs and wear shabby clothes.
"Ly-"
"Jerrod, there's too much sunshine in my music room. You promised you'd make Lynette give me her bedroom. There's no difference, anyway."
Yuliana was spoiled. She interrupted Jerrod with a smile and shook his arm.
Jerrod was taken aback.
He made that brutal promise?
Before he could speak, Lynette responded, "No problem. I'm gonna live in the dorm, anyway."
Only then did Yuliana notice the person beside her. Her eyes widened.
This woman was Lynette?
Impossible! When was Lynette so beautiful?!
"Will you get used to it?"
Jerrod's voice was hoarse, his tone unnatural.
Yuliana was dumbstruck by his words. Didn't Jerrod hate Lynette and find her repulsive?
Or was he afraid she'd annoy him even more if she didn't like the dorm and moved back?
Yuliana was very much relieved at the thought.
"Jerrod, Lynette will adapt to it."
Chapter 9 Change
Jerrod was about to say something, but Lynette already went upstairs.
He sensed she had been distant to him after leaving the hospital.
Pressing his lips together, he made his way toward the stairs, but Yuliana grabbed his arm.
"Jerrod, where are you going?"
Inexplicably, Yuliana felt uneasy. Collin and Jerrod hadn't been themselves lately. They had become lukewarm to her.
Usually, when she was upset, they'd mollify her.
"I'm gonna help Lynette tidy her room."
With a frown, Jerrod took Yuliana's hand off his arm.
He wore a frosty expression, seemingly disgusted by physical contact with her. Yuliana's mind became chaotic. She didn't understand.
When did Jerrod become concerned about Lynette?
He had said she was the most important to him.
"Jerrod, who's more important to you? Lynette or me?"
Yuliana was being unreasonable again. If it were before, Jerrod would mollify her immediately.
But things were different now.
Jerrod laughed, as if he'd just heard something ridiculous.
"Lynette is my sister."
Yuliana was dumbfounded. The shock cleared her mind.
What was that supposed to mean?
Why the abrupt change in Jerrod's attitude? Did Jerrod find out she had pretended to fall?
No way! It must have something to do with Lynette.
A chilly look flitted across Yuliana's eyes.
But she concealed it quickly and said, "Jerrod, I'll help Lynette. A girl's room is private."
Thinking of how Lynette had treated him just now, Jerrod stopped in his tracks.
Biting her lower lip to repress the surging hatred in her heart, Yuliana went upstairs.
Lynette must've played some dirty trick!
On the second floor.
Lynette opened the door to the dim room. It was dusty and smelled of garlic.
The walls were full of spells. Mockery appeared in her eyes.
Yuliana had complained to the domestic workers, "Lynette is acting as if she'd been possessed." To suck up to her, they put up spells on the walls and spilled garlic in the room, regardless of how Lynette would feel.
Lynette withdrew her gaze. She turned on the lights and found her school uniform.
"Lynette, it seems you haven't learned your lesson!"
Since Jerrod wasn't present, Yuliana couldn't be bothered to pretend. With her arms folded and her brows raised, she jeered.
"You think you can impress the boys after moving in? In your dreams!"
To Yuliana's surprise, Lynette didn't press her lips together or remain silent this time.
Blinking her charming eyes, she retorted, "Then, why are you afraid?"
"I'm not!"
Seen through, Yuliana stared at Lynette coldly while gritting her teeth.
She walked to Lynette and sneered, "I convinced them you were crazy and had you institutionalized once. I can do it again!
"In the boys' eyes, you can't compare to me. Even if I set you up—"
"You reminded me. I haven't settled accounts with you," Lynette interrupted.
"Wh-What?"
She stared at Yuliana, her eyes bright yet spookily cold.
She licked her lip and sneered, "Did you forget why I was institutionalized?"
Panicky, Yuliana couldn't help but retreat.
Lynette hastened to grab her hand.
"If you hurt me, Jerrod will kick you out of the house!"
"It sounds tempting!"
With that, Lynette shoved Yuliana to the wall.
Yuliana winced with pain.
