He shielded Lily, and angrily swept his hand.
across the counter.
He knocked over the pot of bone broth I had
just finished cooking.
The boiling broth, splattering with grease,
く
landed all over my legs.
The searing pain made me scream and fall to
the floor.
But Jason grabbed my collar and dragged me
over to Lily.
“You started this! Now apologize!”
Yeah, if you do something wrong, you
apologize.
But Jason always protected Lily, even when
she was the one who messed up.
The frustration and the pain in my legs finally
made me burst into tears.
“She’s the one who should apologize! Jason!
く
I’m your wife, why do you always take her
side? Before and now…”
“Enough! You have no right to compare
yourself to Lily! Did you really think you were
the lady of the house?”
Jason blurted out the truth in a fit of rage.
I froze, and then suddenly, I was calm.
He was right. I was just a pawn. How could I
compete with Lily?
So, I shakily got to my feet, and bowed in
front of them.
Chapter 3
“Lily, I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
Г
Jason realized he had gone too far, and didn’t
push it.
I limped back to my room, gathered my
mother’s keepsakes, and ran a bath with ice
and cold water.
I was about to treat my burns when Lily
pushed the door open.
She sized me up, her eyes full of venom.
“Is this what you used to seduce Jason?”
I instinctively tried to cover myself with a
towel, but slipped and fell.
Lily laughed at my clumsiness.
く
“You think you can steal Jason from me?
What are you?”
She leaned over, grabbed my neck, and
shoved me under the water.
The burns on my legs throbbed with
excruciating pain.
I could feel Lily using something to cut my
skin.
The cold water filled my nose and mouth, and
I thrashed like a dying dog.
Her hateful curses were muffled and unreal
through the water.
“He doesn’t love you! He’s just using you.
Otherwise, your mom…”
I couldn’t hear what she said next, because I was choking.
Just when I thought I was going to drown, she finally pulled me up.
Gasping for breath, I saw the broken shards
of a shower gel bottle on the floor.
“Pick it up, and stab it in her throat. It’ll all be
over!”
A voice screamed in my head, and I actually
reached for the glass.
But Lily noticed what I was doing.
She grabbed my hand, and pressed the shard
く
against the scar on my stomach.
“This is from your miscarriage, right? Want to
feel it again?”
She pressed down hard, the shard slicing
through the scar tissue, making me whimper.
As despair washed over me, I lunged at Lily.
Her scream immediately brought Jason
running.
He shoved me away, grabbed Lily, and tried
to leave.
I snatched a robe and threw it on, then
blocked their path, sobbing.
“Jason! How could you do this to me? How
<
“I’ve been married to Ashley for five years. I
know what she’s like. Just knock it off. She is
my wife.”
I was surprised that Jason would defend me.
Jason picked me up from the hospital when I
was discharged, but Lily was in the car.
I saw the shopping bags piled in the back
seat and turned around to call a cab.
But Jason forced me into the car, clearing a
space for me in the back seat.
“Oh, Ashley, just try to be understanding!”
“Jason and I are throwing a party with our
friends the day after tomorrow. I wanted to
<
borrow a few things from you, but you don’t
have anything worth wearing.”
Knowing that the party was the day I was
supposed to fake my death, I didn’t bother
with her.
But in those last few days, Jason was acting
strange.
He started talking to me, even when he didn’t
have anything to say.
Knowing I hadn’t fully recovered, he even held
me up, despite Lily’s dagger eyes.
I didn’t give him the time of day.
On the day of the party, I stayed in my room,
waiting for a chance to sneak away.
Г
But Lily wouldn’t let it go, dragging me out to
the living room.
Chapter 4
Everyone looked at me, their eyes full of
mockery.
“Ashley is the lady of the house, we can’t
leave her out!”
Lily pushed me into the center of the crowd.
“I think Lily is more like the lady of the
house!”
“You can dress up trash, but it’s still trash!”
Jason’s face was livid as everyone laughed,
く
like I’d embarrassed him.
“Don’t say that. Ashley looks just like her
mother!”
Lily held up Mom’s framed photo for
everyone to see.
I frowned and stepped forward to grab it.
But just as I reached it, Lily let go.
The frame shattered, and the photo was
ripped.
I stared at the mess, my blood boiling with
anger.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to! I guess it’s a sign of
good lu…”
r
I slapped Lily across the face.
After a few seconds, tears streamed down
her face.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
All the abuse and torment of the last two weeks exploded.
As I raised my hand again, someone kicked
me in the back.
Jason stood in front of Lily, his face
contorted with rage.
“Ashley, how dare you hit Lily!”
“Jason! She destroyed my mother’s photo!”
く
I shouted, my voice cracking.
“You broke the photo when you tried to grab
- it. How can you blame her!”
I ignored Jason.
I knelt down and tried to pick up the pieces,
but could only watch as the broken glass
stained the photo with my blood.
“Ashley hit me because she misses her mom.
It’s ok, Jason, don’t be mad at her.”
Lily acted so understanding, making me look.
like a crazy woman.
“Ashley, I told you, you have to take
responsibility for your actions.”
L
“Butler, bring your mother’s keepsakes, and
burn it. Maybe that will teach her not to
attack Lily.”
I felt like I had been plunged into a deep
freeze.
I crawled to Jason’s feet, begging him.
“Please, no! Those are my mother’s things.
You can’t burn them! Jason, you can’t do this
to me!”
But Jason just kicked me away.
As the butler walked downstairs with the
wooden box, I tried to take it.
But one of Lily’s friends tripped me.
Г
My wounds ripped open again, and I was
surrounded by the jeering crowd.
I watched as Mom’s box was thrown into the
fireplace.
“No! Stop! That’s all I have! I have nothing
left!”
I was like a trapped animal, surrounded by
people laughing at my misery.
I sobbed, repeatedly begging Jason.
But he just stared at me coldly, like I was an
ant.
After what felt like forever, the fire died down,
and the crowd dispersed.
