Chapter 9
The dull sound of flesh and bone colliding accompanied Lily’s screams.
The club fell again and again. Fragments of broken ribs pierced through Lily’s skin, and the nightgown was quickly soaked with blood.
Henry’s cousin rushed up and kicked Lily in the face, breaking her already deformed nose bridge. Thick blood mixed with mucus sprayed across the
floor.
“Still playing the victim?!”
Henry’s cousin grabbed Lily’s hair and pressed her face hard into the pool of blood.
“Aren’t you the sweet-talking queen? Why are you silent now?”
“This is for seducing Henry, for being a homewrecker!”
Lily convulsed like a dying fish.
Her carefully styled curls stuck to her swollen face, and her once-charming eyes now held only terror.
She tremblingly reached out to grab Henry’s trouser leg, but Grace’s high heel crushed her fingers.
“Filthy whore!”
Grace’s face was twisted with rage.
“Look what you’ve done to Henry!”
I watched coldly, saying nothing.
Henry finally broke down.
He crawled toward me on his knees, his blood-stained suit leaving glaring red marks on the floor.
“Gabriella… I was wrong, I really didn’t know it would turn out like this…”
He was crying, with obvious red handprints on his face.
“Please forgive me, okay? I’ll fire Lily immediately, I promise I’ll never see her again!”
I looked down at Henry’s pathetic state, suddenly remembering how he had written “forever and always” in the sand during our honeymoon.
But the waves had mercilessly washed away those words, just like they washed away all our promises.
“Too late.”
I bent down to pick up my mother’s portrait, gently wiping away the dirt on it.
“Henry, you brought this on yourself.”
I turned around and left without looking back.
The next day, I returned to the company to pack up my personal belongings from the office.
I put documents and photo frames into boxes one by one, my movements crisp and decisive, without a trace of nostalgia.
Just as I picked up the last photograph, the office door was suddenly pushed open.
Henry stood in the doorway, his face pale, eyes red and swollen, clearly having not slept all night.
He was still wearing that blood-stained suit from last night, his mouth corner red and swollen.
The elegant gentleman he once was no longer existed.
14
“Gabriella…”
His voice was so hoarse it was barely audible as he staggered toward me.
“Let’s talk, okay?”
I ignored him and continued organizing my things.
Suddenly, he lunged forward and grabbed my wrist tightly.
“I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!”
Henry’s tears fell, his voice trembling.
“I was bewitched by Lily… forgive me this once, I promise I’ll never see her again!”
I coldly shook off his hand, my eyes showing no warmth.
“Henry, what value do your promises have?”
