Chapter 7

Elaine nodded in response. Then, she melted into William's arms. He continued holding her while comforting her in soft tones.

As I watched the couple being lovey-dovey with each other, I felt my heart going numb from the intense pain. I closed my eyes while suppressing my sorrow and rage.

When Elaine left the ward, I finally opened my eyes. William was elated to see me awake. He also made sure to show me the same amount of concern.

By then, I had already calmed down. I spent time with him as though nothing had happened. In fact, both of us chose to ignore the incident that had happened at Elaine's birthday banquet.

During the time I was hospitalized, William visited me every day. At first, I thought he really was here to visit me. That was, until I noticed that Elaine happened to be staying in the ward next to mine. That was when cold realization dawned on me.

William was never here for me. He was here for Elaine.

According to a nurse, Elaine got hospitalized because of pneumonia. She had to receive IV treatment for the time being. William would spend time with her every day. Then, he'd free up some time from his schedule just to visit me.

I even heard the nurses praising Elaine for having such a handsome and caring boyfriend. So, I couldn't resist visiting Elaine's ward.

Through the glass window, I saw William peeling an apple for Elaine before feeding her some fruit. Then, he'd wipe her mouth for her. Elaine held hands with him the whole time while smiling giddily.

Despite knowing that I'd be facing the brutal truth, I still watched the entire scene unfold before my eyes patiently. In the end, I just smiled bitterly. This time, I walked away quickly and steadily after turning my back on the couple.

It seemed that my decision to leave was the right one.

On the day I got discharged from the hospital, William dropped by to pick me up. When I returned to his home, I saw Elaine there.

Stunned, I could only stare at William, who refused to look at me at that moment. He only told me, "She's going to stay over at my place for a few days."

I just bit my bottom lip quietly. Then, I let out a scoff before returning to my room.

Since Elaine and William couldn't wait to live together, there was absolutely no reason why I should continue staying there.

While I was packing my stuff, Elaine approached me from behind.

"I never knew you've been dating him for so long."

I just chuckled softly. "Yeah. It's been a long time. And yet, I still can't capture his heart."

Elaine wore a smug expression.

"That's right. He loves me and only me."

After zipping up my suitcase, I got up to my feet and looked at Elaine seriously.

"That's why I'm backing off. I hope you two can live happily ever after," I said.

Just when I was about to leave, Elaine suddenly gripped my arm. Then, she pulled out a bangle from her purse.

My eyes went bloodshot instantly. I could only stare at her in disbelief.

"Why do you have this?"

Elaine merely raised an eyebrow in return. "Your dad gave it to me."

I instinctively reached out to snatch it away from her. After all, the bangle was left behind by my mother. In the past, I had looked for it for a long time, yet I could never locate it. It turned out that Charles had given it to Elaine.

Elaine kept dodging my attempts to snatch the bangle away. She quickly raised it above her head.

"Don't come any closer, or else I'll smash it!"

I stopped moving instantly. All I could do was glare at her angrily.

"Elaine Moore, don't you dare cross the line!"

But she just shrugged, wearing a menacing smile on her face.

"I can give the bangle to you… but you'll have to get down on your knees and beg me for it."

I could only stare at her in shock. I didn't want to do it at first, but when I saw her fingers loosening around the bangle, I panicked right away. With bloodshot eyes, I slowly sank down on my knees.

To my horror, Elaine laughed at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, Daphne! You're far too naive! Even if you were to grovel in front of me, I wouldn't give it back to you!"

Once Elaine was done speaking, she tossed the bangle out the window. I could hear it smashing into pieces from outside the house.

At that moment, my pupils shrank. My body began trembling violently, and my heart felt as though it was being slammed by a hammer repeatedly.

I missed my mother so much, but I couldn't even protect the only thing she had left for me. To make things worse, the culprit of the bangle's destruction still had the gall to act all arrogant in front of me.

"This is a warning for you to stop drooling after the man who doesn't belong to you in the first place. If you're leaving, you'd better not come back ever again," she warned.

I couldn't hold my rage back anymore, so I tackled Elaine to the floor. As I straddled her, I kept slapping her repeatedly. Then, I yanked her by the hair with all my might.

Some bitches deserved to be taught a lesson, that was for sure.

Elaine shrieked at the top of her lungs as I beat her up relentlessly. Upon hearing her screams, William came running over.

He yanked me off Elaine's body and threw me aside. Then, he delivered a harsh slap across my face.

"Have you gone insane?" he bellowed at me.