Felix, still stunned by her rejection, frowned in confusion, his mind struggling to catch up.
“Move out?”
Linsey nodded, her face resolute.
“Yes. I’m leaving now.”
He let out a hollow laugh, as if he had just heard the most absurd joke.
“And where do you think you’re going?”
He knew all too well that Linsey had no family to turn to, no safety net to catch her. Apart from this apartment, she had nowhere else. For the past five years, her entire world had been centered around him. He was certain she couldn’t leave him.
He was certain that this whole “moving out” act was nothing more than her way of trying to make him bend to her will.
Shaking his head in disbelief, he opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a voice from behind.
It was Joanna.
“Felix, didn’t you say you’d be down in a minute after packing? What’s taking you so long?”
Joanna’s voice echoed through the room as she stepped in. When her eyes landed on Linsey standing across from Felix, her expression shifted in surprise.
“Linsey, what are you doing here?”
Linsey shot Joanna a frosty look, her voice icy as she replied, “This is my apartment, isn’t it? Do I need to explain why I’m here? The real question is-what are you doing here?”
Joanna lowered her gaze, feigning a mixture of embarrassment and innocence.
“I accidentally nicked myself with a fruit knife, and Felix was so worried he insisted on staying with me for a few days.” Her eyes then darted to the suitcase beside Linsey, and she gasped dramatically, her hand covering her mouth.
“Linsey, what are you doing? Are you upset? Even if you are, this is uncalled for. If you’re bothered, you can talk to me. I’ll apologize if that’ll make you feel better. There’s no need for all this.”
Linsey’s lips curled into a cold, almost cruel smile as she took a slow step forward toward Joanna.
“Are you really going to apologize? Do you even mean it?”
Joanna, aware of Felix watching, played her part, her voice dripping with false sincerity as she nodded.
“Of course. If it helps you, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Alright, then. Why not?” Linsey’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in her eyes, just cold calculation. “Since you’re so sincere, I suppose I can help you out.”
Without warning, she raised her hand.
The sharp sound of a slap sliced through the tension in the room as Linsey’s palm connected with Joanna’s face, echoing the finality of her words.
Joanna let out a shrill scream, the shock of the slap leaving her momentarily frozen.
Clutching her burning cheek, she glared at Linsey, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“Linsey, how dare you slap me?” she spat, her voice trembling with fury.
Linsey’s lips twisted into a cold, mocking smile, her eyes as frigid as her words.
“Why wouldn’t I dare? You asked for it. You wanted to apologize, didn’t you? But one slap hardly satisfies my anger. Maybe a second one will.”
With that, she raised her hand again, her gaze never leaving Joanna’s face.
Felix, still reeling from the shock, finally snapped to attention. With a furious shout, he lunged forward, shoving Linsey aside.
“That’s enough! Linsey, don’t go too far!”
As he wrapped his arms protectively around Joanna, his voice softened with concern as he murmured to her, trying to calm her.
Linsey staggered back, regaining her balance with ease, her face indifferent.
She regarded them both with a detached, almost clinical gaze, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“This is going too far? Joanna herself said she wanted to apologize. Felix, are you deaf? If she really meant to apologize, she should just keep quiet and let me vent. All I did was slap her. How is that going too far? What I’ve done to her is nothing compared to what you two have done to me.”
Her gaze turned bitter as she continued,
“You’re both nothing but despicable cheats. And one day, when the truth comes out, who will believe a word you say?”
Felix stood frozen, stunned by the barrage of accusations. He opened his mouth, but not a single word of defense came to him.
He held Joanna close, his arm wrapped protectively around her as his eyes narrowed at Linsey with growing frustration. After a long, tense silence, he finally spoke, his voice laced with irritation.
“Even if Joanna wanted to apologize, you shouldn’t have slapped her. An apology is just that-an apology. You don’t solve things with violence. You’re acting like a wild animal!”
Linsey tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a frosty smile. She flexed her wrist nonchalantly, the gesture sharp and deliberate.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she replied coolly, her eyes locking onto his.
“Since you think so highly of me, should I slap her a few more times to really live up to your glowing praise?”
Felix’s mouth hung open, his shock evident as he stared at her, utterly unprepared for her mocking reply.
For a moment, he wondered if the woman standing before him was even the Linsey he once knew.
Joanna, equally stunned, watched Linsey in disbelief, her mind struggling to process the situation. She had taunted Linsey countless times before, but this-this was different. Linsey had never fought back like this. Was she finally losing control?
The tension in the room thickened, and then Joanna’s thoughts shifted, her gut telling her something wasn’t right.
Could Linsey be doing this on purpose to get Felix’s attention?
She shot a quick, anxious glance at Felix, only to find him completely absorbed in Linsey, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that sent a pang of jealousy through Joanna.
She had made great efforts to take him from Linsey. There was no way she would let Linsey get him back.
Panic flooded Joanna’s chest, and her grip tightened on Felix’s arm, pulling him back to her. With calculated sweetness, she said,
“Felix, don’t say that. Linsey’s probably just upset. I don’t mind. As long as she can stop being angry with us, I’ll be fine with anything.”
Felix’s heart swelled with sympathy for Joanna, and her words only deepened his sense of irritation toward Linsey.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.