“My request is very simple.”
She shot Bethan a cold look.
“I’ll call the person who’s watching over Anne; she has the same dagger as this dagger that my grandmother gave to me.
“Later, I’ll randomly say a term. It can be an eye, a nose, a finger, or maybe just a thin slice of flesh. You’ll need to decide. Either you do it yourself by using the dagger to cut off the part I said, or my people will go cut Anne’s.”
Bethan’s face turned pale immediately, and she instinctively stepped back.Her hand shivered so violently that the dagger nearly fell off her hand.
Brettley furrowed his brows and dashed forward to hold Bethan in his arms.
“Jacqueline, even if you think we’re the ones who killed Fiona, you shouldn’t attempt to do something as crazy and heartless as this.”
Jacqueline smiled.
“Crazy and heartless, you say?”
She gave Bethan and Brettley a deadly stare filled with derangement.
“Do you think it was right of you after what you two did to my sister? “Brettley Morrison, stop pretending.I’m being nice enough to not take either of your lives because you killed my precious sister.Do you think you’re in the position to be negotiating with me?”
Seeing how Jacqueline was getting angrier by the minute, Bethan quickly extended her hand out to stop Brettley, afraid the woman would lose her mind and hurt Anne. “Don’t get involved for now.”
Maybe Jacqueline was right when she said Anne was just her friend from Brettley’s point of view. It was normal that Brettley would not care about Anne that much.
For Bethan, however, it was different. Anne was her best friend.
When her face was disfigured seven years ago, Anne was the person she trusted the most. She was also the person Bethan went to when she had troubles.
After Malcolm ruined her original face, Anne and her teachers were the ones who took time, little by little, to restore her face.
Although Anne was just an intern then, she was the one person who cared about Bethan among the other surgeons.
The only thing the other doctors cared about was her recovery and if her restoration was a success. Anne was the only one who would ask if Bethan was in pain and if Bethan’s decision and persistence were worth it.
On the nights when Bethan was in so much pain, Anne would sneak into her ward with comfort food. She would open the window to let the night breeze enter the room and admire the moon and wind with Bethan, whose head at the time was wrapped up like a mummy.
She even told Bethan this before…
“As a matter of fact, I don’t think being pretty is important. I mean it, even when I’m a plastic surgeon myself. Beauty is very important to girls, but I always think that being happy is more important. If becoming beautiful makes you happy, then your plastic surgery is worth it. However, if being beautiful only pains you more, then plastic surgery has no meaning. Instead, you should live your life and be happy. That’s the most important to me.”
Bethan could still remember the exact words Anne said. Anne used to give her lots of power. Even reminiscing about it, Bethan still felt touched. Because of that, she thought Anne was the best friend she could ever have in this life.
There were many times she expressed how much she envied
Anne’s life. She thought the happiness between Anne and John was supposed to be how a normal couple would live.
In a cruel twist of fate, her best friend was experiencing something anormal woman should not feel for her whole life because of Bethan.
She was not going to allow Jacqueline or her people to do anything that could hurt Anne. She took a deep breath and pointed the dagger at herself. “
Jacqueline, you don’t have to show me the video, and please don’t hurt Anne.
“I know you hate me because you think I killed your sister. This is something that we can’t solve. So just tell me –how should I hurt myself for you to be satisfied?”
This matter had been between her and Jacqueline. Anne was innocent, so she should not suffer any harm from it.
Jacqueline raised her brow after hearing what Bethan said. “Bethan, I have no idea if you’re trying to stall time or something.”
Her impression of Bethan was that she was a selfish person. Her selfishness was the reason why she would kill Fiona. How could such a selfish woman be willing to hurt herself just to save her friend?
All this while, Jacqueline thought Bethan was the selfish type of person. Someone who only cared about herself…
“I’m not trying to stall time.”
Bethan curled up her lip and offered Jacqueline a bitter smile. “I just don’t want to see my friend get hurt. Get your people to release Anne right away, and I’ll hurt myself now.”
Jacqueline froze at this. “You… You’re willing to sacrifice yourself for Anne? This was impossible! Bethan was not the kind of person who would do this, nor would she ever be! This was the woman who killed Fiona-her sister! How could a woman like her possibly be willing to sacrifice herself for someone else, much less a friend who had no blood connection to her at all?
“Isn’t this what you wanted the most?”
Bethan raised her brows, staring coldly at Jacqueline, and pointed the dagger at herself. “I’ve told you-you should take out your hatred on me, not anyone else!”
“Bethan!”
Brettley’s eyes widened in shock as he watched Bethan pointing the dagger at herself. He stepped forward, trying to stop her. “Don’t do anything rash! Don’t hurt yourself now-there might still be a chance!”
Even though Bethan did not know that Anne was no longer alive, Brettley knew it as clear as day.
Since everything had gotten to this stage, there was no point feeling sorry about it any longer. What mattered the most now was to get ahold of Bethan and stop her from harming herself!
“What chance?”
Bethan curled her lips into a bitter smile. “Brettley, you were trying so hard to distract me, first bringing me shopping, then to the salon for a makeover. Do you think I had no idea what you were trying to do? I know you’re just doing this to stall time and prevent me from discovering what happened to Anne!”
The color drained from Brettley’s face at this. He furrowed his brows, then nodded.
“Yes, you’re right, but…”
“I guessed that you probably found out about what happened to Anne, and you’re just trying to distract me to prevent me from finding out, and at the same time trying to save her before I discovered the truth.
“This is Banyan City, for God’s sake-you and Jude’s territory. If not even the two of you managed to save her after a whole afternoon, there’s probably no hope left.”
With that, Bethan turned to stare at Jacqueline. “Even though I don’t know how you managed to evade Brettley and Jude’s search
She raised the dagger again, pointing its sharp tip at herself. “I know your target is me, and if I’m willing to sacrifice myself right here, you should let go of Anne. You can do anything you want to me, but Anne is innocent, and she shouldn’t get involved in this.”
Jacqueline could not help furrowing her brows at this.
The truth was…her plan had been flawed since the start.
Willow and James were just simple-minded thugs, and she never expected them to be able to carry out such an intricate plan.
The truth was, she had only come up with the idea of kidnapping Anne after discovering that Anne and John were the only two people Brettley and Bethan chose to contact after returning to Banyan City.
In the past, she thought Bethan and Anne were just ordinary friends, but the fact that
Anne was one of the only people to know of Bethan’s return signified that she was someone dear to Bethan’s heart.
Jacqueline never put much thought into this kidnapping at all, but after Bethan mentioned it, she could not help feeling a little dubious.
How could a thug like Willow manage to evade Brettley and Jude’s search? Was it possible that Anne had been successfully rescued by them?
At the thought of this, Jacqueline frowned and immediately tapped on her phone, trying to initiate a video call with Willow to confirm Anne’s status
If Anne had been rescued by Brettley, this whole thing would turn her into a laughingstock!
“No!”
Brettley instinctively reached out to snatch Jacqueline’s phone from her at this sight, but it was too late.
Jacqueline had already pressed the button.
Within a few seconds, the call was connected.
The video on the screen made Bethan’s eyes widen in horror and her blood run cold. The scene projected on the white screen was that of Anne being stabbed by Willow that afternoon. Willow did not know of the vengeance between Bethan and Jacqueline at all. All she knew was that Bethan had crossed Jacqueline in the past, which was why she ordered Willow to kidnap Anne for revenge. All she knew was that Jacqueline wanted Anne to be kidnapped and that she was not to walk out of the dungeon alive. Not only that, but Jacqueline even told her that she would video call her at night so that everyone would be able to seethe live stream of Anne being killed because of Bethan. Because of this, Willow thought that all Jacqueline wanted was to see Anne dead.
Therefore, when Vanessa requested to meet up with her that afternoon. Willow was worried that Anne would find a way to escape while she was gone, and she would get in trouble with Jacqueline for failing to complete her task, which was why she had killed Anne right on the spot and even recorded a video for Jacqueline’s sake. Therefore, when Jacqueline dialed her number for a video call, Willow proudly presented the video recording of her killing Anne on the screen. The image of Anne widening her eyes in shock as blood spurted from her wound and oozed out onto the floor shook everyone to the core. Everyone stared in horror at the sight before them, utterly stunned and speechless.Even Jacqueline was dumbstruck by this and widened her eyes in shock. How could this be? Although she had told Willow before that she would eventually kill Anne by forcing Bethan to watch her being killed, she never thought Willow would do it from the start! Jacqueline took a step back as she watched the life drain from Anne’s eyes until her limp, lifeless body finally slumped onto the ground.She turned to glance in Bethan’s direction. She had kidnapped Anne to hold her hostage and use her to threaten and humiliate
Bethan, but since Willow killed her, what was she supposed to do? Jacqueline’s gaze met Bethan’s glassy, bloodshot eyes. All of a sudden, the memories of that afternoon surged into her mind as she stared at the screen. She remembered! She finally remembered! Anne…Anne had been killed that afternoon… Not only that, but she was the reason Anne had gotten kidnapped in the first place! If she had not dragged Anne out to shop, and if she had not let Anne eavesdrop on Jacqueline and James’ conversation… If she had insisted on staying home; if she had been more alert; if she had chosen to contact Brettley earlier the moment she and Vanessa managed to get in touch with Willow, none of this would have happened. Anne would not have died if only she had been more alert! The irony was, she had lost this utmost important snippet of her memory out of distress when it was her that had led to Anne’s death in the first place. If the scene before her had not jogged her memory, Bethan would still be in an ignorant trance about what had happened. At the thought of this, Bethan turned to meet Jacqueline’s gaze. “I thought you kidnapped Anne just to teach me a lesson and that you’d never truly hurt her. I thought you had some sense in you, and I was even willing to sacrifice myself in exchange for hers, but Jacqueline, you don’t deserve any mercy! “You don’t deserve to be a human!”
Bethan let out an exhale, tightened her grip around the dagger’s handle, and lunged straight toward Jacqueline
Even the air seemed to freeze when Bethan’s blade sank into Jacqueline’s abdomen.
Just a few moments ago, everyone in the hall was stunned by the video shown on screen of Anne’s death, but everyone’s attention was gripped by the fact that Bethan had stabbed another woman right in front of them!
Even Jacqueline was stunned by this. She widened her eyes in horror, staring at Bethan.
How could this be? How did Bethan dare to hurt her in front of everyone?
She slowly lowered her head.
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.