“Impossible! Why would Finnick refuse to see me? He loves me! He cares for me, or he wouldn’t have taken care of me all these years. Liars, you’re all liars!” Evelyn was losing her grip on her sanity.
“A nightmare—this must be a nightmare!” A delusional smile spread across Evelyn’s face as she struck her head with clenched fists. “Wake up! Stop dreaming! I hate this dream!”
Pain surged through Evelyn, confirming that she was wide awake. She crumpled on the ground in sorrow. “How did it turn out like this? Why does it hurt? This is a dream; I shouldn’t feel pain.”
Evelyn’s manic behaviour left Noah stunned.
“What happened? What did Mr. Norton find out?” Noah’s own voice snapped him back to reality. He was in such a daze that he did not realize he had voiced his concern until the words hung in the air.
The careless question had lit a fuse, igniting Evelyn.
“’What happened’? How dare you ask me what happened? Mark exposed the fact that I was the one who hired men to assault Vivian, and it’s all because of your negligence! Why didn’t you find out sooner? Why did you let him in?” Her incensed screeches pierced the air.
“Why would he suddenly bring this up? Be honest, did you seek him out? Traitors! You’re a bunch of traitors who betrayed me!”
Evelyn loathed anyone she could blame. In her mind, their incompetence had soiled her plans, and by association, ruined her life.
“You were the one who set up Mrs. Norton’s assault?” Noah exclaimed, floored by her confession. He knew that the kidnapping was related to Mark, but he never made the connection to Evelyn.
So she has been mistreating Mrs. Norton since then! This woman is unforgivable and rotten to the core! How could she commit such a horrendous crime toward another woman?
“What do you mean ‘Mrs. Norton’? Didn’t I warn you to stop addressing her that way when you’re talking to me?” Evelyn growled, on the brink of going mad. “That wh*re is unworthy of that title. She should have been defiled by those beggars back then and wallow in agony for the rest of her life! No, I take that back; she shouldn’t live at all! She deserves to die!”
Noah’s chest heaved with vexation when he heard Evelyn cursing Vivian. He chuckled humorlessly and rubbed salt into her wound, “You’ve had it coming for you ever since you committed those inhumane crimes. Now that Mr. Norton refuses to see you, you have no one to blame but yourself.”
“I’ve had it coming?” Evelyn burst into deranged laughter, her voice shrill. “You must think that you’re so high and mighty. What right do you have to mock me? Don’t forget that you threatened Vivian into aborting the fetus. Do you think that you’ll be in a better position than me when Finnick finds out?”
Noah’s expression darkened. She’s right. Who am I to ridicule her when I had inflicted harm upon Vivian as well?
At the same time, he felt his anxiety dissipate marginally. Based on Evelyn’s words, Noah figured that Finnick was still unaware of his involvement.
The conflicting emotions churned within Noah. He no longer wanted to be under Evelyn’s thumb. Her blackmail hung over his head, ready to fall and crush him at any given moment. However, he was also not ready for Finnick to discover that he had caused Vivian so much pain. He was in a huge dilemma, his conflicting thoughts tearing him apart. He was at a loss as to what he should do next.
Evelyn relished at the sight of Noah’s anguished expression and began to calm down. It was almost as if her pain would only diminish if she saw another person suffering.
She channeled all her hurt into resentment for Vivian. It’s all her fault! Right from the start, Vivian has been the only impediment between me and Finnick! I can’t believe that someone as infuriating as she exists!
Rachel should have strangled Vivian to death at birth. Why did she let the wh*re live? Now she’s after my status as the Morrisons’ most precious daughter and Finnick as well!
Evelyn was emptied of all emotion but hate for Rachel and Vivian. They should die a painful death and suffer in hell!
It was the only way she could feel relief. Only after they perish would she be able to lead a happy life.
