Finn was furious. Suddenly, he dragged Aoife into the bathroom and turned on the shower, spraying water at her.
The cold water drenched Aoife’s body. Despite the weather not being too cold at the moment, her skin couldn’t bear the sudden contact with icy water, shivering uncontrollably as the chill penetrated her bones, causing her body to tremble even more.
“We agreed to torment each other. If I can’t defile you, how is that possible?” Finn gripped the showerhead in one hand and grabbed Aoife with the other, throwing her into the bathtub.
The water from the shower gradually transitioned from cold to hot, quickly filling the tub. As Finn collapsed into it, the water spilled out like a flood.
By this time, Aoife had calmed down, although her breathing was erratic, her whole being wrapped in a sense of prickliness.
“Have you tormented me enough? If so, release me,” her voice was hoarse, barely audible.
“Aoife, do you hate me?” Finn reached out to remove the tie covering Aoife’s eyes.
As the tie loosened, Aoife fixed a cold, silent gaze on him, “Do you even need to ask?”
“Finn, I hate you. I wish I could plunge a knife into your chest and send you straight to hell. Why don’t you just die?” This was the first time Aoife had expressed her hatred so bluntly.
Finn looked at her, feeling a sharp pain in his chest, as if a knife had truly plunged into it.
Aoife continued, “But more than hating you, I despise myself. Why did I ever like you in the first place? Why did I shamelessly act as a substitute? Why did I stay by your side and endure all the insults you subjected me to?”
Each “why” from Aoife carried a deep sense of bitterness.
Finn pressed Aoife’s chin, his voice low and slow, “Because weakness is the original sin. The world is ruled by the strong; it’s survival of the fittest.”
Finn had understood this principle since childhood, while Aoife still questioned everything.
There weren’t so many “whys” in the world. Sometimes, when you’re unlucky, it’s just your fate, and you have to accept it.
Finn looked down at Aoife’s pale face, his brows furrowing, a pitiful sight.
The light in Aoife’s eyes now shone only for Ethan, while her feelings towards Finn were filled with continuous hatred. Finn tried to change this, but often ended up making things worse.
Picking up the phone that had fallen to the ground, Finn wiped the water stains off the screen with a towel, then dialed a number from the contacts list.
While dialing, Finn asked, “Aoife, do you think Ethan will love you forever? Or will you always love him?”
Unsure of Finn’s intentions, Aoife glanced at the numbers on Finn’s phone screen, feeling a strong sense of familiarity. Her heart raced with a powerful sense of unease.
The phone rang, and soon, someone answered on the other end.
Beep… Beep… Beep… Each sound felt like a heavy blow to Aoife’s heart.
Wanting to quickly escape, her body reacted before her mind, taking a step forward before Finn forcefully pulled her back.
Falling into water may not hurt much, but being choked by it was different. The brief suffocation made Aoife tear up in discomfort.
“Let go of me, Finn, you beast!”
These were the only words Aoife could muster back and forth. Initially, it seemed meaningful, but eventually lost its impact. Finn yanked her out of the water by her hair, and positioned the phone screen in front of her face, forcing her to look.
With a sinister smile, Finn asked, “If Ethan were to hear me being above you, what do you think he’d feel?”
This cruel tactic stemmed from envy and bitterness within Finn.
Aoife’s pupils shrunk, goosebumps rising on her skin once more. She sensed the deep malice emanating from Finn.
Struggling to escape, the splashing water filled the room with noise. At that moment, the call was answered, and Ethan’s voice came from the other end.
“Hello?”
Instantly, Aoife fell silent, not daring to make a sound.
Desperate for silence, Aoife only wished for Ethan not to hear anything. However, Finn was adamant about making her voice heard. He pressed the phone close to Aoife’s trembling lips, her shaky breaths audible to Ethan on the other end of the line.
Gritting his teeth, Finn said, “Aoife, you forced me to do this.”
She forced him? How did she force him? Did she force him to degrade her and Ethan in such a manner?
Aoife vigorously shook her head, not wanting Ethan to hear anything from her end.
In that moment, Finn spoke into the phone, “Ethan, do you know what Aoife is doing right now?”
Ethan’s panicked voice came through the phone, “Finn, what are you planning to do to Aoife?”
“What am I doing? I’m with her, of course! Right now, she’s beneath me in the bathtub, naked. She’s crying and begging me to let her go, but her body is so captivating. How can I bear to let her go?”
“No… don’t… Finn…” Aoife broke down. She thought she had grown numb to everything, able to face any situation calmly.
But Finn’s relentless tactics only worsened, each more malicious than the last. He could be cruel to her, but he could be even crueler. He wouldn’t spare any insult against her.
Aoife could endure her own sadness and pain, but she didn’t want the person who loved her to suffer for her.
She would rather cut ten scars on her face than let Ethan hear her voice in such distress.
How cruel…
“If you don’t want me to say it, I’ll say it anyway!” Finn restrained her, watching her reaction to Ethan, his gaze cold.
Today, he intended to crush any hope these two harbored because Aoife was on the verge of desperation. Finn dared not touch Ethan physically, but he had many other ways to make people suffer.
“Finn, let go of Aoife!” Ethan’s voice on the call sounded powerless.
Finn coldly said, “Ethan, do you know why Aoife lost the child in her belly? It was because of your words. That scar on her face is because of you. She’s now my plaything because of you. All the tragedies today are because of you. Your father warned you not to get close to Aoife, but you didn’t listen. Now, your family is facing massive losses and potential bankruptcy, while Aoife has lost her freedom. You are truly Aoife’s bane…”
“No! It’s not true!” Aoife screamed, “Ethan, hang up the phone, please, don’t listen, don’t believe what Finn is saying…”
None of this had anything to do with Ethan. Finn was the true executioner.
Ethan had never been her bane; he was the star that could illuminate her, the constant presence, the loving star.