To put it bluntly, Hattie, you have brought your own misfortune upon your family. Have you heard the story of Mr. Dongguo and the wolf? Saving a wolf will only bring upon the fate of being eaten by it.
Fiona crossed her arms, calmly saying, “If you hadn’t given me that gold chain in the first place, Harry wouldn’t have survived. If he had died, no one would have helped the Mason family’s enemy, they wouldn’t have been betrayed, your father wouldn’t be in prison, the Mason family wouldn’t have gone bankrupt, and your parents wouldn’t have met their tragic ends.”
The truth was so cruel that Hattie felt something collapse in her heart. She closed her eyes tightly, the words Fiona spoke echoing in her mind. She knew Fiona’s purpose in telling her the truth was to see her suffer, blame herself, feel painful guilt, and perhaps even wanted to see her and Harry turn against each other.
Being angry now would only play into Fiona’s hands, and what good would it do to change everything?
She couldn’t change the past, but she couldn’t control herself either. In a sudden rush, Hattie surprised Fiona, causing her to stumble back, tripping over her prosthetic leg. Without warning, Hattie rushed forward and grabbed Fiona by the neck.
“You’re good at shifting blame, Fiona. What makes you so confident to bark at me like this?”
Fiona tried to struggle, but the next moment, she saw Hattie holding a knife to her neck. “I advise you not to move. My emotions are not stable right now, and I might accidentally take your life.”
With a tight grip on the knife, as if she could puncture her carotid artery at any moment, Hattie had already made a small incision, blood seeping out.
Fiona tensed up, her senses heightened in the extreme stress. For a brief moment, Fiona broke out in a cold sweat.
“Hattie, are you trying to kill someone? Aren’t you afraid of going to jail?”
Hattie chuckled coldly, her expression icy. “Do I need to remind you of the 29 stabs I gave Harry before going to prison? I’ve been there once. Do you think I’m afraid to go back a second time?” She struggled to control her roiling emotions.
“You’re right. I should hate myself. If I hadn’t given you that pendant to pass on to Harry, maybe my family wouldn’t be in this state. But more than hating myself, I despise manipulative people like you who exacerbate the situation. Do you want to see me and Harry turn on each other?”
Fiona hesitated for a moment, her subtle facial expressions not escaping Hattie’s eyes.
“Fiona, I sometimes don’t know if you’re clever or foolish. But thank you for telling me the truth. I am angry now, but before dealing with Harry, I want to deal with you first.”
Fiona did have some cleverness, but each time, her cleverness would hit a wall in front of Hattie, and she never seemed to learn from it.
Typical innocence, with a daring spirit!
Hattie wondered how Fiona had survived until now without Harry’s protection.
“Be good, don’t move. My hand isn’t as steady as before now. I might accidentally stab you to death. You better be careful.” Hattie’s voice was cutting and mocking.
Fiona truly did not dare to move, only seeing Hattie holding a knife to her neck with one hand and reaching into her clothes with the other, pulling out a pill.
“Open your mouth.”
“What is this, Hattie? What are you trying to make me take?”
Hattie didn’t bother with small talk and simply forced the pill into Fiona’s mouth, stabbing it down her throat with the knife. The sudden pain made Fiona involuntarily open her mouth, and that’s when Hattie pushed the pill into her mouth.
It was a powerful sedative, researched by Micah himself. Hattie had brought it just in case.
Not long after ingesting it, Fiona involuntarily closed her eyes, and Hattie put away the knife, dragging Fiona inside. She had arrived early and observed the surroundings. This place was too secluded, and there would usually be no one around. She brought Fiona to an abandoned cement factory inside the alleyway.
…
Meanwhile, Micah was still staring at Hattie’s bedroom, unable to reach her on the phone, and couldn’t help but let his mind wander.
Would Hattie come back after leaving? Why did she leave? Was she fed up with him? Or did she not want to associate with him to avoid trouble? Or perhaps it was because of something or someone else?
Hattie was not one to leave without saying goodbye. There must be another reason behind her departure. Micah continued to call Hattie, hoping she would receive his call when her phone turned on.
Micah held his phone, listening to the ringing tone, while his other hand searched through the cabinets for any other belongings Hattie might have taken.
Micah had a good memory, and he would remember exactly where things were placed. In the knife storage box, Micah found that a scalpel was missing, and the pill bottle had been moved. It was evident that Hattie had tampered with them.
Micah’s face changed, a sense of unease growing stronger. Remembering Hattie’s peculiar behavior yesterday, Micah dialed a number without hesitation.
Where had Hattie gone with the knife and the medicine? Was she in trouble?
No, it couldn’t be… She had endured two painful years in prison, survived Harry’s abuse for so long, and finally freed herself from him. She wouldn’t give up like this.
Micah tried to compose himself, but his breathing became erratic, and a very bad thought emerged in his mind, causing a deep pain in his chest that he couldn’t control. Opening his mouth, he felt the pain, making it hard to breathe until the phone connected.
Micah said urgently, “Harry, is Hattie with you?”
In this world, who had the power to provoke Hattie’s emotions and threaten her to leave? Micah could only think of Harry.
Whenever Harry was mentioned, Micah couldn’t help but think of another person – someone with darkness and paranoia ingrained in their bones. Both had a ruthless demeanor and strong possessiveness and control. If Harry suddenly fell ill and sought pity from Hattie but didn’t get the attention he wanted, he might use force to keep her by his side.
Micah had encountered such people before, so it wasn’t surprising that he would think this way about Harry.
Besides, Micah didn’t have a good impression of Harry at all. Once there was a flaw in one’s impression of someone, it was difficult to establish trust in that person. Just like finding a thief around, if something went missing, even if it wasn’t him, he would be the first suspect.
“What?” Harry’s voice was hoarse.
Micah was immediately filled with anger. “Don’t pretend, Harry. Hattie has just left you, and now she’s disappeared. If it’s not your doing, then whose? Are you trying to make her accompany you to death?!”
After a few seconds, Harry finally reacted. “Hattie is missing?”