Her gentle words worked like poison. The pain in Brian’s eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by cold fury. He glared at me coldly as he angrily accused me, "You’re doing this again! Lilian, your lies are so obvious now. No one believes you anymore!"
This time, I didn’t answer. Instead, I just stared at him as I silently memorized the face I had once loved so deeply. His eyes were still beautiful, but now, they no longer held even a trace of love for me.
Brian the turned to Adeline, gently holding her hand as he spoke while he was looking at me, "If you have the strength to hurt yourself, then you have the strength to walk home."
"Watch her closely. Don’t let her take a single shortcut."
After that, both Brian and Adeline walked away. Step by step, I forced myself to walk home. Every painful step burned the same words into my mind.
‘I would make them pay for this. All of them.’
When I finally reached home and pushed the door open, the sound of Adeline’s sobs filled the living room. She sat on the sofa, trembling as she cried in Brian’s arms.