Chapter 90
nytime nobody was looking, I’d get shoved down the stairs. In the dead of night, a pair of sharp scissors would suddenly slash my rists open. Even flower vases would come crashing down out of nowhere. For so many years, everyone completely believed her, yet they inned the blame for being vain and selfish on me. They naturally took Kimberly’s side. Suppose I showed even a little bit of emotion. In at case, I’d be accused of being vicious and narrow–minded and then subjected to endless silent treatment.“}
wasn’t just that. Kimberly’s depression was also fake. Behind closed doors, she was a bully. She was promiscuous. Kimmy even afficked over a dozen children and young women. Those things I’d explained time and time again but was always met with cold difference, but finally hit them like bullets fired from a gun, striking them right between the eyes after all these years.} My mother collapsed to her knees, sobbing so hard she almost passed out. “My baby girl, I was wrong. I’m so sorry… ”
acob stood up unsteadily, carefully wiped the ring with his sleeve and put it in his pocket. Then, he calmly told his assistant to take my nother home. After that, he called Kimberly. The next day, news of Kimberly Stewart being burned to death in the suburbs was trending ke crazy. When the police arrived, there was only a charred, unrecognizable body. According to the forensic report, before Kimberly died, omeone had doused her in gasoline. When she was barely clinging to life, they put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.}
“hen, after a short while, they poured more gasoline on her and burned her again. This was repeated more than ten times before she was completely burned to a crisp. It wasn’t so much that she was burned to death but that she was literally tortured to death by the pain. While
few nurses were excitedly gossiping about this news, I was lying on the operating table, undergoing my sixth skin graft surgery. My mentor stood beside me, his eyes filled with pity and worry. “Are you scared?“}
shook my head. After surviving two infernos, there wasn’t much left that could scare me. The massive fire on my wedding day, if my mentor hadn’t seen the news and worried about me, flying back from overseas overnight, I would have been nothing but a pile of ashes by 10W.B
My mentor’s eyes showed relief and pride. “Lily, you’re my most outstanding student. I’m looking forward to seeing you shine at the nternational supermodel competition in six months.”
Thanks to the doctors‘ dedicated treatment, six months later, I successfully stood on the supermodel runway. I didn’t let my mentor down. The moment I stood on the podium holding the championship trophy, the spotlights of the entire world seemed to shine just for me. Facing the countless flowers and applause, I cried tears of joy.
Just when I thought Jacob and I would be strangers for the rest of our lives, he unexpectedly appeared again. After getting off the runway, I said goodbye to the last competitor, who congratulated me on winning. I turned around and saw Jacob standing in the night, shrouded in the cold wind. He had an unshaven beard and a haggard face. He looked at me awkwardly with a flattering smile. “Lily, I’m here to take you home.“”
He pulled out the diamond ring I had deliberately thrown into the fire from his pocket. “Look, I still have the ring. Let’s go back and have the wedding again. I’ll give you an even grander, more extravagant wedding. We’ll have it at the beach, your favourite place.”
His eyes were full of deep emotion; he even seemed to have moved himself to tears. Still, I laughed sarcastically. “If you had even an ounce of conscience or shame, you wouldn’t be able to say something like ‘let‘
get married again‘ to me. Do you know how many skin graft surgeries I’ve had on this face and on this entire body? Eighteen times. Every time a blade scraped against my skin, I told myself, This is all thanks to you.”
Jacob looked completely broken, tears of regret hitting the ground. “Lily, I know I deserve to die a thousand deaths. I don’t ask for your forgiveness. I just beg you to give me a chance to make amends, please?”
“Leave my world and never let me see you again. That would be the best way for you to make amends.”
After a long silence, Jacob’s shoulders finally slumped. He gave a self–deprecating, bitter laugh. “You’re right. The current me isn’t worthy to stand by your side at all. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you anymore.“}]
Half a month after he left, I got word from home. My mother had taken her own life. They found her clutching a photo of me as a child. I wired a considerable sum to the best funeral service company in the country to handle everything for her properly. Meanwhile, Jacob went to the police station and confessed to setting the fire that burned me and then burning Kimberly to death. He was sentenced to death with a two–year reprieve.
Two years later, I received a letter from him, along with a massive inheritance from his lawyer. I didn’t even read the letter. I just ripped it up and threw it in the trash. Then, I donated the entire inheritance to an international charity for people with disabilities. From that moment on, my life rose with the sun, shining like stars and moonlight.”
D
