Early the next morning, I got up and quietly completed my hospital discharge paperwork. Not long after, my phone buzzed. It was a call from the embassy—my visa had been approved.
Without wasting another second, I confirmed my departure plans with Chris.
Another call came through just minutes later and this one came from the hospital.
Tears of overwhelming joy blurred my vision. I rushed outside, flagged down a taxi and headed straight to the hospital.
However, when I pushed open the door to my mother’s room, my steps faltered. There, standing by her bedside, was someone I never expected to see.
Kelly.
She stood there like a viper, “Hello, Auntie. Remember me? I used to work with your precious daughter. Do you know what Jane’s been up to while you were lying here helpless?”
Her voice oozed false pity and cruelty. “She stole my fiancé. She even shamelessly got herself pregnant just to claw her way into the Payton Family. She’s nothing but a cheap, disgusting woman.”
My mother, weak and fragile, struggled to breathe as her face flushed an angry red. Yet even with her muscles stiff and atrophied from months of immobility, she forced her trembling hand to grab the water cup on the table … and hurled it straight at Kelly.
The cup struck her squarely and splashed water all over Kelly’s expensive clothes.
She glared at my mother and hissed, “Like mother, like daughter. You’re both equally disgusting.”
When my mother reached for the call button, Kelly lunged to stop her, but before she could do anything, I slammed the door open.
“What the hell are you doing to my mother, Kelly?!”
I shoved Kelly to the floor and pinned her down. With rage clouding my face, I did not hold back. I delivered one slap after another across her face with raw fury.
There were many things I could tolerate. Except for one, only one reason. I would never allow anyone to hurt my mother. She was the only family I had in this world.
Kelly shrieked and thrashed beneath me. “How dare you hit me, Jane! You psycho! Let me go!”
However, I held her very tight, my eyes cold as steel.
Simon happened to be at the hospital visiting a friend. When he heard Kelly’s scream, he followed the voice, only to witness the chaotic scene.
“Jane, have you lost your mind? Let Kelly go!” he shouted. Then he rushed over and yanked me off Kelly, throwing me hard to the side.
I didn’t even have time to react. My body crashed into the ground and landed right on the shards of the broken cup. Sharp glass tore through my skin. Blood spilled instantly and pooled beneath me.
Kelly scrambled into Simon’s arms, her cheeks red and swollen. She sobbed uncontrollably, playing the perfect victim.
“Simon, I only came because I heard her mom had woken up. I just wanted to show a little care, but Jane attacked me out of nowhere. I don’t even know what I did wrong, I swear…” Kelly’s voice trembled, dripping with false sadness as she pretended to be the wronged one.
Simon turned to me, “Janey, maybe Kelly said something wrong, but she didn’t mean any harm. Hitting someone is still out of line. Can’t you at least apologize?”
I clenched my jaw and pushed myself up despite the pain shooting through my arm. “You want me to apologize, huh? Do you even know what really happened? What gives you the right to ask me that?”
“I get it, you’re upset. However, violence doesn’t solve anything. Let’s calm down and talk this through, okay?”
I let out a bitter laugh, my eyes turning cold and distant. “What if I told you I meant to hit her?”
Simon’s expression darkened. When he heard Kelly sobbing again beside him, he gave in, scooped her up and stormed out of the room.
Just before they left, I caught the glint of triumph in Kelly’s eyes, as if she were silently saying, "See? He still chooses me in the end."
