I heard footsteps behind me and quickly turned off my phone.
It was Michael.He walked over slowly while still wearing a satisfied smile.
“How's Archer?”he asked.
“His condition got worse.He’s been moved to the ICU.”Thinking of Archer’s pale face,I looked straight at Michael.“Even if Archer died right in front of you,would you even care?”
Seeing the tears in my eyes,Michael showed no reaction.Instead,he frowned and scolded me,“Elizabeth,stop being unreasonable.”
My chest felt heavy,like a stone pressing down on it.
“Fine.Then explain this to me:Is this your‘important matter’being with Alicia?”I raised my phone and showed him my phone screen.
It was a post Alicia had made three minutes ago:[Sometimes,just being with you makes me feel happy,even if we do nothing.]
The photo was Michael’s side profile.
Before he could speak,Alicia’s sweet voice came from behind.“Eliza,this is all my fault!I shouldn’t have taken up Mike’s time.That’s why your son ended up in the ICU.”
“If you want to punish someone,punish me.”As she spoke,she raised her hand to slap herself.
Before her hand touched her face,Michael grabbed her wrist.He looked at Alicia with deep concern.
“This has nothing to do with you.You don’t need to punish yourself for me.”Then he turned to me coldly.“Alicia was just being kind.She wanted to visit Archer.Don’t take advantage of her kindness and harass her!”
I almost laughed out loud in anger.
From the moment Alicia arrived,I hadn’t said a single word to her.Yet now I was the one bullying her.
Smack!
I suddenly raised my hand and slapped Alicia.
Rubbing my aching palm,I said slowly,“Is this the harassment you meant?”
I raised my arm to hit her again,but Michael grabbed my wrist tightly.
His grip was so strong I couldn’t move.Soon his eyes were dark.“Elizabeth,why on earth are you hitting her?”
I shot back,“She knows you’re married and still seduces you.Why do you think I wouldn’t hit her?”
Alicia immediately explained in panic.“Eliza,you misunderstood.I only see Mike as a good brother,nothing more!If you’re still angry,then hit me again.”
After saying that,she looked at Michael with a pitiful expression.
Before Michael could react,I lifted my other hand and slapped her hard again.The force knocked her straight to the ground.
Alicia screamed and clutched her stomach.“Mike,my stomach hurts!Is our baby in danger?”
Michael froze for a second,then released my wrist and rushed to her.
He held her in his arms.“What’s going on?”
Alicia’s eyes filled with tears.“I’m pregnant with our child.I wanted to tell you at your promotion celebration as a surprise…but I didn’t expect this to happen.”
“But I don’t blame Eliza.Maybe I’m just not meant to keep this baby…”Tears fell from her eyes.It was a perfect act.
Michael panicked instantly.“Doctor!Someone call a doctor!”
He carefully placed Alicia onto a hospital bed.Then he turned to me.
He stared at me with full hatred.“Elizabeth,if anything happens to Alicia or the baby,I will never forgive you.”
Watching his back disappear,my strength left my body.I slid down the wall and fell onto the floor.My heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.Tears blurred my vision.
Not long after that,my phone vibrated.It was messages from Alicia.
[Eliza,looks like I won this round.Your little Archer is lying in the ICU fighting for life,while I just had to fake a fall and I took Mike away from you.]
[You and your son are really pathetic.]
I was barely able to breathe as I read them.
Her acting was actually terrible.Anyone could see through it.But Michael loved her,so he got blind and couldn’t stand to see her suffer for a bit.
Another message came.
[By the way,the wound on your arm…Mike didn’t even notice it,did he?]
I looked down at my arm.The bloody cut stung my eyes.
It happened when someone pushed me out of the ICU.It was still bleeding.
I laughed bitterly.The wound was so obvious that even Alicia saw it.But Michael never noticed at all.
So this was the obvious of whom Michael actually care about.
I didn’t reply.Instead,I sent a message to my lawyer:[Prepare a divorce agreement and a resignation letter for me.]
Almost immediately,my lawyer replied:[Okay.]
At that moment,tears dropped onto my screen.
"Michael,you and I are about to become strangers."
I closed the chat and sent a message to Franco with trembling fingers:[I want you to operate on Archer.And I want Michael and Alicia to be completely ruined.]
