Jemima let go of Timothy and walked toward me.
“Do you know why Timothy chose me over you?”
I didn't want to know. I didn't care anymore.
Crack……
I never saw it coming. Jemima's hand shot up and caught me across the face before I could react.
“Because you and I aren't equals. Because I can hit you, and all you can do is take it.”
“That's the gap between us. That's why you were never a match for Timothy.”
“Don't think that starting some little company with Timothy actually gave you status in this world.”
“Compared to the Fox family, compared to the Summers family, you're nothing. An ant.”
“Timothy hit you. I hit you. And all you can do is scream for an apology. But if we don't apologize, what are you going to do about it?”
What was I going to do about it?
I was going to hit back.
I swung left and right, slapping Jemima across the face twice.
Timothy rushed over and kicked me to the ground, then came after me swinging.
The difference in strength between a man and a woman left me with no way to fight back.
And with Jemima helping him, I was outnumbered. But I kept resisting, kept throwing my fists at both of them even as they beat me down.
I was already terminally ill. I had nothing left to fear.
“Kill me then! Go ahead, kill me if you've got the guts!”
“Timothy, it breaks my heart.” Jemima stopped and grabbed his arm. “Watching you get harassed by trash like her, it really breaks my heart.”
“Stop hitting her. She's not worth dirtying your hands.”
Only then did Timothy stop. I lay on the ground, pain screaming through every inch of my body.
My ribs were probably broken. I tried to get up but couldn't.
“Myrtle, you brought this on yourself.” Timothy spat at me. The laughable part was I could see a sheen of tears in his eyes.
What a twisted man he was.
I lay on the ground, staring up at the sky.
I started laughing. At myself. At Timothy.
I laughed until tears streamed down my face, laughed until it ached.
“She's lost it. Just ignore her.” Jemima tugged Timothy along to leave.
They'd barely taken a few steps when Timothy's phone rang.
An unknown number.
He glanced at Jemima. “I'll never take a call behind your back.”
He'd said that exact line to me once. It was his way of proving loyalty.
Now he'd given those words to Jemima. He answered the call and put it on speaker.
“Am I speaking with Mr. Summers?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“I'm a doctor at Central Hospital. We've been unable to reach Ms. James, and you're listed as her emergency contact.”
“Regarding her gastric cancer……”
