“Phineas, stop it right now.”
I didn’t stop. Instead, I pressed harder, stomping down on the back of his hand.
“You might be mentally ill, but this is self-defense. I studied law, I know how to deal with you.”
As I pushed harder, Cedric screamed again and again in pain.
Lavinia rushed forward and shoved me aside. “Enough! I know you’re angry at me and taking it out on him. If you have something to vent, take it out on me. Don’t make things harder for him.”
When I still refused to move my foot, Lavinia grabbed a baseball bat and struck me on the head. Pain shot through me, and only then did I let go.
The moment she saw blood trickle down my forehead, she froze, realizing she had gone too far. She stepped forward, wanting to check my wound.
But Cedric clutched his arm and whimpered, “Is my hand broken?”
Then, with tears in his eyes, he added pitifully, “I knew it. Poor orphan, no one cares about me, not even a lonely man with an illness.”
With just those words, Lavinia’s attention shifted completely back to him.
Her shame quickly turned into anger as she shoved me back. “Serves you right. Who told you to start it?”
“Alright, it’s just a little blood. It’s not like you’re going to die. But Cedric is different. The doctor told me I have to watch him every second, we can’t let him get provoked, or what if he takes a knife and hurts himself, or kills someone?”
“And tell Mom not to stay mad. After I calm Cedric, I’ll buy the cassava cake she likes and go see her. We’re not breaking the engagement. I’m not saying it again.”
With that, Lavinia left with Cedric. As they walked past me, Cedric raised his middle finger in mockery.
My head throbbed, and I had no energy to argue with him. Once they were gone, I started clearing out everything of Lavinia’s from the house.
When I was done, I called the landlord to end the lease. But the very next day, I was ambushed, beaten unconscious, and dragged away.
When I opened my eyes again, Cedric was standing there with a cigarette hanging from his lips, several men behind him glaring at me with hostility.
It was obvious they hadn’t come with good intentions. I forced my battered body upright and faced Cedric.
I stared at him for a long moment until he smirked.
“Looks like you’ve figured out I’ve been faking the illness. But what can you do about it?”
“As long as Lavinia stays with me, I’ll never admit it. You’ll never beat me.”
He blew smoke straight into my face. I frowned and stepped back.
“What do you want?”
“I want you out of the picture for good. Lavinia is mine, but she still loves you and won’t let go.”
“You worthless pauper, you’ve blocked my path. If I don’t get rid of you, I’ll never have peace.”
No sooner had he spoken than he waved at the men behind him. “Throw him off the sixth floor and let him die.”
I clenched my fists and fought with everything I had. In the struggle, Cedric grabbed a knife and plunged it into my chest.
Just then, Lavinia rushed in. “Stop it!” she shouted.
Cedric quickly yanked the blade out and stabbed himself, pretending I had attacked him. At the sight of blood, his men panicked and scattered.
He pressed a hand against his wound, staggered toward Lavinia, and collapsed in her arms. Blood soaked her clothes, throwing her into panic.
I fell to my knees, pain drowning me, my vision going black as her furious voice rang in my ears.
“Phineas, you really deserve to die, how could you try to kill Cedric!”
Cedric pretended to faint, but before closing his eyes, he urged her to get him to the hospital.
Lavinia shot me a hateful glare before quickening her steps and dragging Cedric away. In the end, I lost all strength and collapsed on the ground, and not once did she look back at me.
At the hospital, Lavinia sat anxiously on a bench, her restlessness showing through. She didn’t even know why, but my pale, powerless face kept flashing in her mind. Could it be that Phineas was hurt, too?
Just then, the doctor came out and told her Cedric’s wounds weren’t serious. Even so, her heart still wouldn’t settle. After giving Cedric only a brief glance, she found herself wanting to go look for me.
But Cedric clung to her with excuse after excuse, keeping her from leaving and not even letting her answer calls.
By the fourth day, when Lavinia could no longer fight the panic pressing in her chest and finally tried to step outside, several police officers appeared before her.
“You must be Cedric!”
“You’re guilty of two serious crimes, fraud and murder. You pretended to be mentally ill and used a knife to kill two people.”
“The victims were a mother and son, Odette and her son Phineas.”
