She knew Benjamin was telling the truth.
She had never wanted to send Veronica to prison. What kind of punishment was that?
She wanted Veronica to pay in blood for blood.
These three years of marriage, a cage in every sense, she'd had more than enough of them.
His cold gaze settled on her. "Really?"
"Who'd bother lying to you? Three seconds. Divorce or not."
Benjamin glanced at Veronica, and his eyes softened. "I'll have the divorce papers drawn up right away."
Along with the divorce papers, a release waiver was placed in front of her too.
"It was all an accident. Your brother was just unlucky—"
Before he could finish, Lindsay signed her name, clean and unhesitating.
Benjamin looked surprised. "Why are you being so cooperative today?"
Bitterness rose in her throat. She gave a cold laugh. "Clearing the way for you and Veronica. Isn't that nice?"
His eyes went dark, fixed on hers, his voice like ice. "In thirty days, the agreement takes effect. I'd advise you not to get any ideas you shouldn't have. Otherwise I'll make you wish you were dead."
Wish she were dead?
Every single day of these three years, she had been torn between love and hate, scorched by it. She'd already tasted that wish from end to end.
In the morgue, when she saw her brother's body, Lindsay finally broke down and cried. Her hand was still shaking as she held his. "Don't worry. Your sister will avenge you."
She didn't leave the hospital until dawn broke, returning to the cage that had trapped her.
The moment she stepped inside, Veronica appeared in front of her, wearing the air of the lady of the house. "What are you doing here?"
Lindsay shoved her aside, her voice full of contempt. "The thirty days aren't up. I'm still the lady of this house. That's my question to ask you."
The next second, she walked straight into the flower room, picked up an axe, and carried it into the living room.
Veronica's face went white with fright. She pointed at her. "You— what are you doing? I'm calling the police right now—"
Lindsay let out a scornful laugh, didn't even bother to look at her, and swung the axe down into the television. "Go ahead and call."
Everything in this house, except what she could take with her, she would destroy rather than leave for Veronica.
"I've wanted to replace this couch for ages."
"The staircase needs redoing too."
"And I never liked the balcony."
Between Veronica's screaming and the thunderous crash of the axe coming down, the whole mansion was wrecked into ruin, not a single room left fit to live in.
Veronica shrieked, "Lindsay! Just wait until Benjamin gets back. He'll teach you a lesson!"
Lindsay hummed a tune, the corners of her mouth curving up, and smashed every piece of fine dinnerware in the cabinets onto the floor. "I'll be waiting."
When she was done venting, she gathered her things. Her phone suddenly buzzed. She lowered her eyes to look.
It was a text from Raymond Henson, Benjamin's sworn enemy: 【Heard you and Benjamin finally divorced? I always said he wasn't good enough for you. Want to try marrying me instead? I'll help you ruin him.】
Before her marriage, Raymond had been one of her many suitors.
For the sake of that last line, and because Raymond was the lunatic everyone in their circle feared, Lindsay wrote back: 【Sure. Thirty days from now, see you outside the county clerk's office.】
After sending it, she headed for the door, only to be blocked by Veronica.
A smug look surfaced in her eyes. "Lindsay, you act like nothing's wrong, but your heart really hurts, doesn't it?"
"I just mentioned it to Benjamin in passing, and he handed your brother over for me to practice on. Three years married to him, and he never once gave you a proper look, did he? How pathetic."
Lindsay set her suitcase down on the floor, raised her hand, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and slammed her head into the wall.
"Veronica, what exactly are you, that you get to pity me?"
"Until the day that divorce takes effect, you're nothing but a mistress!"
