The door to Lindsey's hospital room had opened at some point, and Stephanie strolled in leisurely. Her complexion was healthy and rosy. She didn't look at all like someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.
Lindsey sneered, "The two weeks you spent at the hospital… It was all an act, right?"
"So what if it was?" she replied smugly. "Jacob would kill or die for me as long as I put on a pitiful act. Very soon, I'll be standing proudly by his side."
With that, she threw a plastic bag at Lindsey. Inside was the urn that held Jenny's ashes.
Lindsey felt as if her blood had frozen in her veins. She opened the urn with trembling hands, only to find it empty.
"What… What did you do? Where are my mother's ashes?"
Stephanie gleefully admired the devastated look on Lindsey's face. She said, "By the way, it was my suggestion to have the hospital stop your mother's treatment. See? Jacob could ruthlessly take the life of your closest family with just a single word from me. What else do you have to compare yourself to me?"
As if trying to flaunt Jacob's affection for her, Stephanie raised her left hand. A dazzling diamond ring sparkled on her ring finger.
Lindsey recognized it immediately. It was the pink diamond that Jacob had bought at an auction six months ago for 100 million dollars.
At that time, everyone thought that good news was on the horizon for both of them. The entire venue had erupted in cheers, urging Jacob to propose to her.
However, he retorted coldly, "It's not for her."
Stephanie gloated smugly, "Jacob said that I deserve all the rare treasures of the world, including him. Only I am worthy of a man like him!"
Lindsey couldn't hold back any longer. She raised her hand and slapped Stephanie across the face and grabbed her by the throat. "You're the one who killed my mother! You should die! Die!"
The desire to avenge her mother's death made Lindsey's eyes turn bloodshot. It was a stark contrast to the smug smile lingering on Stephanie's face.
Suddenly, a vase came crashing down on the back of Lindsey's head. Warm blood trickled down her forehead and onto the floor.
Jacob pushed Lindsey away and slapped her across the face without mercy. "You crazy woman!"
Lindsey's heart felt as if it were being crushed by an invisible hand. The pain in her chest was unbearable.
Crazy?
She could be crazier.
Consumed by hatred, Lindsey picked up a broken vase shard on the ground and lunged at Stephanie, aiming for the vital spot in her neck. However, Jacob gripped her wrists tightly and restrained her.
"Both of you killed my mother! You two deserve to die!" Lindsey screamed with reddened eyes.
Jacob finally noticed that something was wrong with her. He was utterly shocked when his gaze dropped to the urn in her arms. "What do you mean by that? Your mother…"
Past memories flashed in his mind and landed on something he had said a month ago, "Didn't she just have surgery last week? One less surgery won't kill her, right?"
Stephanie quickly interrupted his train of thought when she saw the shock and disbelief surfacing in Jacob's eyes.
She said, "Jacob, don't believe what she says! I saw her mother taking a walk outside the hospital two days ago. How could she suddenly be dead? Lindsey, how could you even lie about your mother's death to make Jacob feel sorry for you?"
Hearing this, the guilt in Jacob's eyes vanished immediately and was replaced with icy disdain. He ordered that Lindsey be thrown into a psychiatric hospital and gave explicit instructions for her to receive "special treatment".
On her first day at the psychiatric hospital, Lindsey broke a window and tried to escape. However, she was caught and beaten up.
On the second day, she was forcibly strapped to an operating table and had shock therapy without anesthesia.
Lindsey finally gave in on the third day and begged to see Jacob. However, she was greeted by a group of filthy beggars. They fixed their gazes on Lindsey the moment they entered the room, and sleazy grins spread across their faces.
"Sure enough, Mr. Whitaker was right. She looks really fine!"
Color drained from Lindsey's face. "Did Jacob send you?"
"Who else?" The beggars surrounded her and approached menacingly. "Mr. Whitaker said that we could enjoy your company tonight…"
Lindsey was seized by terror and backed away in fright, but the group descended on her like a pack of wolves. She kicked and struggled violently, but her terrified screams only seemed to excite them more.
Slaps rained down on her face. The group of beggars pinned her down and tore at her clothes violently. "Why are you still putting on an act? Those private videos of you and Mr. Whitaker are everywhere. Your moans sounded so lewd, and now you want to act all pure? Who would believe you?"
The blood in Lindsey's body rushed to her head in shock. She felt a heavy sense of impending doom.
Jacob had a hidden fetish that no one knew. He liked taking private videos whenever they made love.
Lindsey was overcome by shame when he brought out the camera for the first time. "Can we not record this?"
Jacob chuckled lazily and persuaded her in a gentle tone, "Just trust me. These will be our most precious memories."
Their wild and shameless acts were completely recorded on camera, from the bedroom, to the study, the bathroom, and even in his office.
But Lindsey had never imagined that one day, the so-called precious memories would become the very weapon he used to destroy her.
Just when she was about to give up on all hope, the door to her room was suddenly kicked open. Jacob stormed in like a monster from the inferno, fury and wrath burning in his eyes.
He grabbed one of the beggars by the collar and began raining heavy punches on his face. Loud wails and screams pierced the night as the room was filled with the stench of blood.
After all these years, Lindsey finally felt the warmth of Jacob's body temperature once more. She trembled involuntarily before everything went black, and she passed out in his arms.
