Remarriage Failed Again Today-Chapter 87: Refusing to Play by the Rules

"A slip of the tongue?! Sorry, but don’t you dare pin this on me just misspeaking! Cut the crap with that whole ’playing the victim to get your way’ act. ’Your body is a gift from your parents,’ right? If you were so considerate of them, where were you before all this?

You tried to kill yourself by slitting your wrists. If you’d actually died, it would be because you severed a major artery. You can’t even speak properly now, and since you’re not dead, it must have been a superficial wound at best. You were only out for one night. Are you done with your act yet?

Is this how you keep your parents from worrying? If you really wanted to die, you’d be dead by now. You waited until I was unconscious for five days to try and kill yourself. Did you want your parents to wait for me to wake up just so they could come after me?"

"That’s not it."

Vivian Yates quickly threw back the covers and got out of bed. She walked over to Annabelle and began to unwrap the layers of gauze around her own wrist. The innermost layer was already seeping blood. A hideous scar marred her pale arm—a truly gruesome sight.

"Annabelle, that’s not what I meant. You’ve misunderstood me.

Ashley said I’ve been undermining your marriage with Leona, and that I’ve been taking credit for all the sacrifices you’ve made for him. I haven’t! I really haven’t! Leona and I are just friends. I’ve never, ever thought of us as anything more.

But you were in a coma for five days. For all five of those days, I wanted to explain everything to you, but you just wouldn’t wake up. I was so scared that you believed it all, and I’ve felt you slowly pulling away from me because of all the past rumors and suspicions.

I don’t want to lose you as a friend. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. But then you misunderstood me, and I felt more and more guilty, so... I started drinking, and then I tried to kill myself.

I’m so sorry, Annabelle. I hurt you. Please, tell me, what can I do to save our friendship? Just tell me. Anything I can do... even if it means dying... I, I... I’ll do it!"

As Vivian finished her emotional speech, tears streamed down her face, her voice thick with desperation.

After hearing all this, the corner of Annabelle’s mouth merely twitched, a cold, almost-smile that wasn’t a smile at all.

’If this were my past life, words like these would probably have moved me to tears. But not anymore.’

’Vivian was the most calculating, most vicious woman she had ever met. Could she really be so innocent?’

’The answer was no. She was absolutely, positively certain of it.’

"Is that so."

Annabelle’s lips parted. She had been about to say, ’Then go die.’

But she quickly suppressed the thought.

’Vivian wouldn’t actually go and die. At most, she’d just put on another performance like this one. I don’t care what damage Vivian’s acting might cause me, but why should I play along and give that bitch the satisfaction?’

Seeing Annabelle’s indifferent tone, Vivian’s eyes instantly grew cold.

’That bitch’s attitude shouldn’t be like this!’

’She had expected that after her speech, Annabelle would attack her with cold, harsh words just like before—dredging up the past, calling her a hypocritical schemer, or maybe even telling her to go die. No matter what, it would have made Annabelle look like the aggressor.’

’Maybe Annabelle really did deserve the credit for those things in the past, but so much time had passed. What good would it do to bring up old scores now?’

’As long as Annabelle attacked or refuted her, she could just play the emotional card, make herself look pure and kind, and paint herself as the perfect victim!’

’And if all else failed, if she couldn’t win the argument, she didn’t have to. She could just pretend to faint.’

’Then she could fall "unconscious" just like yesterday and have the doctors exaggerate her condition. She’d used that trick plenty of times before, but hey, it never failed, right?!’

’Countless scenarios had run through her mind; she had even planned out the perfect ending. But this damn bitch just refused to play by the rules!’