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A smug smile flashed across Lily’s face and she returned to her usual weakness.
I was so angry at Jacob’s slow reaction that I sneered and ignored him. I turned around, bent down and helped my best friend up from the ground. She reached out to brush off the dust on her clothes.
Jacob’s gaze fell on my ten fingertips covered with blood scabs and the angry expression on his face gradually eased. There was hesitation in his voice as he asked, “What happened to your fingers?”
I still didn’t give him a look, nor did I respond to his words. Now, if I say one more word to him, I felt like I’m wasting my time. Robin, following his brother’s gaze, finally noticed my friend’s leg, wrapped tightly in a plaster cast. His accusatory expression faltered, replaced with concern.
In his mind, the arson was purely my doing. My friend was just someone I had deceived and all of this had nothing to do with her. “What happened to your leg? Are you okay? I told you to stay away from Alana
But before he could finish, my friend cut him off coldly, “Shut up! Who I’m close to or distant from is none of your business! After the divorce, we’ll go our separate ways. You have no right to tell me what to do!”
This was the first time I had ever seen my best friend speak so harshly in public
Robin’s concerned expression cracked slightly, his eyes were stunned at first and then quickly filled with anger. His voice lost all patience as he snapped back, “I told you not to spend so much time with her! Look at what you’ve turned into! You’re acting like a complete lunatic!”
Before he could say more, Lily chimed in with her usual softness, trying to smooth things over and gently said, “Robin meant well. Why are you being like this? You haven’t seen each other in so long. Don’t start fighting the moment you meet. If there’s any misunderstanding…”
I couldn’t bear her fake performance anymore and cut her off, ripping away her mask.
I snapped at her, “Stop the act! Are you addicted to playing roles? When you end up behind bars, I’ll see if there’s a good script to film inside, so you u can act to your heart’s content! But for now, stop making us sick!”
As soon as I finished speaking. Lily’s face crumpled in fake distress, her delicate features twisted with feigned innocence. She tugged at Jacob’s sleeve, acting like a child seeking comfort.
If it was before the fire, I might have really been fooled by her face. But now, no matter how much she pretended, her rotten core was exposed for all to see.
Seeing me insult his precious Lily, Jacob’s temper flared and veins bulged at his temples.
His patience had run dry and he barked at me furiously, “Alana, what’s wrong with you? I haven’t even held you accountable for the arson and now you attack Lily in front of me? And on top of that, you haven’t given me any explanation about the child!”
*I’m warning you, apologize to Lily right now, or I’ll have Robin take you away! He reported you a week ago! If Lily hadn’t stopped him, do you think you’d have had a peaceful week?
Hearing him twist the facts to make Lily the victim made my blood boil.
The anger and resentment that had been festering in my chest finally erupted and I shouted back at him, “What, am I supposed to thank her? Should I kneel and bow my head in gratitude? Thank her for stealing my husband, setting fire to my house and throwing all the blame on me?”
“She locked me in the bedroom, ignored my cries for help when the fire started and ultimately caused my baby’s death! If my best friend hadn’t returned and broken her leg to save me, I wouldn’t even be standing here today!”
“Tell me, how should I thank her? Go ahead, tell me! Maybe I should reward your precious woman with a nice meal in prison?” Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face as I finished speaking.
After the Gas Explosion My Husband Only Saved Her
My best friend, stood closest to me, hurriedly patted my chest to calm me down.
Jacob had a stunned expression on his face. He had never seen me look so helpless,
In the seven years we were together, I had always been strong, always independent, never needed help from anyone. But that was only because I knew that no matter what I said, no matter how much I asked for help, I would be dismissed as emotional and irrational, never measuring up to his precious Lily.
So I tried hard to make myself perfect and strong. But in the end, it was all for nothing.
He heard my years of pent–up grief and injustice, Jacob’s anger dissipated, leaving only confusion and disbelief on his face. He said, “How could that be? When the fire happened, I went into the house. I checked repeatedly and there was no one there except Lily. I even asked her again. She clearly told me that you and your friend had gone out to buy groceries. How could this happen? How could anything happen to the baby?”
As his words trailed off, both Jacob and Robin turned to glance at Lily. But despite the glance, neither of them showed even the
slightest doubt towards her.
Seeing this, Lily grabbed Jacob’s clothes a little harder, causing wrinkles on the fabric. Her face was full of innocence and she
shook her head gently at them.
She then turned to me and spoke, “Even if you want a divorce, you shouldn’t secretly get rid of the baby. After all, Jacob is the baby’s father. He has the right to know You can’t be so selfish.”
After she finished, suspicion quickly flashed across Jacob’s face. I saw it and couldn’t help but felt a wave of bitter sarcasm. Of course, the bond of years as childhood sweethearts far outweighed our mere seven years of marriage. I should have known this
day would come.
Fortunately, the house didn’t burn down completely. I still had evidence.
With this thought, I took a deep breath and said coldly. “Fine, then let’s handle the paperwork. The baby is gone anyway. Once the paperwork is done, we’ll have nothing to do with each other.”
I supported my best friend as we headed toward the civil affairs bureau. But after a while, neither Jacob nor his brother moved.
They just stood where they were
My best friend and I turned our heads at the same time and Jacob’s face was solemn. His brother glanced at him, then raised his
hand and waved,
The next second, the police he brought immediately surrounded my best friend and me. He threatened to take us to the police
station for investigation.
In the end, the paperwork never got done. Back at the police station, I gave a detailed statement about the fire. The police compared my account with the report Robin had filed at the time and soon it became clear that our descriptions of the incident were
completely different.
In an instant, the atmosphere turned grim, this meant that someone was lying.
As the last witness to leave the house that day, my best friend immediately denied having gone out with me.
But before she could finish her sentence, Jacob slammed his hand on the table and stood up, rebuking her, “You’re her best friend,
of course you’re going to take her side. It wouldn’t be surprising if you were lying for her!”
I was stunned. I always knew Jacob would abandon his principles for Lily, but I never imagined he could stoop this low!
I was trembling with anger, ready to explode on the spot. My best friend quickly reached out to stop me.
She glanced at my phone and pointed at the evidence stored inside. I took a deep breath to calm myself before speaking. “In that case, let’s investigate the house. The damage wasn’t too severe and I’ve always kept up with the maintenance of the pipes. We’ll find out the real cause of the fire soon enough.”
“There are also marks behind the bedroom door where I tried to escape, which will prove that I’m telling the truth.”
As I finished, Jacob’s gaze fell on the blood scabs on my fingers, his expression conflicted.
Just as Robin called for a few officers to prepare to head out, his brother suddenly spoke up, “rl go too.”
At that moment, a flash of panic crossed Lily’s eyes and she quickly interjected, “I think I might have left something important at the house that day. I need to go back and get it. It’s very important to me…”
