Chapter 37 Ten Stabs
Camila found Owen utterly laughable. She couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. He claimed to be concerned about her, yet the real reason he came was to interrogate her about whether she had pushed Agnes down the stairs.
When he asked that question, he wasn’t seeking an explanation–deep down, he already had the answer.
He told her not to dwell on the past, to look ahead, yet it was clear she hadn’t done anything wrong. All the accusations were his doing, his weight placed unfairly on her.
He was the one who had made the mistake, yet he refused to acknowledge it, demanding that she be the bigger person. She thought, ‘What gives him the right? Who does he think he is?
As Camila’s mocking laughter filled the air, Owen’s expression darkened. The sound of her laughter grated on him, each chuckle piercing his ears like nails on a chalkboard.
“Stop laughing,” Owen growled, his voice low and laced with repressed anger.
But Camila only laughed harder, her eyes red from the tears, her hatred so sharp it seemed ready to tear through his facade. “I told you to stop!” Owen snapped, his temper flaring. He reached out and pressed his hand over her mouth, pinning her firmly to the bed.
His eyes were bloodshot, his voice furious. “Why have you turned into this? Why can’t you just listen?”
Camila struggled, but the physical difference between them made it impossible to break free.
His large hand not only covered her mouth but also pressed over her nose, cutting off her air supply. Her face flushed red as she fought for breath.
Whether he didn’t notice her struggle or simply didn’t care, he continued to press down on her, punishing her as if she were nothing.
The lack of air made Camila’s head swim. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, Hazel’s voice rang out sharply,” Stop!”
Without a second thought, Hazel grabbed the thermos in her hand and hurled it at Owen’s head.
The impact made him release his grip. But in retaliation, Owen kicked Hazel hard, sending her flying across the room.
As she saw Hazel thrown aside, Camila’s heart lurched in panic. “Hazel-!” she cried, her voice filled with fear and anger.
The thermos crashed to the floor, spilling hot soup over Hazel. The liquid burned her skin, and she screamed in pain as it scalded her face and arms.
Camila’s eyes went bloodshot with rage. She grabbed an apple from the nightstand and threw it at Owen with all her might. ” Owen, get out- I never want to see you again!”
“Get out? What right do you have to tell me to leave?” Owen’s voice was seething. “Don’t forget, I’ve always protected you.
“Every time you were bullied, I stepped in. You wanted fruit, I got it for you. I’ve done so much for you–what have you ever done for me?”
He took a step closer. “When you were at the orphanage and got beaten, I protected you. You didn’t tell me to leave then, did you?”
Camila trembled with rage. Grabbing the fruit knife from the basket, she waved it wildly at Owen, forcing him to back away.
His gaze locked on the knife. “Camila, are you crazy? You really think you can hurt me with that?”
“Yes, I’m crazy! I’m crazy because of you!” Camila’s hand shook violently as she swung the knife through the air, the blade cutting through the tense silence. Her eyes were bloodshot with fury.
Owen wasn’t wrong. The time at the orphanage had been the best part of her childhood.
Because of that, even though he had sent her to prison, she still couldn’t fully hate him. After all, when they were kids, he had protected her with everything he had.
The five years in prison could be considered payment for the fifteen years Owen had spent caring for her.
The rift between them had grown too wide, and the damage was beyond repair. She just wanted to distance he him, preserving whatever dignity she had left.
But Owen wouldn’t let it go. He kept pushing, r Successfully unlocked! 1 that she shouldn’t hold onto the pas
rom
that
she should forgive him.
“How much more do you want from me before you’ll leave me alone?” Camila screamed, her voice desperate, her hand swinging the knife even more wildly.
She continued, “When I was at the orphanage, I trusted you completely. I thought you were the only person I could depend
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Chapter 7 Ten Stabs
on in this world. You promised me that no one would ever hurt me.
“You said you’d become a lawyer and send anyone who bullied me to prison. But what did you do? Did you keep any of those promises?
“I never held it against you for breaking those promises, and I didn’t even blame you when you sent me to prison to protect Agnes. So why can’t you just leave me alone?
“I spent five years in that dark, hopeless prison. Is that not enough to repay your fifteen years of care?
“Fine. I’ll give it all back to you, every last bit.”
There was an icy determination in Camila’s eyes. Slowly, she turned the knife toward herself and, without hesitation, plunged it into her shoulder.
The blade cut through her skin in an instant, and blood poured out, staining her arm and dripping onto the sheets in a pool of deep red.
But her face remained expressionless, as if she couldn’t feel the pain. In prison, she’d suffered much worse and had long since grown numb to it.
Her brow didn’t furrow, and her gaze never left Owen’s, unblinking. Her lips trembled as she muttered, “Is this enough?” Owen stood frozen, his face drained of color. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the blood pouring from her shoulder. The sight of it burned his eyes, each drop of red cutting into him.
“Not enough?” Camila’s voice was eerily calm, almost as if she were talking about something unrelated. After she spoke, she tightened her grip on the knife and yanked it out of her shoulder.
As the knife pulled free, more blood splattered across the room, some even landing on her face, mixing with the sweat and tears on her cheeks. She looked defeated, yet utterly resolute.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she stabbed herself again, the madness and exhaustion in her eyes evident. “Is this enough now?”
“You… you’re crazy, you’ve lost it…” Owen’s voice became ragged and dry. The Camila before him was a stranger–someone so unfamiliar that it terrified him.
Camila didn’t respond. She continued her actions, pulling the knife out and stabbing it into her shoulder again and again, without pause, without mercy.
Ten strikes. Ten stabs, one after another, each one causing her body to tremble slightly. But her determination never
faltered.
In a blink, her shoulder was a bloody mess, and the entire room was thick with the smell of blood.
Hazel, unable to ignore her own burns any longer, rushed to Camila’s side, her heart aching for her. “Miss Jackson, stop, please!”
She held Camila tightly, her eyes blazing with fury as she glared at Owen. “Why haven’t you left yet? Are you trying to kill
Miss Jackson?”
In stark contrast to Hazel’s frantic concern, Camila’s gaze toward Owen was cold and distant.
“Five years in prison, plus the ten stabs I just gave myself–does that not balance out your fifteen years of care in the orphanage?” she asked.
Owen stood there, completely shattered. He had never imagined things would end like this.
He thought, ‘No, this isn’t how it is supposed to be. I came here to show concern for her, but now look where we are. She is the girl I have protected and loved for over a decade.’
Seeing him silent, Camila tossed the fruit knife at his feet. “If you are still not satisfied, then pick up the knife. I’ll let you stab me as much as you want, until you’re satisfied.”
Chapter 38 A Perfect Family?
