14
The consequence of my ruthlessness? My family, the Hayes, came looking for me again.
Chloe: [Eleanor, please make your husband stop! Has he lost his mind, targeting the Hayes family like this? What good does it do you if the Hayes family collapses? Without your family, how will you stand your ground in the Blackwood family!]
Leo: [Ellie, we know you and Julian have made up. Please don’t target us anymore, okay?]
[…]
I simply replied: [If he didn’t do it, I would ha
eventually brought down the Hayes family myself.]
Lately, I’ve had a new annoyance. Julian harassing me unilaterally is one thing. But Henry started showing up too, somehow finding my address and bothering me
occasionally. Then, somehow, Julian would find out, and the two of them would get into another fight. I wanted nothing to do with either of them. But, their harass-
ment wasn’t too frequent, and the things they occasionally sent weren’t bad, so why not accept them?
Until one day, as I was leaving, a sharp blade lunged
side. The metallic tang of blood assaulted my senses, making
- m. But the expected pain didn’t come. I was shoved to the ground by someone who rushed from the
grimace. I looked up
to
see who was holding the dagger.
My father’s face was contorted in a grotesque mask. “I raised you for nothing, you ungrateful wretch! I’ll kill you, you ungrateful wretch!” Julian, one hand clamped
over his bleeding abdomen, with the other shoved my father violently away. Police officers quickly arrived, seizing my father and hauling him away. I met his gaze, cold and unfeeling. “Having a father like you–that’s my misfortune.” He was hauled away, roaring in a frenzy of rage, limbs flailing wildly but to no avail. “Enjoy the
rest of your life in prison,” I said, a faint smile on my lips.
Out of sheer pragmatism, I took Julian to the clinic. All the way there, he clutched my hand tightly, sweat beading on his forehead from the pain. I looked at him and asked, “Did you promise him money to play hero and rescue me?” Julian stared at me, disbelieving, his fingers trembling helplessly. You… you think that of me?”
“You’ve done it before,” I said, withdrawing my gaze, my voice flat. He sounded as if he was about to cry. “I…” I cut him off. “Whatever the reason, he’s in prison. That
outcome, I’m satisfied with.”
He leaned weakly on my shoulder, tears streaming uncontrollably, muttering softly, “I’m so sorry, Eleanor. Truly “This is all my own fault.”
