At one in the early morning, a cold wind howled, icy snow danced in the frozen sky. Ashley Right had never felt as cold as this moment. She was like discarded trash, sprawled on the snowy ground.
Her clothes had been soaked by the rain and snow, yet the frigidness of her body was far less than the chill in her heart.
A short distance from her, a man and woman embraced each other, their faces adorned with blinding smiles. Those smiles were like sharp knives, stabbing deep into her.
"Ashley, have you not yet figured it out?"
In her ears was a woman's voice, sharp as ice.
That once obedient and timid girl, was now laughing wildly like a soul reaper, sinister and malevolent.
At that moment, Ashley wished nothing more than to slaughter the traitorous pair before her. She prided herself on being savvy, but she was played for a fool by these two.
For four full years, they used their deceitful masks to manipulate her, creating a rift between her and Grant.
It was her, Ashley, who had been blind and stupid, betraying the man who genuinely cared for her, and ruining everything for him.
She hated herself, her stupidity, and even more so, the despicable couple before her, but there was nothing she could do at this moment.
Tracy had personally severed the tendons in her hands and feet. Her very own cousin, once dearly loved and protected, had gouged out her left eye.
"Sister, don't hate me. Grant stood in the way of my Richard, so I had to use you to remove him for the sake of Richard. But rest assured, sister, once he takes over all from Grant, he will spare his life. After all, he's just a half-disabled cripple now."
"You, wicked..." Ashley gritted her teeth, looking at the woman being protected by the man in the distance. Yet, she was helpless.
"Sister, you mustn't get angry. The poison in your body is highly reactive to anger. This can only accelerate the toxin's effect..."
"So, my father's death is related to the West family, and you all fabricated this too, right?"
"Sister, it's a pity you found out too late. Your uncle has been missing for nearly sixteen years, who knows what happened to him then...? Ah, how can my sister be so foolish, being deceived by some random evidence from brother Richard? Such a pity for the city's number one beauty, filled with nothing more than an empty shell."
"Alright, Tracy, it's cold outside, don't waste your breath with her anymore. If you freeze, I would be heartbroken."
Richard, with a gentle face, embraced the woman in his arms, allowing her to lean softly against him.
When Ashley saw this scene, she felt nothing but ridicule. For so many years, she hadn't discovered that these two shared such a relationship.
"Oh, that's right, Ashley, the young man who saved you back then wasn't me. I think you can probably guess who it indeed was..."
Richard's face was no longer the tender one from before. His usually affectionate eyes were now akin to poison-tipped blades, leaving even deeper wounds on her already battered body.
The two gradually moved away leaving Ashley feeling increasingly cold. Staring into the dark night, letting the snowstorm hit her, Ashley slowly let go, waiting for her life to come to an end.
Did she hate Tracy? Yes!
Did she hate Richard? Yes!
Yet, she hated herself more for if she only believed Grant even once, she would not have been used by these two.
For two whole years, she, who people called a vivid genius, was played around by these two. How blind must she have been, to suffer such a fate, abandoned by the world and dying alone?
Her vision gradually blurred, and she knew her release was near, but there were regrets. She regretted not being able to say sorry to Grant before her death, regretted that she could never reciprocate his love.
Indeed, how much did that man love her, to willingly endure the pain of being hurt by her time and time again? It was indeed her, who, with her own hands, destroyed the man who loved her the most.
"Grant, I'm sorry…"
"Ashley, don’t sleep, don’t sleep, wake up……I'm sorry, I came late…”
From beside her ear, a familiar man’s voice echoed, as tender and haunting as ever.
"Grant, is that you?" Ashley’s consciousness was getting ever more blurry, her body colder and colder, the poison within her body had spread throughout. She knew, there was no antidote for this.
She seemed to hear a loud noise around her, as though the earth was shaking, then there were all kinds of chaotic sounds, but she was too tired, too much in pain, and her remaining right eye couldn’t open anymore.
"Ashley, don’t be afraid, I said before, even if it's death, I'll be with you."
Ashley felt like she was hallucinating, because how could Grant still come? He must deeply possess hatred towards her.
But it' was alright, having such a hallucination before death, at least it seemed like the heavens still did pity her.
"Heavenly God, if you truly pity my miserable twenty-three years, please bless me, let me meet Grant in my next life, then, it will be my turn to love him, to protect him… Grant, if we have another life, I will surely love you well." Tears rolled down her eyes as she said s two last words. "Grant. . . goodbye…”
In that instant, she completely lost consciousness, she heard an explosion.
"Miss Ashley…"
By her side, it seemed someone was calling her. Ashley only felt a splitting headache.
But that wasn't right. She should be dead. Could the dead also have feelings? She clearly remembered having injuries on her hands, legs, and eyes. Why did her whole body feel so much pain?
"She's awake! Miss Right is awake, quickly inform the young master..."
The sound around her got louder and louder. A cacophony that made her headache unbearable. She felt like she was floating in the depths of the sea, desperately trying to grab onto something.
She felt a heaviness on her eyelids, like they had been glued shut. She wanted to open her eyes, wanted to see what the underworld really looked like.
Was it really like the legends with ox-headed and horse-faced beings? Deities of death that bring souls to the afterlife?
Finally, she felt a gentle light, her vision slowly focusing, and the hazy shadows gradually became clear. She opened her eyes, and it was as if she had just woken up from a dream.
Why were all the faces she saw familiar ones? Mama Stacy, Aunt Caroline, and big sister Stephanie. Had they come to fetch her?
Didn’t they hate her? After all, it was she who had caused their deaths.
No, they must have come to avenge their past lives.
"Miss Right, you've finally woken up." A familiar face came near, but Ashley did not see a trace of hatred or resentment on Mama Stacy's face. Only fervent worry and sorrow were etched on it.
A warm touch came from her forehead. Could a dead person also feel warmth?
No, why did this place seem so familiar, familiar room, familiar layout... she... she was not dead.
With this realization, Ashley moved her limbs. There was no pain from her critical condition before. She stretched her hand; at her wrist, her skin was fair and delicate, not a scar in sight.
Her heart pounded intensely, breathing became rapid out of excitement. Her originally weak body, due to this change, appeared even more pale.
She opened her mouth, the words she wanted to say seemed stuck in her throat. Her throat felt parched and painfully dry, as if something had torn at it.
"Miss Ashley, don't get agitated. You've had a fever for two days. It was not easy for the fever to subside. Your throat must be very sore. Dr. Steven had advised that it's best for you not to speak for a few days."
