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Novel Catalog
Chapter 38
Tiffany couldn’t contain her anger as she watched Matthew’s concern for Veronica. It was as though she was being mocked. Meanwhile, Veronica had already left the western restaurant, ready to accompany her parents to the hospital.
At the hospital, Tiffany’s injury—a minor scalp wound—was treated quickly, and the bleeding stopped. But, in typical Tiffany fashion, she wasn’t satisfied with a simple fix. She persuaded the doctor to admit her to the VIP ward for a few days of monitoring, hoping that Matthew would stay with her longer.
Since the hospital was owned by Floch, the doctor had no choice but to comply with her request. After receiving an IV drip, Tiffany latched onto Matthew’s hand, her eyes swollen from crying as she whined, “Matthew, my parents are overseas for a business trip. They won’t be back until tomorrow. Can you stay here with me tonight?”
Matthew didn’t respond immediately, his expression showing a flicker of annoyance before he reluctantly agreed. “Fine.”
Once in the ward, Tiffany did everything she could to engage him, making small talk, but Matthew remained absorbed in his work on the laptop. Every time she tried to initiate a conversation, he turned her down, citing work as the excuse. Finally, late at night, Matthew moved to the bed, lying down to get some rest. Tiffany was displeased but held her tongue. Instead, she quietly wished him goodnight before settling into her own bed. The ward fell silent, the only sound being Tiffany’s occasional sniffles.
As the minutes dragged on, Tiffany’s eyes remained wide open, lost in thought. Then, suddenly, a sharp scream broke the silence.
“Ahh! Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me… Ahh…”
Startled, Matthew shot up from the bed and flicked on the light. Tiffany was sitting up in bed, her face buried in her knees as she sobbed uncontrollably.
“Sob… sob…”
“Did you have a nightmare?” Matthew’s voice was cold, his concern absent as he approached her.
Tiffany lifted her tear-streaked face and looked up at him, her voice trembling. “Matthew… I had a dream that someone was coming after me… to kill me…” Her words were barely audible between her sobs.
Despite her dramatic display, Matthew remained unmoved. His expression darkened. He didn’t want to deal with her theatrics but, after a long pause, he finally placed his hand on her back. “Since it’s a nightmare, just forget about it.”
“The nightmare was too scary…” Tiffany said softly, pulling away from him, her eyes locked onto his. She sniffled, her gaze intense. “Matthew, can you sleep with me tonight?”
Matthew didn’t immediately respond. Tiffany’s request was bold, but not entirely unexpected. She’d been building up to this moment all evening, but she hadn’t anticipated the coldness in his eyes.
His expression hardened further. “What?”
Not discouraged, Tiffany’s voice remained sweet, even as her heart skipped a beat. “Or… how about you turn off the light only after I fall asleep?” Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her voice so sweet that anyone would pity her.
Matthew knew exactly what she was doing. He’d seen through her manipulation in an instant. Still, after a moment of hesitation, he gave a noncommittal grunt. “Alright.”
The light stayed on for the rest of the night, and Matthew merely draped his jacket over himself, lying down on the small bed. He wasn’t interested in Tiffany’s emotional games, but he also didn’t want to deal with her complaints, so he decided to let it go for the night.
When Tiffany woke up the next morning, she found the room empty. Matthew had already left.
Meanwhile, Veronica had taken care of her parents at the hospital and helped them settle into their hometown for the night. Afterward, she made her way back to Bloomstead. As she arrived at the Regalia Condominium, she saw Floch and Rachel approaching.
The Larsons had been bombarding Veronica with phone calls ever since she slapped Tiffany the previous night. They had demanded she show up at 10 a.m. that morning to meet them in person, and Veronica had reluctantly agreed.
Rachel was the first to approach, her face twisted in anger. She couldn’t hide her disdain as she stormed up to Veronica. “You b*tch! How dare you bully my Tiffy again and again? Do you think we, the Larsons, are pushovers?”
Without waiting for a response, Rachel raised her hand to slap Veronica, but Veronica was quick. She grabbed Rachel’s wrist before it could make contact, holding it firmly.
“Mrs. Larson,” Veronica said with an icy smile, “You’re a well-known socialite. Aren’t you afraid of becoming the laughing stock of others if they see your behavior?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
Rachel struggled, but Veronica’s grip didn’t loosen. “Let go of me!” she spat, furious, but Veronica simply released her, letting Rachel stumble backward. Floch rushed to steady her before she could fall.
“You rascal!” Floch yelled, pointing a shaking finger at Veronica. “At first, we thought you were pitiful, and we were willing to forgive you if you apologized to Tiffany. But now, it seems like you’re not worthy of any sympathy!” He was seething with rage.
His fury only deepened as he ordered Rachel, “Call the police! We’ll make her pay for this. She’ll learn her place!”
Rachel, still fuming, whipped out her phone and dialed the authorities. Veronica, however, remained calm. She wasn’t bothered by the Larsons’ threats. In fact, she found the situation laughable.
“If you want me to apologize and leave Bloomstead, I’ll do it,” Veronica said with a shrug, “But if you insist on dragging me to the police, I’ll slap Tiffany every time I see her.”
Floch’s face twisted in disbelief. “You—!”
Rachel was livid, but Veronica merely turned on her heel and began walking away, humming casually as she went.
“You evil brat!” Rachel shouted, but Veronica didn’t look back. “What sin have I committed to have a daughter like you?”
Floch, equally enraged, muttered under his breath, “One day, she’ll come crawling back, begging for forgiveness.”
Ten minutes later, a police car arrived at the condominium. Veronica didn’t resist. She walked calmly to the car and was taken to the station without protest.
At the station, Veronica sat in the interrogation room, unfazed as the officer grilled her. “You’re really that arrogant, huh? Do you realize that slapping someone like that could land you in prison for months? The Larsons said they’ll drop the charges if you apologize.”
Veronica’s expression didn’t change. She met the officer’s eyes with a nonchalant smile. “Tell them, if they go behind my back again, I’ll slap Tiffany every time I see her.”
The officer’s face reddened with rage, but he could do little. He left the room to pass on her words to the Larsons.
When Floch and Rachel heard Veronica’s message, they were furious. Floch’s voice was low and seething with rage. “She’ll never learn unless she’s punished. We’re putting her behind bars for this.” He couldn’t let this insult slide, not after everything Veronica had done.
