Elizabeth stepped into the corridor, her eyes landing on Scarlett and Scarlett’s mother, Lily, perched on a bench like a pair of forlorn statues. Scarlett, once poised and polished, now resembled a shattered porcelain doll—her hair a windswept mess and her once-crisp outfit caked in dust.
Lily’s eyes brightened when she saw Elizabeth. She rose quickly, her voice pleading. “Elizabeth, please talk to your husband. Scarlett didn’t intend to cause trouble! These roads are treacherous, and accidents happen constantly.”
Elijah and Oliver walked in.
Oliver stepped forward, his tone precise. “Mrs. Norris, this wasn’t an accident. She deliberately drove into our vehicle. As a truck passed, she panicked and accelerated, smashing our side mirror and leaving a meter-long scratch. The car’s custom paint and interior can’t be repaired locally—it will need to be sent abroad for restoration.”
Scarlett’s vacant eyes suddenly focused. She stood abruptly, interrupting Oliver with disbelief, “Mrs. Norris? Isn’t she your wife? Didn’t you share a bottle of water with her?”
Her words hung in the air, revealing her shock at discovering Elizabeth’s relationship with Elijah.
Scarlett gazed at Elijah, whose anger-darkened face remained devastatingly handsome—almost celestial in its beauty.
How could such a man be married to Elizabeth?
Oliver’s face turned ghostly pale, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. “Miss, you can’t go around saying things like that!” he blurted, his words tripping over each other. “I never shared a bottle of water with Mrs. Norris!”
Turning to Elijah, he hastened to clarify. “Sir, I did hand Mrs. Norris a bottle earlier, but it was sealed! I offered her a Fillico first, but she wanted Evian instead, so I got one. The bottle I drank from is still in the car—untouched!”
He spoke so quickly that it seemed he might pull out surveillance footage at any moment just to exonerate himself.
But Elijah didn’t even blink. He responded with a single, nonchalant “Hmm.”
Seeing Elijah’s calm demeanor, Oliver breathed a sigh of relief.
His boss wasn’t one to fall for wild accusations, especially not from an unhinged woman grasping at straws.
Lily, meanwhile, grabbed Scarlett’s arm and pulled her aside, her voice a sharp whisper. “What kind of nonsense are you spewing? Everyone saw Elizabeth return with her husband yesterday! They’re clearly happy together.”
Hoping to shift the focus, Lily turned back to Elizabeth, adopting a more pleading tone. “Elizabeth, you heard the young man—it was just a moment of panic! The truck startled her. Besides, isn’t the car insured? Surely insurance can cover some of it? A few million… that’s an amount we couldn’t scrape together in a hundred years! If we’re forced to pay, it’ll ruin us!”
Oliver hesitated, glancing toward Elijah. “Well…”
But before he could finish, Elijah’s cold voice sliced through the tension like a blade. “This isn’t about the money.”
Elijah’s sharp eyes locked onto Elizabeth. “She did it because she has her eyes on your husband. She wanted to stage some dramatic encounter, hoping it would lead somewhere. If we let this go unpunished, what’s stopping every other woman from trying the same trick? Do you think I have time to visit the police station every day to deal with nonsense like this?”
Scarlett’s face turned pale. For someone used to being admired and doted on, having her ploy laid bare by the very man she fancied was a humiliation she could hardly bear.
Her lips quivered, and she lowered her head, wishing she could sink into the floor and disappear.
Lily froze, the realization dawning on her like a thunderclap. Her mind flashed back to that morning when Scarlett had dressed up with unusual care.
She slapped Scarlett’s arm repeatedly, her voice trembling with both anger and despair. “How could you? Your father and I have always lived honest lives—how did we end up with a daughter who covets another woman’s husband? Look at you! Why would Elizabeth’s husband ever pick you over her?”
Scarlett, humiliated and cornered, finally snapped. Tears streaming down her face, she screamed, “What’s wrong with me? Are you even my real mom? I’ve had more admirers than Elizabeth since we were kids! Why am I not as good as her? Why can’t he like me?”
Lily, stunned by the outburst, took a step back before snapping, “It’s not about admirers! People didn’t pursue Elizabeth because they were too intimidated by her! She’s a top student, a living legend in academics! Who would dare to approach her? Who could possibly be good enough for her?”
Scarlett slumped onto the bench, the weight of Lily’s words crushing her fragile defenses. The truth had been exposed, and it cut deeper than she ever imagined.
Lily, still shaken, tried to steady herself.
But Elizabeth broke the silence first. Her voice was measured, and thoughtful. “Let’s let the insurance handle it,” she said, addressing Elijah. “It happened here in Esterhall—no one outside this town will know, so there’s no risk of copycats. And you have the means to keep it quiet, don’t you?”
Elizabeth then turned to Lily, her tone softening. “Take Scarlett home, Lily. It’s over now.”
Lily’s shoulders sagged in relief as she thanked Elizabeth profusely. Grabbing Scarlett by the arm, she dragged her away.
Scarlett cast one last glance at Elijah, her heart twisting with bitterness.
She had dreamed of standing by his side, eclipsing Elizabeth. Now, she was leaving in disgrace, the punchline of a cruel joke.
Elijah, however, didn’t spare her a second glance. His cold gaze remained fixed on Elizabeth. “Do you really care so little about me?” he asked, his voice low and deliberate.
