Percival's face darkened when he heard Eulalia's sarcastic remarks about Evadne. He ordered, "You seem to be in high spirits, clearly not needing anyone to take care of you. Go and make some new dishes."His words were strange, as if cooking for him was her greatest honor."Who's taking care of whom? I cleaned the rooms, bought and cooked the food. This is my house!" Eulalia's chest was burning with anger, and she couldn't take it anymore. In a fit of rage, she kicked over the trash can, spilling the red oily pig's trotter soup all over the floor."Percival, do you think I care? You said you wanted Evadne to take care of me, but it seems more like satisfying your selfish desires. I'm sick of you! I'm done serving you!" she spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm.Her eyes reddened, and she lost her appetite for the only bowl of pig's trotter soup on the table. She had spent two hundred to spite this despicable couple, and it was not worth it.Eulalia tried to leave the dining room to go
Percival looked at Eulalia's face, concern in his eyes. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.The dim yellow light cast a pallor on Eulalia's face, making her look as colorless as aged paper.Outside the door, Evadne, feeling neglected, spoke again, her voice filled with grievance, "Percy, I'm feeling unwell. If you're busy with Eulalia, I'll go to the hospital alone.""Stay, I'll take you to the hospital." Percival got up, straightened his clothes, and generously covered the pitiful-looking Eulalia with a blanket.He opened the door to find Evadne, her eyes red and trembling. His earlier dissatisfaction vanished at the sight of her."What happened? Why did your head suddenly start hurting?" Percival asked, leaning down to check Evadne's forehead.Evadne explained, "It might be from the bump earlier. I don't know if it caused a concussion, but I feel dizzy and nauseous... I thought I could endure it, but it's too uncomfortable." Sniffling, she glanced inside, her voice hoarse, "I didn't
Eulalia breathed a sigh of relief when it became quiet outside her door. Percival must have gone to Evadne's room. She was glad she had arranged for Evadne's room to be far away, or she might have heard sounds she didn't want to hear.Without Percival, she should have been able to sleep peacefully, but Eulalia found that she couldn't sleep at all. Her body ached everywhere, and her head was uncomfortable. She got up and took two sleeping pills from the drawer before finally drifting off.Percival woke up early, but when he went downstairs, he found that someone had risen even earlier. As he approached the dining room, he smelled the fragrance of porridge.The kitchen had a frosted sliding door, and through it, he could see a hazy figure inside. A classic line suddenly came to his mind:— Who has a soul touched by mountains and rivers, yet finds themselves bound by the daily grind, the kitchen’s warmth, and the complexities of love?A warmth spread through his heart, soothing every par
Evadne seemed to care about her, but her dark eyes were filled with scheming.Eulalia stopped several feet away from Evadne as she descended the stairs. Evadne was wearing a chiffon blouse today, with a low neckline that revealed her slender neck. The delicate skin was marred by several red bruises, looking quite conspicuous.Such marks were hard to ignore, and it seemed that Percival and Evadne had been quite passionate last night.The thought of Percival touching Evadne and then coming to her made Eulalia feel sick.Suppressing her disgust, she replied nonchalantly, “I'm fine.”Evadne's eyelashes drooped, and she said apologetically, “Percy and I came back late last night, so he slept in my room. I didn't sleep well at all, fearing I might disturb you.”So, she was bragging. No wonder she was wearing such a thin chiffon blouse in the cold, showing off the marks on her neck.Eulalia didn't react as Evadne had hoped. She smiled, thinking Evadne naive. Didn't she know that long-term ki
Eulalia was shaking all over, leaning against the wall to keep herself upright. She had suspected that her father's death had something to do with Percival, but she never knew the truth could be so brutal."Sacrifice," she thought, the word echoing in her mind. The price was too high. She had gambled everything on an unknown outcome, and now she had lost it all.Evadne, taking pleasure in Eulalia's misery, sneered: "Eulalia, admit it, you're a losing bargain! You deserve this! Without the Clearwater family, you're worse than a beggar, just a stray dog!"Eulalia looked at her with disdain, then raised her hand and slapped her hard across the face. The sound echoed through the empty living room. She used all her strength, and Evadne, caught off guard, fell to the ground."You hit me? Do you believe I'll tell..." Evadne began, but Eulalia slapped her again before she could finish."Hit you? I should have slapped you twice yesterday. You made me suffer for nothing," Eulalia said, her eyes
Eulalia had the urge to run away, but where could she escape to? The entire city was under Percival's control. She feared that before she could even get in a car, she would be bound and sent back, and the cost of being sent back might be something she couldn't bear.Besides... she had a brother.Her death wouldn't matter; she had been living with that thought for over a year. But she feared dragging others into her mess.Percival knew what she feared most. As long as he grasped her weakness, she was like a kite in his hands. No matter how high or far she flew, a gentle tug would pull her back.Eulalia couldn't eat, her mind preoccupied, but her stomach couldn't bear the hunger. She boiled two eggs and took them to her bedroom to eat.The eggs in her hand went from scalding hot to icy cold, and she waited from day to night. Finally, the sound of a car came from downstairs.A beam of light gradually illuminated the night. Eulalia sat on the edge of her bed, her gaze shifting from the wi
Eulalia had thought of many outcomes, but she never expected Percival to mock and ridicule her so openly to defend Evadne.Her heart was numb with pain, but the discomfort was unbearable. Eulalia coughed twice, wiping the blood from her hand on her clothes, thankful that she was wearing a black jacket that wouldn't show the stain.“If you can’t keep your mouth shut, you deserve a slap, right? That’s what you always told me, Percival. Don’t even talk about two slaps; you’ve hit me way more than that. What I did to her doesn’t even compare to a fraction of what you’ve done to me.” Eulalia leaned back against the bed, struggling to push herself up. Her body wobbled, but she managed to stay on her feet.Percival’s slap had been harder than ever, leaving her bleeding from her nose and mouth, her head still spinning.Percival ignored Eulalia’s pale face. He knew her tricks, always playing sick to gain sympathy. He’d fallen for it once, but not again!People are like that; once deceived, the
The temperature plummeted as night wore on, and Eulalia shivered, curling into a ball on the floor. The cold was biting, but there was something else: pain. Her stomach was in agony again. She breathed on her palms to warm them, clutching her stomach, but nothing could ease the pain.Her medicine was just inside a drawer, but with her left hand cuffed, she couldn't reach it. She struggled to free herself, only to chafe her wrist.Eulalia peered inside, biting her lip, then pulled a boiled egg from her pocket. Thankfully, she had prepared it earlier, so she wouldn't have to resort to chewing on toilet paper to fill her stomach like last time.She cracked the egg with one hand, slowly peeling and eating it. People with stomach issues usually avoid the yolk, but she had no choice. It was dry and hard to swallow. Eulalia's eyes fixed on the washroom, longing for water.Would she die of thirst this time?Eulalia gave a bitter smile. Percival's methods of tormenting her were endless and nev