Yet, despite the luxury, Shirley was in the throes of hysteria.
She had nearly destroyed everything in the room.
Chaos reigned on the floor with shattered items everywhere.
She had even yanked out her IV, the site on the back of her hand still oozing blood.
Meanwhile, the clan leader sat on the sofa, her expression impassive, watching Shirleyâs meltdown with the detached air of a stranger.
It pained me to see Shirley like this.
Having watched over her since childhood, it felt as though my own heart was hemorrhaging.
Shirley had always been the witch clanâs most graceful and dignified rose from birth.
She was meant to maintain that poise for life.
No one had the right to shatter her spirit.
I knelt beside her and embraced her, my voice almost breaking as I pleaded, âThis is all on me, Shirley.
Please, find your peace.
Blame me.
I never imagined Andrew would lose his senses and set fire to the study.
Strike me if you need to, but please, stop hurting yourself.
â
At my words, Shirley found an outlet for her fury.
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She struck me wildly and yelled, âThis is all your fault! You promised your plan was foolproof! Why arenât I with Andrew yet? Itâs all because of you! Youâve destroyed me! Iâve turned into this because of you! I canât live like this.
Iâm going to end it for both of us!â
All I could do was stand there, letting Shirley hit and berate me.
Even if she had ended my life right then, I would have accepted it without protest.
The leader couldnât bear it any longer.
She stepped in, incapacitating Shirley with a swift chop to the neck.
Shirley collapsed, unconscious, and the leader motioned for the guards to carry her to the bed.
Once the room had settled, I knelt before the leader, my voice shaky.
âIâm so sorry.
This is all my fault.
â
The leader, without uttering a word, struck me across the face, then berated me, âYour foolishness is to blame for Shirleyâs condition.
The doctor says her face was disfigured and the shock has muddled her mind.
â
Aware of my grave mistake, I apologized once more.
âForgive me.
I will accept any punishment you deem fit, even death.
But before that, Iâll do everything in my power to find a doctor who can heal Shirley.
â
The leader shook her head, giving a dismissive snort.
âNo matter how skilled the doctors are, theyâre useless in this case.
Andrew is the only one who can heal Shirley.
â
I grimaced, muttering under my breath, âThat lowly mixed-blood bastard, Debra! Sheâs utterly foolish.
I
tried persuading her to abandon the witch clan and leave Andrew, but she refused.
She even had the audacity to attack me.
â
The leaderâs expression darkened.
âShe dared to strike you?â
I nodded solemnly, adding, âWith Andrew so enchanted by her, sheâs become uncontrollable.
She shows no respect for you or Shirley, nor does she consider the welfare of the witch clan.
Iâm beginning to think Andrewâs recent defiance is because heâs under that bitchâs spell.
Sheâs completely led him astray.
â
Slamming her hand on the table, the leader declared vehemently, âAndrew will marry Shirley.
They will lead the witch clan together.
Itâs crucial, both for my daughter and our clanâs future.
They must get married.
â
Her affirmation filled me with glee.
Known for her assertiveness, our leader was bound to make it happen.
When Andrew married Shirley, it would spell the end for Debra, that arrogant bitch.
How dare a lowly mixed-blood bastard be so bold?
I pictured Debra, scorned by the entire witch clan, reduced to a pitiful figure begging on the streets.
Trying to mask my emerging smile, I ventured cautiously, âBut what if Andrew refuses to marry Shirley? He seems fixated on Debra.
â
With a cold, menacing laugh, the leader replied, âThen Debra will need to vanishâpermanently.
â
Debraâs POV: