Chapter 380

Brielle approached the silent woman, crouching down to meet her gaze eye–to–eye.

“Let’s not beat around the bush. Have you ever genuinely cared about your daughter?”

Sue’s pupils shrank sharply as she stumbled backward.

“Why should I care about that trash?! Don’t you know she was fooling around with boys outside of school when she was just in middle school? She’s younger than me, prettier than me. What if she fell for Simon? Several times, I’ve felt Simon’s gaze on her was just not right.”

Brielle could no longer contain her anger, and her hand flew across Sue’s face in a swift slap.

She hated resorting to violence against another woman, but Sue’s morals were rotten to the core.

How could someone who had attended a proper university turn into what she was now?

Sue was stunned by the slap, and after regaining her senses, she began to scream towards the door.

“Murder! Brielle’s committing murder! Help, someone! Brielle is trying to kill someone at the police station!”

The police arrived promptly, their brows furrowed in question. “What’s going on here?”

Sue’s hair was disheveled as she pointed accusingly at Brielle.

“She’s trying to kill me! Arrest her, that bitch! She even hit me right in front of you, showing no respect for the law.”

The imprint of Brielle’s fingers was still visible on Sue’s cheek from the force of the slap, b ut her frantic behavior made it almost seem as if Sue could have slapped herself.

Brielle smiled at the officers. “I’ll be done in ten minutes.”

“Ms. Brielle, please refrain from violence. Such actions are illegal within the precinct.”

Brielle remained silent, noticing Sue’s smug look.

When the police had left, Brielle took a deep breath.

I “Sue, I’m only going to say this and after that, I won’t bother with you again. Whether you live or die is of no concern to me.”

“You think it was me who ruined you, but your miserable life began when you met Simon. Right from the start, he was planning to control you by belittling you in every aspect – your family. your education, your job. And you, amidst all this belittling, began to doubt yourself. Simon took advantage of this, elevating his status in your heart. The more you depended on him, the higher. his pedestal became, and the more willing you were to sacrifice everything for him. It’s a vicious cycle. Without him, you feel you have nothing.

11:03 “When you first met Simon, you must have sensed something off about him. He had no decent job, no education, enjoyed gambling, and was full of lies. The thrill you felt with him wasn’t love; after all, you never fell for any of the well–bred, eligible bachelors at university. Your feelings for Simon were born from a savior complex, believing that your care could heal all his life’s wounds, thinking that your willingness to give would inspire him to reach his potential and become a successful, responsible man.

“You even thought your love could change Simon, and that belief acted like a drug, making you feel like a goddess, a nurturing mother earth, a miraculous healer. Whether Simon’s issue was poverty or gambling, with your support, help, and sacrifice, you created a powerful illusion for yourself. Plus, there was a sense of heroism, that by saving a man, you appeared nobler. To put it bluntly, you are selfish. Is all this sacrifice really worth it?

“Sue, that’s all I’m going to say to you.”

Brielle picked up her bag, casting a final indifferent glance at the woman sitting dazed on the floor.

“Simon wasn’t killed by me; he was killed by the same person who’s been pulling the strings behind the scenes, making you come after me. Even Sarah was a victim of his designs. You continue to target me, but to him, you’re just a disposable pawn, a means to an end.”

Brielle had no interest in saving someone beyond hope.

The addiction to love, like alcoholism or gambling, offered Sue an unparalleled high. For that high, she’d endure any abuse, a dependency that left her a shell of her former self.

And what of Simon? A man like him who no girls would fall for was undeserving of a girl who had been so well–protected. Her seeing him as the be–all and end–all of her life was ludicrous.

Brielle had no desire to play savior to a stranger.

Just as she was about to step through the door, Sue’s voice stopped her, “Who is it?”

Brielle turned to see Sue standing up, her cheek still marked by the slap, hoarsely asking. “Who’s behind all of this?”