But Charlotte was not one to back down. With a swift movement, she yanked at my hair, pulling me down to the floor.
She straddled me, her weight pressing onto the exact spot of my surgical wound, making me gasp in pain.
“Who said I can’t beat you?” she said triumphantly, her hands wrapping around my throat, squeezing as I struggled to breathe.
The pain shot through me, but I managed to slip my hand into my pocket, grasping my phone. With trembling fingers, I dialed for the police.
*
At the police station, I gave my statement, detailing everything that had happened.
Charlotte, of course, tried to spin the situation in her favor. She apologized sweetly, calling it all a misunderstanding. According to her, the ring had simply been misplaced in her room.
As we waited, Sylus arrived, his face pale with worry. He took in the sight of me and Charlotte and looked utterly bewildered.
His words stammered out, “I’m… I'm sorry for everything, for making you suffer.”
I sneered, my voice colder than ever. “No need to apologize, but I will never forgive you.”
As we stepped out of the police station, Charlotte approached me, her voice dripping with false humility.
“Lily, I really didn't mean it,” she said, her eyes wide, as if she were the one wronged. “I thought you would take the ring to ruin my marriage with Sylus. I was wrong. Can you forgive me?”
It was almost laughable, the switch from venom to this pitiful act. But what truly surprised me was Sylus falling for it so easily.
Before I could even form a response, he pulled her protectively into his arms, his concern all for her.
"Okay, okay, she did not mean it," Sylus said, looking at me with mild exasperation. "Don’t be so stubborn. I will transfer a million dollars to your account as compensation."
I smiled politely, accepting his offer without hesitation. Then, I watched as the two of them walked away, hand in hand.
Charlotte shot me a smug, victorious smile over her shoulder. But that smile only strengthened my resolve. The villa Sylus had given me was no longer safe, it never had been.
*
The day of Sylus’s wedding arrived, and the internet exploded with coverage of their lavish ceremony. Videos of the event flooded social media, and netizens swooned over the couple's ‘perfect love story.’
“It’s so sweet,” people wrote. “After waiting for so many years, they finally got what they wished for.”