Chapter 78: The Culprit
Jane swiftly maneuvered her body, evading the incoming strike.
“Monica, what’s gotten into you?” Jane inquired, her eyes locked onto Monica, who gazed back with intense hatred.
Monica appeared deranged, much like their last encounter when she had attempted to stab Jane.
Today, it seemed like Monica intended to push her into the lake. However, the deep-seated animosity between them was not immediately apparent.
Why was Monica so hell-bent on killing her? Monica seethed, frustrated that she had failed to push Jane into the water. She glared at her, venom in her eyes, and hissed, “Jane, you conniving witch! You manipulated Patrick to drive me out of the company. Now I can’t find a job. But I won’t let you off the hook. Today, you’ll meet your end!”
Jane snorted, responding, “Give it a rest, Monica! No one wants to harm you. If you hadn’t been willing to put our company at risk for your personal vendetta, how could you have been expelled?”
Jane found Monica’s audacity astounding. How could she shift all the blame onto Jane for her own misdeeds? Did she possess no self-awareness? “I did nothing wrong!”
Monica fumed at Jane, her once delicate face now contorted like that of a ferocious beast. “If it weren’t for you, Patrick would still care about me. I dedicated years to him, and he used to adore me. But since you joined the company, everything changed. Now he only has eyes for you. You’re just a country bumpkin. Why did he risk his life to save you? What makes you so special? This is all your fault! You’ve sown discord, set me up, and convinced him to fire me. If it weren’t for you, Patrick would have fallen in love with me!”
Jane rolled her eyes. How could Monica be so convinced that Patrick would fall in love with her? Jane mocked, “Enough with your delusional fantasies. No one wants to harm you. It’s your own doing. You should take a good look in the mirror.”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
Monica couldn’t stand how composed Jane remained. “Jane, I won’t let you off easy! You should have been gone a long time ago, you witch! You’re nothing but a troublemaker in this world! Mark my words, today will be your last!”
Monica screamed hysterically. She had decided that today was the perfect opportunity to kill Jane. Her face twisted into a malicious grimace.
Using all her might, Monica hurled herself at Jane. Jane sneered at the sight of Monica’s frenzied attack. Did Monica think she could actually kill her? She had overestimated her capabilities. Jane deftly sidestepped, and Monica’s excessive force, combined with the slippery ground from the previous night’s rain, caused her to lose her balance and plunge headfirst into Lover Lake.
With a loud splash, Monica hit the water. “Help! Help!” The chilly June air left Monica pale as she bobbed in the water, screaming for assistance. Her lack of swimming skills had her fearing for her life. She had intended to push Jane into the lake, but now she found herself in the same predicament. She felt herself sinking and the fear of drowning enveloped her. Jane was the only one around.
“Jane, help me!” Monica pleaded desperately.
Jane stood on the shore with her arms folded, her expression icy. “You brought this on yourself, Monica.”
“I know I was wrong. Now help me!” Monica’s fear of death had overwhelmed her, and she begged for mercy, hoping that Jane would come to her rescue. “Didn’t you realize you were wrong until it was a matter of life and death?”
Jane stared indifferently, showing no sign of helping Monica. The lake wasn’t very deep, so Monica had some time before she would be in grave danger. Since Monica had intended to kill her, it was only fitting that she experienced the same threat.
Monica struggled and panicked, swallowing some lake water in the process, causing her to cough violently. Jane watched with cold detachment as Monica choked and spluttered. When Monica finally managed to compose herself, she cursed, “Jane, how can you just stand there and watch me drown? I won’t let you off even if it costs me my life!”
But as soon as she spoke, Monica inhaled more water and began to sink further into the lake. “Jane, I won’t forgive you…” Monica threatened, her face drained of color and her body trembling from the cold. She felt death looming.
“Save your energy,” Jane scowled, ready to wade into the water to help Monica. She didn’t want anyone to die. Just as she took a step toward the lake, a voice shouted from behind her.
“Jane, you pushed Monica into the water!”
Jane turned around, confused. When had she pushed Monica into the water? It was Monica who had pushed her in. It was evident that Melissa was attempting to frame her.
Jane was slightly annoyed as she looked down at Melissa, who seemed foolish. “Are you blind, Melissa?” She then disregarded Melissa and moved closer to the lake. But something Melissa said stopped her.
Melissa grabbed her hand and accused, “Jane, you’re a murderer!”
Jane was taken aback. “What on earth are you talking about?” She gave Melissa a push, and Melissa fell to the ground.
“I saw you push Monica into the lake. You tried to kill her!” Melissa raised her voice triumphantly.
Jane couldn’t believe her ears. Since when had she pushed Monica into the lake? It was clear that Melissa was attempting to frame her once again. Annoyance welled up inside Jane as she gazed down at Melissa as if she were dealing with a complete idiot. “You must be blind, Melissa.”
Without giving Melissa any more attention, Jane proceeded to the lake. Monica, who had been struggling a moment ago, had disappeared beneath the surface.