Chapter 120 How Did You Know All That
“You took a knife for her, but she doesn’t appreciate it at all,” Paola complained.
No sooner had her words been spoken than a figure appeared before them.
Upon seeing the person, Paola sarcastically said, “Speak of the devil.”
The trio at the door watched as Eileen suddenly left. They had no idea what she was up to. All they saw was her bowing deeply, too far away to hear what was said.
Eric’s eyes suddenly darkened.
Everyone gaped at Eileen, astonished by her action.
“Thank you!” The sincerity in her voice was evident. Eileen then straightened up. “I’m truly sorry for not visiting you in the hospital all this time. Are you okay?”
Scratching his head sheepishly, George said, “I’m fine. The doctor said the wound wasn’t deep. A few days of rest, and I’ll be fine.”
Infuriated, Paola cursed, “Bullsh*t! Your guts were spilling out. Yet, you’re claiming the wound wasn’t deep? Why are you pretending to care now? Buzz off and get out of our way.”
George tugged at her sleeve lightly. “Don’t say that, Paola.”
“Was I wrong? I wonder who acted all high and mighty previously. Elm, does she also behave like this at school? What a hypocrite!”
Paola turned to Elm.
Elm chuckled. “You’ve mellowed! You used to have quite the temper.”
“I admit, I was somewhat prejudiced against all of you previously,” Eileen confessed
falteringly. She was at a loss for action. “I’m used to being alone. Sorry, but I don’t know how to interact with all of you. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Eileen Swan.”
She extended a hand.
George slowly extended his hand shyly. “I’m George Caddel.”
“Thank you.”
The two of them shook hands. It was the first time Eileen took the initiative to get to know
someone.
She also invited them to join her for dinner that night.
That was actually a ploy of hers.
If dinner that night was just the three of them, she’d probably be burnt to ashes.
When there were many people, the atmosphere would also become somewhat awkward.
They then left.
As Eileen and Yvette were on their way back, the latter asked, “What did you say to them?”
“I was just thanking them. I also took the opportunity to invite them to dinner together,” Eileen replied.
“Is Elm going as well?”
Eileen nodded. “Perhaps.”
Yvette’s expression instantly changed. “Eileen, I’ve told you that Elm… the kind of person he is simply doesn’t deserve to sit at the same table with us, much less worthy to appear before Eric!”
She sounded incredibly angry and aggressive.
She continued, “Then, there are those riff-raff friends of his! They’re nothing but society’s parasites. Eileen… For people like them, you can just pay them off with money. There’s absolutely no need to go to such lengths.”
“That’s your family’s business!” Eileen rebutted, looking at her calmly. “Yvette, I don’t understand your situation, just as you don’t understand mine. I can’t empathize with you. To me, it’s just a meal. Their identities, circumstances, and birth… are not things they could choose. In my eyes, they are just ordinary people like me. George saved me, and so did Elm.”
She had never felt that her wealth and the fact that she was born into the Swan family made her superior to others.
In the end, she added, “I’m sorry, Yvette! I know that what I said might have upset you. It’s getting late. Let’s go to cla*s.”
It was only after getting the test paper and asking Jacob that Eileen learned it was the other teachers who researched and solved the questions after he had collected the test paper.
When it was the last cla*s of the day, Eileen left.
At half past four in the afternoon, she arrived at the police station and sat in the visiting
room.
Hector, his head now shaven, sat in the detention room in prison garb. Only a thin layer of gla*s separated them. His eyes had lost their sparkle, leaving only dullness behind.
She came here secretly all by herself behind Eric’s back without anyone else knowing about
She picked up the phone hanging on the wall and held it to her ear.
Hector did the same, his gaze never once falling on her.
After the police had left, Eileen started, “Don’t worry. No one knows about
my
visit.”
Hector had already experienced a tragedy.
As he listened to her voice, his gaze gradually hardened. It was as though he wanted to skin her alive.
“Are you here to mock me? Are you satisfied now that I’m in such dire straits? Eileen, you’re only high and mighty because your family is rich and powerful. In truth, you’re nothing at all! You’ve ruined me. It was all because of you! If it weren’t for you, I would never have done that! All I wanted was money for my mother’s treatment. It was all your fault! My mother is dead, and my entire life is ruined. I truly regret not killing you!”
Eileen stared at him with clear eyes.
“Hector, I’ve never felt that I’ve done anything wrong. You say I ruined you? What right do you have to think that way? I know you’ve long since known that even if you had the money, your mother wouldn’t have been able to survive the surgery. You were merely resentful to lose to me.”
She noticed the dilation of his pupil and the fleeting surprise that flashed across his eyes.
Perhaps, she had laid bare the resentment in his heart.
She continued, “It was all because I was once the worst student in the worst cla*s, and I chose to join Cla*s One when I was bullied. Rumors from Cla*s Six claimed that I only got the opportunity because I cheated. Even when I made it into Olympiad Math, you felt it was due to Yvette’s connections. That was why you’re dissatisfied, jealous, and even found it unfair. There was a time when I also doubted myself, wondering if all of this was my fault. I questioned whether I should not have joined the cla*s at all. Later… I finally understood that I did nothing wrong. I was merely trying to change all the misfortunes I had experienced. And in that process, I never hurt anyone.”
She continued, “It wasn’t me who did something wrong, but you! You blame the world and everyone else, constantly complaining about everything. You’re just searching for an excuse to release your own resentment. These past three years at Petalburg High School haven’t been easy for you. The high tuition fees and loans have suffocated you. You’ve been behind
on your tuition fees for two years. Out of desperation, you turned to loan sharks. The day you took action against me was the final deadline they gave you. If you couldn’t repay the money, they would go to the school to collect it. Then, everyone would know that you couldn’t even afford your tuition fees. At that point, after causing such a negative impact on the school, you would have no choice but to leave.”
That was also the day that shattered Hector’s last bit of sanity.
Eileen noticed the trembling of his b*dy and the paleness of his l*ps.
She added, “Originally, Cloudburg Public School would have been a better choice for you. But… because of your vanity, you chose to attend Petalburg High School. You knew very well that you wouldn’t be able to afford the high tuition fees, yet you still made that decision. You had plenty of opportunities to change your life. But you chose the wrong path. As a result, your mother worked four or five jobs a day just to earn enough for your tuition fees, exhausting herself. She could have saved the money for her own medical treatment, but she chose to spend every penny on you instead, causing her health to gradually deteriorate. You were born ordinary, yet you never accepted your own mediocrity. One misstep led to every subsequent step being a mistake.”
Even though he knew it was wrong, he still insisted on continuing down the same path.
Just like in her previous life, she knew very well that Eric had ulterior motives towards her and the Swan family.
But she was still determined to marry him and become his wife.
It wasn’t until the moment of her death that she finally regained her senses.
Hector was no different from her.
The only difference was what they desired.
Hector’s eyes turned red-rimmed, and he found it hard to breathe. With his throat hurting, he asked in a choked voice, “How did you know all of that?”
