Chapter 4

Lila stared at Dominic for a few seconds before it sank in that she'd heard him right. She nodded and replied calmly, "Alright. I'll get up now." She swung her legs off the bed. The motion tugged at the scraped skin on her knees, but she didn't even flinch. Lila's easy agreement made something twist uneasily in Dominic's chest. He'd expected her to refuse or question him like before, but she didn't. Just as Dominic opened his mouth, Pearl leaned into him with a sweet little whine. "Dom, I'm starving. You kept me in bed for so long just now..." Dominic snapped out of it. "Okay. I'll have the staff make you something good." Once he left, Pearl's expression shifted. The sweetness vanished, replaced by a cold smirk. "Did you see that? Dominic only cares about me now. Do yourself a favor and move out before you embarrass yourself any more!" Lila snorted. "Relax, Pearl. The moment I saw you in his bed, I stopped imagining any future with him. If you're so desperate to be his wife, you can have the title." Pearl's jaw tightened. "That title was mine to begin with. I don't need you to hand it over!" Lila looked at the sister she'd protected for 20 years and felt like she was staring at a stranger. "Pearl, I've given way to you our whole lives. If you liked Dominic, why didn't you just tell me? Why sneak around and go after him behind my back?" Pearl's face tightened, then she snapped, "You think you're so selfless? Giving up the man you love for me? Spare me, Lila. I hate that fake, noble act of yours! Whatever I want, I'll take myself. I don't need it from you!" Lila actually laughed. "So, that's what you think. Everything I've done for you just seemed like I was showing off." "Am I wrong, though?" Pearl shot back. "You've always been the one on top. Everyone only sees how perfect you are. And me? Why do I have to be second best forever?" Lila listened to her and felt utterly disheartened. She wouldn't want to waste her breath, ready to turn around and leave. She barely made it past the bedroom doorway before Pearl rushed after her. "I know you can't stand to leave Dominic," Pearl said. "So, let me help you!" Then, she raised both hands and started slapping herself across the face. Lila grabbed her wrists, completely thrown. "Pearl, what the hell are you doing?" Right then, Dominic's furious voice thundered from behind them. "Lila, what did you do to her?" Lila froze for a heartbeat. By the time she turned, he was already there, shoving her out of the way. She stumbled straight into the tall antique vase in the hallway, sending it crashing to the floor. A shard sliced deep into her back. Warmth spread across her skin as blood soaked through her clothes. Pain shot through her so sharply that her whole body jerked. Dominic didn't even glance at Lila. He wrapped his arms around Pearl instead, his expression soft in a way Lila hadn't seen in a long time. "Pearl, are you alright? Why didn't you defend yourself?" Pearl instantly dropped the wild, arrogant act. Tears spilled down her cheeks as if she'd rehearsed them. "I'm fine. Don't blame Lila. She's just scared I'll steal you from her. That's why she lost control and hit me. "I was wrong, Lila. Dominic is yours. I'll leave..." "Lila!" Dominic turned around, his eyes dark and vicious. "Helping Pearl was my idea. I'm the one who told her to move in! If you've got a problem, take it out on me! Who gave you the nerve to lay a hand on her?" His words knocked the breath out of Lila, pain splitting through her chest. Lila explained through gritted teeth, "She hit herself." Pearl's eyes were filled with tears. "Lila, please don't be mad. I'll give Dominic back to you..." Her pitiful act made Lila so furious that her whole body trembled. Something in her snapped. She surged forward and slapped Pearl across the face. "Dominic, look closely! This slap was from me. I didn't even lay a finger on her just now. If you don't believe me, check the security footage." Only then did Pearl seem to remember the camera at the end of the hallway. Her eyes rolled, and she went limp in Dominic's arms. Dominic didn't bother digging any deeper. He scooped Pearl up and hurried downstairs. As he passed Lila, his shoulder slammed into hers hard enough to knock her off balance. She stumbled on the floor, and shards cut into her knees. Pain ripped through her, and she couldn't help but cry out. Dominic's steps stopped for a second. Then, he walked on without looking back. In his arms, the "unconscious" Pearl cracked one eye open and flashed Lila a faint, triumphant smile. Lila watched Dominic's retreating back, a crooked, mocking smile tugging at her lips as tears finally spilled over. There had been a time when Dominic would tense if she so much as frowned. When her cramps were bad, he'd wanted to drag every specialist in Harborlyn to their house just to make the pain stop. Now, she was bleeding heavily, but he acted like she wasn't even there. The difference between love and indifference had never been clearer. It felt like someone had stabbed her right in the chest. The agony spread through every inch of her. Lila didn't sleep a second that night. Instead, she stayed up packing up everything that belonged to her. By dawn, she'd tossed it all into trash bags. It wasn't until the next afternoon that Dominic finally came home with Pearl in his arms. The moment he walked in, he noticed something was off. "Lila, why does it feel like a lot of stuff is missing in here?"