Chapter 19 He’s Waiting for You
Alice laid everything out for Seth–every detail of her plan.
It was risky. All or nothing.
Everything I’m going through now, every miserable moment, is Evelyn’s fault..
So I’m going to drag her down with me. And this time, she won’t walk away clean.
But Seth didn’t jump in right away.
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“Are you sure this is smart?” he asked. “If things get out of hand, it could blow back on me. What if it ruins my chances of marrying you?”
Alice stared at him like he was pathetic. He’s scared?
It made her sick.
“Have you already forgotten our deal?” she shot back. “No matter what happens, I’m going to marry you. But before that, we need to finish what we started. I’m doing this for us!”
Then she hit him with a threat. “If you’re already this scared, how can I trust you at all? Maybe we should just break up now and be done with it.”
Seth froze. She’d cornered him, and he knew it.
He swallowed hard and forced out, “I’m not scared. If this is what you want, I’ll go along with it.”
“Then prove it.” Alice said flatly.
They stayed in the hospital room a bit longer, but soon Seth had to leave.
There wasn’t much time. Everything had moved fast, and he needed to get started right away.
That evening, Yvonne came back to check on Alice.
Yvonne told Alice she’d already called Irene Walton, Alice’s maternal grandmother, and if all went well, she’d be arriving in Southville the day after tomorrow.
Zaid might not listen to anyone, but when it came to his mother–in–law, he usually toned it down.
This might be our chance to fix everything.
At that point, Yvonne still didn’t know that Alice had been expelled from school.
And Alice didn’t plan to tell her.
In fact, she was already thinking ahead. With Grandma here, things could get even messier. That’s perfect.
After a pause, she asked Yvonne to help her check out of the hospital.
She never meant to stay overnight anyway.
Zaid had been rough, sure, but none of the wounds were serious. Just surface injuries–no stitches needed. Just ointment, bandages, and a few days to heal.
Yvonne had only pushed for the hospital stay because she was afraid Alice would provoke Zaid again if she went home.
Now that Alice wanted to leave, Yvonne hesitated.
Your dad’s still upset,” she said nervously. “What if he lashes out again when you walk in?”
Alice waved it off like it was no big deal. “I’ll just stay in the guest room. I won’t leave it.”
Yvonne sull looked unsure, so Alice added. “It’s really nothing serious. If I keep hiding out in the hospital, he’ll just get
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Chapter 19 He’s Waiting for You
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angrier.”
That finally made sense to Yvonne. She gave in.
She rushed Alice home before Zaid got off work and quietly settled her in the guest bedroom.
When it was time for dinner, she casually mentioned that Alice was home.
Zaid’s expression immediately turned stormy. But before he could say anything, Yvonne jumped in, trying to calm things down.
She even started crying at the dinner table, wiping her eyes while she talked.
Zaid, already annoyed, slammed his fork down and walked off. But he didn’t yell at Alice or say a word to her.
At dinner, Evelyn acted like she didn’t hear a single thing. She ate at her own pace, calm and quiet, then went upstairs and headed to bed.
She never saw Alice that night.
Not
Not that she cared to.
But the next morning, Alice knocked on her door on her own.
She was holding a brand–new fiery red dress and said she wanted to give it as a peace offering.
Alice looked sincere, apologizing for the thesis mess. Her voice trembled, and when she got emotional, tears streamed down her face.
In the end, she held out the dress and whispered. “Evelyn… I won’t be needing this anymore. You should wear it to tonight’s graduation banquet. Maybe… it’ll help you hate me a little less.”
Evelyn’s brows twitched.
She recognized that dress.
Alice had been hunting for it for months.
She’d visited every shop in Southville to find the perfect one.
It was a top–brand piece from Kingstead–a bold red, made to stand out in a crowd.
And now she was giving it away.
But it made sense. Now that she’d been expelled, she had no use for the dress.
Evelyn smiled faintly and nodded. “Alright. I’ll go in your place.”
In my place?
The fact that Evelyn dared to say it out loud made Alice’s stomach turn.
Still, she kept her cool and managed a smile. “Evelyn… so does that mean you’ve forgiven me?”
“Forgive you for what?” Evelyn asked, sounding puzzled. She picked up the dress and started toward the stairs. “I’m going to get changed. I’ve got to head out soon.”
What a smug little bitch!
Alice nearly exploded.
I’ve handed over my most prized dress, and she still won’t let it go?
Without Evelyn’s forgiveness, she was stuck hiding in the guest room downstairs, too scared to even run into Zaid.
But then she remembered the plan, and her lips curled into a small smile.
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Chapter 19 He’s Waiting for You
So what if she’s acting all superior now!
She won’t be for long.
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Evelyn changed quickly.
Gotta say, that girl actually has great taste in fashion.
The dress was flawless–bold, sleek, and classy.
On Evelyn’s pale skin, the bright red popped. She looked stunning.
Once she was ready, she headed downstairs.
Alice had already disappeared back into the guest room.
Evelyn didn’t care. She slipped on her shoes, called a cab, and went back to school.
Tonight was the graduation banquet. The whole campus was buzzing with seniors saying goodbye. Some were crying, others laughing, but all of them knew this was it.
After tonight, everyone would go their own way. Some might never meet again.
Hannah was waiting by the school gate and lit up the moment she saw Evelyn.
“Evelyn, you’re totally the best–looking girl here. I feel like I shouldn’t even stand next to you.”
Evelyn laughed and linked arms with her. “Then maybe I should let you borrow the dress. Want to try it on?”
“I mean, if you take it off right now,” Hannah joked.
But Evelyn changed her mind. “I don’t think I can. It’s just too pretty.“”
“You’re the worst.” Hannah chuckled.
The two wandered around campus, chatting and laughing, trying to soak in every last bit of it.
By evening, the sky had darkened.
The banquet was held at a restaurant just outside the university. The whole second floor had been reserved for the medical students.
The vibe was upbeat–lively and full of laughter. People were raising glasses, making toasts, and sharing memories.
Evelyn stood out–elegant, confident, glowing. Naturally, plenty of classmates came over to toast her.
There was no avoiding the spotlight. Pretty girls always drew attention, no matter where they went.
After a few drinks, Evelyn was starting to feel the effects.
Her cheeks were pink, and her vision was getting fuzzy.
Hannah helped her into a chair, then headed to the back to ask for tea to help sober her up.
But while Hannah was gone, someone came over and sat next to Evelyn, “Philip’s outside,” they said. “He’s waiting for you.”
Evelyn wobbled to her feet and walked to the door.
She almost fell, but a pair of arms caught her,
Before she could even look up, something was pressed against her mouth.
A sharp, choking smell hit her–pungent and overpowering.
