Crossroads

Stephanie was silent for a long time, unsure how to describe her feelings. Her heart was racing fast and urgently, as if she had been startled, even a bit scared.

Her mind was blank, chaotic.

Stephanie mustered all her strength to shout back, "Courtney, you're talking g nonsensel"

"Talking nonsense? Hahaha Courtney laughed ferociously as if giving up on herself. "Gary, tell her, is Stephanie this bastard your biological daughter!"

Courtney continued to rage and shout, "Tell her yourself. She's just a bastard who doesn't even know who her father is!"

Gary still sat in the chair, his face pale, lips tinged with purple. He stared wide- eyed at them, breathing rapidly. Diana couldn't hold back anymore. tears streaming down her cheeks, pleading. "Stop it, Courtney, I beg you. Don't say anymore."

Seeing that Gary remained silent, the resentment that Courtney had suppressed for years erupted. She scolded like a vengeful spirit, "Why can't I say itt Gary, I've been your legal wife for so many years, but all you care about is protecting that bitch Madison and her daughter. What do you take me for? Yes, I did marry you for money. But what else did I do wrong? You watched Madison push me down the stairs, and you watched her kill my child!"

Courtney went wild, grabbing vases and picture frames from the living room and smashing them fiercely on the floor.

She roared and cursed, her beautifully made-up face now covered in tear stains. "You guys gave that cheap woman a good reputation, while I'm the homewrecker, ruining other people's lives. But what did my child do wrong! My son was innocent. You married me just to spite Madison! Gary. you're the one who's crazy! You killed your own child, and let this bastard Stephanie call you Dad."

Gary's face remained weak and pale. He struggled to lift his head, looking at the tear-streaked Courtney, and sternly reprimanded. "Enough, shut up Stephanie sat opposite Gary, stiff, as Courtney's indignant voice echoed continuously, Courtney's voice was hoarse, filled with hatred. "Not enough! It's not enough! Gary, the hatred between us hasn't been settled yet. This is what Madison owes me, what you owe me!".

Tears smeared her makeup, making her face even more sinister and terrifying. She ranted like a lunatic, "My son is dead, but why should Madison's daughter livel Gary wanted to say something, but a sharp pain in his heart struck, and he covered his chest with his right hand, gasping for breath.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Seeing his discomfort, Stephanie stood up and walked towards him.

But suddenly, Courtney quickly approached and grabbed her. "Stephanie, are you scared now?" Her footsteps grew faster and more anxious.

Out of instinct allert, Stephanie turned her head, finding Courtney, like a ghost, already standing behind her. Her brightly painted nails under the fluorescent light looked even more horrible. Courtney fiercely gripped Stephanie's chin, lifting her head.

Courtney leaned down and laughed wildly again. She was reckless, going all out. "There's one more thing. Do you remember when you were in high school, you were taken away by several mountain men and almost raped! That was me. I paid them to do it Stephanie, with her chin held by Courtney, looked at her sinister face. Her thoughts returned to the past, seeing a dirty, dark, chaotic night.

Courtney whispered in her ear, her voice increasingly shrill and ceric. T was watching from the side, you were blindfolded, your clothes torn to shreds. Those rough, dirty men pressed heavily on you like wolves, you were scared, right? I heard you cry loudly, scream sharply, Stephanie, why don't you just die? Madison killed my son. Why don't you just die!"

Stephanie froze all over as Courtney ranted at her wildly, the terrible memory flooding back into her brain That incident was hastily concluded that year. When the police found the criminals, they were already corpses. Due to the complexity of the case and the involvement of some special characters, even Vincent couldn't find any clues after years passed.

The incident happened in Carlorium, where the Reed family was at the height of their power at that time. As it concerned Stephanie's reputation Stephanie thought that Gary had quickly resolved the matter to protect the honor of the Reed family.

It turned out that Gary was actually covering up for Courtney.

Stephanie had never imagined that Courtney was behind it. She didn't know that one's hatred could be so terrifying. Her life seemed to be shroaded in one lie after another.

Diana was also stunned. She knew about the danger Stephanie faced after high school graduation, but she never expected it to be Courtney's doing.

Diana was furious. "Courtney, you miscarried. You thought your child was innocent, but how could you hurt Steffi? She's also innocent. You are a demon!"

"Is she? She took the title of the Reed family's lady, enjoying everyone's love. She's actually a bastard. What right does she have?"

Courtney's eyes were filled with fierce determination, especially when she looked at Stephanie's face and eyes, which were very similar to Madison's.

"Stephanie, you think you were pitiful living a hard life with Diana away from home, right? What kind of hardship was that?"

Courtney's eyes bulged with resentment. She grabbed Stephanie's shoulders and shook her, scolding,

"All these years youve been living well, but what about me? Gary forced me onto the operating table to remove my uterus. I can never be a mother in this life. Are you pitiful, Stephanie? You make me so jealous that I want to kill you."

Courtney pushed Stephanie hard, sending her against the corner of the wall. Stephanie's back hit the wall heavily, but she remained motionless.

Courtney suddenly turned her head. "Gary, you did all this for that bitch Madison, but there's one thing I've never told you. Actually, that day when you two argued, she was angry with you because of this silver necklace."

She pulled out a seemingly ordinary water-patterned silver necklace from her coat pocket. The light shone on this old silver necklace, which swayed in the air, seemingly transporting people back to the past in an instant Gary lifted his head, looking at this very familiar silver necklace, shocked, countless memories flooding his mind.

It was Madison's treasured necklace, which she wore every day. Until one day, it disappeared.

Courtney clearly saw the affection and care in Gary's eyes at the moment. She suddenly burst into laughter, her makeup smeared, leaving two dirty streaks of tears, her smile sinister and malicious.

"Madison said you took her necklace, so she argued with you and had a cold war with you. She said shem hated you. You wanted to find this necklace for her, right? And you also knew very well that Sawyer gave her this engagement necklace, right? Gary, you useless coward!"