3AM Betrayal With The Neighbor Novel – Chapter 7
A few months ago, a defendant unsatisfied with his verdict tried to get revenge on David
by ramming him with a car.
When the vehicle came charging at us, I pushed David out of the way.
He escaped without a scratch. I suffered double leg fractures.
For a long time, I couldn’t get out of bed, and even lost control of my bodily functions.
I wanted to hire a professional caregiver, but David refused, saying strangers couldn’t
take proper care of me.
So he stayed by my bedside day and night, personally bathing me, cleaning me, dealing
with my bodily waste.
When I hid from him in shame over my incontinence, he would always comfort me
gently, holding my hand and saying: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here with you. I love you.”
But now I knew-not only had he found my condition disgusting, he’d described my
humiliating state to Lena.
I suddenly couldn’t tell what had been real and what had been fake in all these years.
Our intimacy, our tender moments, his gentleness … had it all been an act? I was going
insane with despair.
Lena watched my expression, snorting coldly without hiding her hostility:
“Okay, what I said was harsh, but it’s all true.”
“Wake up-you’re what, thirty? In a few more years, nobody will want you even as a
mistress. Be smart, pack up your junk, and get out before you embarrass yourself further.
Stop clinging to David!”
I took a deep breath, walked up to her, and slapped her hard across the face.
Lena clutched her cheek and screamed:
“You hit me?”
I backhanded her with another slap.
Lena’s pale cheek swelled instantly red. She shrieked: “I’m calling the police! David’s
coming back soon-I’ll have him charge you with assault!”
I sneered, grabbing her hair and delivering several more slaps:
“Perfect. When he gets back, I’ll hit him too.”
“I’m waiting for him to press charges!”
Lena’s eyes widened, her pretty face twisting as she glared at me venomously:
“You’re insane!”
“You’re sick in the head just like your murderer mother!”
Sharp ringing pierced my eardrums, thunderous roaring swept through my skull.
My vision blurred for a moment:
“What did you say?”
Lena looked at me with contempt:
“Mental illness is hereditary. Your mother was sick, so of course you are too.”
“David says you cry for no reason in the middle of the night, keeping him awake.”
“Just like I thought-crazy mother raises a crazy-“
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I lunged forward, wrapping my hands around her throat.
She couldn’t get a word out, broken gasps escaping her mouth, fear flickering in her eyes.
My whole body trembled, only one thought in my mind: make her shut up.
“Claire, what are you doing!”
David rushed over, pulling me off Lena.
Lena gasped for air, throwing herself into his arms.
“David, Claire tried to kill me!”
David frowned slightly:
“Claire, I told you this is all my fault. If you’re angry, take it out on me.”
Tears fell silently.
I looked up at him like he was a stranger:
“Why did you lie to me?”
He froze:
“What?”
I didn’t want to cry in front of these two people, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
“If you found me disgusting all along, why keep lying to me?”
“You just stopped loving me-what’s so hard to admit about that?”
“Why didn’t you let me go sooner ?! “
I slumped against the wall, slowly sliding down to crouch on the floor, sobbing
uncontrollably.
David stared at me, then suddenly his face darkened as he shoved Lena away.
“What exactly did you tell her?”
Lena’s eyes immediately reddened, crying pitifully: “David, you’re hurting me … “
David remained unmoved, his face stormy, voice ice-cold:
“Don’t make me ask twice.”
Lena had never seen him like this. She stood frozen, too scared to move:
“I … I didn’t say anything … I just mentioned her mother, and she went crazy.”
David clenched his fists, his expression completely changing.
“How do you know about that?”
Realizing something, he raised his voice:
“Did you lie to Claire that I told you?”