Chapter 60 Drowned - Lilian Is Pushed Into the Swimming Pool
A sudden blow to the back of her head brought Lilian to an abrupt halt. She spun around, crossing her arms defensively as she glared at Wendy. "Remember, Wendy, it was you who sought my company. You're so fond of measuring yourself against me. I merely obliged your desire. Why the sudden fury? Is it because you can't bear to face your own shortcomings?"
Wendy, her face contorted with rage, lunged at Lilian, her hand raised to strike.
But Lilian was quicker. She seized Wendy's wrist in a vice-like grip. "Enough, Wendy!" she commanded.
Wendy chimed in with a sneer. "So you've managed to become the center of attention, so what? Jackson chose to dance with me, didn't he? Don't forget, Lilian, without the Sivan House, without me, you'd be nothing more than a pauper in the slums, never even dreaming of getting close to Jackson. You wore your grandmother's dress because you heard some old tale? How pitiful! That's my grandmother, not yours! If it weren't for my grandmother's history, would Mrs. Frane Senior have ever taken a liking to you? Would the Frane family have ever adopted you? You're nothing without my grandmother!"
Wendy's harsh whisper left Lilian clenching her teeth, her body trembling slightly.
"If it boosts your ego to believe that, then by all means, do so," she retorted icily, shaking off Wendy's hand.
She turned to leave, but Wendy, incensed by Lilian's dismissive attitude, grabbed her once more. "You usurped my life to become Mrs. Frane. I demand you return it to me. What's wrong with that? Jackson never loved you, he always loved me, it's always been me!"
Wendy's ranting continued, her words tumbling out in a frenzied stream.
The night wind blew, chilling Lilian to the bone.
She wrenched free from Wendy's grip, "Believe whatever you want. Now let go! Do you really want to make a scene?"
Wendy seemed to regain some semblance of composure at Lilian's words.
Relieved, Lilian pulled her hand back, but in the next instant, Wendy's voice cut through the night air.
"It's not just my belief, Jackson truly loves me more. Lilian, do you dare to challenge that? I do!"
Lilian frowned, puzzled by Wendy's declaration.
Suddenly, Wendy let out a shriek and charged at Lilian.
Caught off guard, Lilian stumbled, and both women tumbled into the nearby swimming pool.
Lilian, unprepared for the sudden plunge, choked on two mouthfuls of water. Her leg spasmed.
Once she had regained her composure, she attempted to swim to the surface, but found herself being dragged down. Wendy was clutching her waist, pulling her deeper.
Lilian had never imagined Wendy capable of such madness!
She held her breath, kicking and struggling, but Wendy's grip remained unyielding. Bubbles escaped from her mouth as her lungs screamed for air.
This was untenable. Lilian balled her hand into a fist and struck Wendy's head.
At that moment, Wendy released her.
Driven by the primal urge to survive, Lilian kicked Wendy away and swam in the opposite direction, fearing another attack.
Unbeknownst to her, a swift figure was already diving towards them as Wendy sank.
When Lilian's leg spasmed again, she turned her head to see Jackson, carrying Wendy, swimming towards the pool's surface.
A pang of pain resonated within Lilian's chest, a sensation she couldn't discern whether it was due to the severe lack of oxygen or the harrowing scene unfolding before her eyes.
In her desperate attempt to ascend, her legs twitched uncontrollably, causing her to panic and inadvertently swallow more water.
As control over her body began to wane, Lilian found herself sinking deeper into the dark abyss of the pool. The water was icy, its coldness seeping into her very bones.
She strained to keep her eyes open, but the figures of Jackson and Wendy had disappeared from her sight.
Abandoned, she was left to face the looming specter of death alone.
In a final act of surrender, Lilian ceased her struggle. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, her thoughts echoing with a broken promise.
"Brother, you promised to always protect me... You promised."
Meanwhile, Wendy clung to Jackson, her cries echoing, "Child, my child... Lilian kicked my belly, the child..." Just moments before, Wendy had shown signs of a miscarriage, causing Jackson to freeze in his tracks.
He had just seen it. Two more figures had plunged into the pool.
Lilian was an adept swimmer, capable of navigating the waters on her own.
"Jackson, what are you doing? Quickly carry Wendy back, call a doctor, hurry!" Grace urged anxiously. Heeding her words, Jackson quickly scooped up Wendy and hastened away.
However, he was oblivious to the fact that right behind him, someone had lifted Lilian from the water. Her face was ashen, and she didn’t seem to be breathing.
A forceful press on her chest prompted Lilian to cough violently.
Leaning against her rescuer, Lilian was in a daze, the memories of her near-death experience flooding back. Through her blurred vision, she saw Jackson carrying Wendy away, not once looking back.
"Lilian! Are you pretending? You're so good at swimming. Hey, speak." The voice of her savior brought Lilian back to reality.
To her surprise, it was Gray Flores. A close friend of Jackson's, Gray was from the Flores family, closely associated with the Sivan House. He treated Wendy like a sister and had always looked down on Lilian, assuming she was after wealth and intentionally entangling herself with Jackson.
"Thank you... cough," Lilian managed to utter, grateful for his intervention despite his disdain for her.
But Gray merely laughed, brushing his wet hair back. "Don't thank me. I didn't save you out of any personal obligation. It was merely a humanitarian act. If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have jumped in! Are you really okay?" His words were laced with disgust, prompting Lilian to chuckle self-deprecatingly.
"What can be wrong with me?" She was already in a pitiful state and had no desire to seek sympathy from someone who despised her.
With a sneer, Gray pushed Lilian away and departed, leaving her alone once again.
The crowd of onlookers had yet to disperse, and York, frowning sternly at Lilian, accused her, "Lilian, it was you who pushed Wendy down, right? You really are... oh well, you're not welcome here. Just go."
He then turned to the others, apologizing, "Sorry, you've been scared. Go inside quickly, I'll apologize in person." He ushered everyone away, leaving Lilian alone by the poolside, soaked and kneeling.
A servant, unable to bear the sight, discreetly approached and tossed a large towel to Lilian. "Miss Lilian, please leave quickly."
With a nod of gratitude, Lilian wrapped herself in the towel and, with shaky steps, made her exit.
In the seclusion of Wendy's upstairs chamber, a cluster of servants, along with Grace, were tending to her every need. They bustled around her, pouring steaming water, drying her damp hair, and inquiring about her well-being with genuine concern.
Wendy, leaning heavily against Grace, clung to a cup of water with a desperate grip. Jackson, having ascertained that she was unharmed, turned on his heel to depart.
However, Wendy's voice, suddenly shrill, halted him in his tracks. "Mother, it was my own sister who thrust me into the water! She even dragged me under, and I was terrified because I can't swim!"
"My sister didn't rescue me. She struck my head and kicked me... it was horrifying, utterly horrifying... I thought I would never see you again, Mom!"
Upon hearing her daughter's words, Grace sprang to her feet, her face contorted with rage.
"This is nothing short of attempted murder. We must alert the authorities! I'll call them this instant!"
Jackson's retreating footsteps abruptly ceased. Wendy, noticing his hesitation, allowed a triumphant smile to flicker across her eyes. Wendy's sobs grew even more intense.
Jackson pivoted on his heel and strode back into the room, snatching the phone from Grace's hand.
Grace stared at him in disbelief, her voice rising in protest. "Jackson, what is the meaning of this!?"
Jackson's response was icy, "Two people fell into the pool together. No one witnessed who pushed Wendy. How can we label it as attempted murder?"
Wendy turned her tear-streaked face towards Jackson, her voice trembling, "Jackson, you saw it! You must have seen it. My sister was attacking me in the water. How could you deny it!?"
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, a mixture of feigned distress and genuine heartbreak.
In the water, she had braced herself before plunging in, thus appearing much more composed than Lilian, who had panicked upon being unexpectedly submerged.
She had also noticed Jackson pursuing them and had seen him swimming towards them before she released her grip on Lilian.
She was convinced that Jackson had witnessed Lilian's violent actions.
But Wendy had never anticipated that even after witnessing Lilian's malevolent side, Jackson would still choose to defend her without hesitation.
Jealousy consumed Wendy!
"I didn't see anything! I saw absolutely nothing. You were simply startled by the fall into the water and imagined things, didn't you, Wendy?"
Jackson moved to the side of the bed, looking down at Wendy.
His words were phrased as a question, but they carried the weight of a statement.
He had already drawn his own conclusions and was warning her against making reckless accusations.
With red-rimmed eyes, Wendy clutched the water cup even tighter and reached out to grasp Jackson's sleeve.
"Jackson, stay with me and I won't press charges. I'm truly terrified."
"No, we must contact the police," Grace interjected vehemently, her dissatisfaction evident.
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