Chapter 3 Grudges

"Mother..."

Jasmine let out a wretched cry of pain as if her heart had been cut open bit by bit. It was so painful that she could not breathe.

She struggled to get her feeble body up from the bed, ignoring her being in the state of undress and the shameful purple marks all over her, and slowly crawled towards the bloody head with great efforts.

All of her pride vanished!

A mocking smile appeared on Laney face. She watched the woman desperately crawling forward. Jasmine couldn't be more miserable. And she was no longer as radiant as she had been.

Laney finally trampled on the former proud, noble lady. She no longer needed to subservient to Jasmine.

"Jasmine, I prepared all of this for you. Surprise?"

Jasmine's heart seemed to have been viciously stabbed by countless knives. It was too painful to bear.

Ignoring Laney's cold ridicule, Jasmine managed to the head with all her strength left.

But.... Kicked by Laney, the bloody head rolled some distance before it stopped.

"Oops... Damn it, it stains my phoenix brocade shoes. She's so abominable even in death!"

Laney shook her bloodstains shoes with an unpleasant frown, her face full of disgust.

The phoenix brocade shoes symbolized the identity and status of a woman. Only a direct female descendant with a noble status was qualified to wear them, which indicated that she was the unparalleled noble Phoenix Lady.

Laney had secretly put them on without asking Jasmine, only to find Jasmine making a fuss about it and punishing her to kneel in the snow for a day and night. Laney had never expected that Jasmine to be so heartless because of a pair of shoes. She hated her indifference!

At that time, Laney swore to herself that she would stand in front of everyone with the phoenix brocade shoes on her feet instead of wearing them in secret!

She put on a faint smile and stared evenly at the Jasmine's eyes full of misery and despair.

'From now on, everything will only belong to me!' Laney thought.

Jasmine looked at the shoes on Laney's feet and smiled miserably.

Back then, Laney had been found wearing the phoenix brocade shoes by the Great Elder. According to the clan's rules, Laney should have been sentenced to death. To save her, Jasmine had taken a whole hundred whips in the place of Laney and had been used by the Great Elder for a year.

But what had Laney done?

Jasmine gritted her teeth resentfully and suppressed the distress she felt. Her clenched fists were trembling involuntarily as she tried her best to endure the grief and pain.

She didn't want Laney to see her despair!

Otherwise, this wicked woman would be even more complacent!

"Laney, why? For years, Mom has treated you as her own daughter. She loved you more than me. Why did you kill her when the one you hate is me? How can you be so cruel....?"

Over these years, Laney had everything Jasmine had. Her mother had treated Laney even better than her because she pitied Laney for having no parents. But what she got in return for her kindness was...

Laney snorted coldly as she put her arms on her chest and looked at Jasmine with disdain.

She no longer concealed her complacency and spat with contempt.

"Why? Of course, I did this to take everything from you! She just got in my way. Someone in the clan doesn't want to see her alive, so I could only do them a favor and send you her head! Don't hate me! If you have to hate someone, choose the Farley Clan."

"You have no humanity.... You're worse than a monster. You vicious woman..."

Jasmine was in such great pain that she could no longer hold back her tears anymore.

She had let her mother down. She had introduced this malicious woman to her mother. She regretted it so much and just couldn't swallow it!

Laney sneered, "Humanity? What is that? Can it make me superior? Can it bring me wealth and glory?"

After all these years, she had truly had enough of being small. From now on, she would no longer have to live as humbly as before.

Jasmine's eyes were scarlet and bloodshot as she fixed her stare at Laney, her voice icy cold.

"I would never let you off even if I become a ghost!"

"Is that so?"

A faint smile reached Laney's beautiful eyes as she looked at Jasmine. She landed her fingertips behind her ear and gently rubbed it. Then, she tore off a thin, smooth human skin mask from her face.

All of a sudden, another face that looked exactly like Jasmine was revealed in front of her.

Watching her emotionless face, Jasmine couldn't help but let out a sneer. Laney could even kill her mother regardless of her kindness to her, so Jasmine didn't find it surprising at all at any unimaginable things this woman could do!

Out of Laney's expectation, she didn't see an astounded look on Jasmine's face.

It was like two identical pretty faces at either side of a mirror. One was triumphant, and the other was anguished and beyond hope!

"You did go to great lengths..."

Jasmine's eyebrows furrowed. Her sharp fingertips stabbed deeply into her palms, bringing her pangs of heart-piercing pain!

"Jasmine, you can die in peace. All of these are mine. I will live as you. Your father's love, your clansmen's respect, your friends' concern.... I'll take it all...."

'And Parker's love! I have finally taken all the love from you. From now on, I will enjoy a happy life...'