On the other side, Ava had already started scrubbing soap into her underwear, her movements slow and deliberate. When she caught sight of my pained expression, a flicker of amusement danced in her eyes, barely concealed beneath her feigned innocence.
“Audrey, you’re too careless. Lucky for you, I reacted quickly. Otherwise, you could’ve been seriously hurt.”
With a light remark, she effortlessly shifted all blame away from herself while subtly making me seem at fault.
A slow burn settled in my chest. I gritted my teeth through the pain, stepped forward, and met her gaze head-on. My voice was clear, unwavering.
“You bumped into me. Apologize.”
Ava hadn’t expected me to confront her so directly. Her lips trembled, and in the next instant, tears welled up in her eyes, shimmering like a practiced performance.
“Audrey, do you not like me?” she murmured, her voice trembling with grievance. “Why do you always pick on me? If I did something wrong, just tell me. I’ll change. Isn’t that enough?”
I frowned. She was the one who had hurt me, yet somehow, she twisted the moment into one where she was the victim, and I was the aggressor.
I’d had enough. My patience snapped.