“Listen to me, Lotty,” I growled through clenched teeth, tightening my grip. “You will never beat me. So, you should learn your place and live peacefully in the manor.”
But Charlotte was not one to back down. With a swift movement, she yanked at my hair, pulling me down to the floor.
She straddled me, her weight pressing onto the exact spot of my surgical wound, making me gasp in pain.
“Who said I can’t beat you?” she said triumphantly, her hands wrapping around my throat, squeezing as I struggled to breathe.
The pain shot through me, but I managed to slip my hand into my pocket, grasping my phone. With trembling fingers, I dialed for the police.
*
At the police station, I gave my statement, detailing everything that had happened.
Charlotte, of course, tried to spin the situation in her favor. She apologized sweetly, calling it all a misunderstanding. According to her, the ring had simply been misplaced in her room.
As we waited, Sylus arrived, his face pale with worry. He took in the sight of me and Charlotte and looked utterly bewildered.
His words stammered out, “I’m… I'm sorry for everything, for making you suffer.”