Chapter 8 You Even Hit Someone

A flash of panic passed through Waverly's eyes. “Raylee, what are you talking about? How could I possibly set you up? I acted out of greed because I was young and naive! My childhood was filled with hardships, and I had never seen such a beautiful necklace before...” Raylee stared at her with authority. “If you didn't do it on purpose, then why could you only cry when your best friend accused me? Why didn't you clarify on the spot that you were the thief?” “That's because Ms. Tiffany was utterly terrifying!” Waverly explained with palpable trepidation. “When she threatened to call the police and have the thief locked up for life, I was completely taken aback. I—” “So you just set me up to take the blame? Enough already. Your crocodile tears are making me sick. Stop playing the saint here!” Waverly gripped her arm, tears flowing freely. “Raylee, I understand the hardships you've endured these past four years. I promise to make it up to you. Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it! Why don't you come home with me right now? I'll give you everything I have, including Casimir! Even though I love him deeply and we're about to get engaged, I'm willing to let him go!” Her tone was laced with a hint of boastfulness when she mentioned her engagement. Raylee shook off her hand, staring at her with an expressionless face. “Please, stop tossing around the idea of such a worthless man. You two are quite the pair, destined for each other in this lifetime! I'm not going back home. Don't you know your father and I have already signed a declaration of disownment?” Waverly expressed her surprise. “A declaration of disownment? That's impossible! Dad would never be so heartless...” “So you can rest assured that right now in the Goodridge family, you are the only daughter.” “Raylee, there must be some kind of misunderstanding here. I'll head back and talk to Dad. He won't kick you out! You'll always be my sister!” “You've said so much. Is it out of guilt? Enough, there's only a stranger here. You don't need to put on a show for me!” Raylee looked at Waverly, who was sobbing as if she had been greatly wronged. It was incredibly irritating to her. She glanced at the shattered wine bottle on the floor and said in a cool tone, “I'll get someone else to clean this up for you!” Having said that, she turned around and left. Her health was deteriorating, and she truly didn't want to deal with Waverly anymore. Besides, Waverly's best friend was no simple character either. Aside from Vera, she had no desire to maintain any connections with the rest of the Goodridge family. No sooner had Raylee stepped out of the private room than Waverly followed closely behind. “Raylee, wait for me. I still have something to tell you...” Raylee was utterly vexed by her pestering and quickened her pace despite her limping legs. When she reached the staircase, Waverly misstepped, teetering on the edge of a tumble down the steps. She let out a sharp scream. Raylee watched in alarm as Waverly was about to fall, her eyes wide with shock. She can easily hold onto the railing, but it slips through her fingers. Is she too nervous and forgets? Or is she repeating the same mistakes that led to my downfall four years ago? A deep sense of malice was reflected in Raylee's eyes as she considered this possibility. She swiftly grabbed onto the railing, flipping over and leaping down. Before Waverly could tumble down, she cushioned her fall. The speed of Raylee's response left Waverly utterly bewildered. Raylee's reflexes were honed in prison; countless times, she had survived brutal beatings by instinctively dodging the most lethal blows. At that moment, as a result of acting as a human cushion, Raylee suffered severe impacts on her body, legs, and head against the ground. The pain was so intense that she almost passed out. The gash on her forehead from the stair's brick crevice was seeping fresh blood. But there was no regret in Raylee's actions. Despite the pain, she managed to ask, “Are you okay?” Waverly was the darling daughter of the Goodridge family. If anything happened in her presence, regardless of whether it was related to her or not, the Goodridge family would undoubtedly seek accountability. Raylee had endured countless hardships to walk out of prison alive, and it certainly wasn't for the Goodridge family to continue harming her. Under the dim light, Waverly looked frightened. Her eyes were red, and she stared blankly at the ground. Mindy hurried over, helping Waverly up with urgency. “Waverly, are you okay?” she asked anxiously. Waverly still appeared visibly shaken, remaining completely silent. Mindy's face was filled with rage. She pointed at Raylee, accusing her without any regard for the truth, “Why did you push Wavy down the stairs? You heartless woman! The stairs were so high, and yet you dared to push her. It's nothing short of attempted murder!” Her haughty demeanor was identical to how she had acted four years ago when she accused Raylee of being a thief. A distraught Waverly, upon hearing these words, snapped back to reality. With a hint of tears in her voice, she said, “Raylee didn't mean to do it. She's so kind-hearted. How could she possibly push me?” “How could it not be intentional? I saw it with my own eyes! You chased her to the stairs and kept apologizing, but she refused to accept it. She got so flustered and angry that she pushed you down!” Mindy's voice tore through the air as she yelled, “Wavy, let's call the police and accuse her of trying to kill you!” “No!” Waverly shook her head incessantly. “Raylee would never try to kill me. I can't let her go to prison again...” Raylee's anger reached its peak as she watched the two, perfectly in sync like a well-rehearsed duet. She raised her hand and slapped Mindy hard. The sound of the resounding slap echoed through the air. The slap left Mindy stunned. She covered her red, swollen face, unable to believe what just happened. “How dare you hit me?” There was no way Raylee would allow Mindy to spew lies and fabricate evidence as she had done four years ago. “If I want to hit you, do I really need to pick a specific day?” With that, Raylee slapped her again. Caught completely off guard, Mindy was struck so hard that her head turned to the side, leaving a ringing in her ears. Raylee's gaze was sharp as she said through gritted teeth, “The first slap was for falsely accusing me of being a thief four years ago, setting me up and causing me to be wrongfully imprisoned. This second slap is for your absurd accusation that I pushed Waverly down the stairs!” After speaking, she glared at Waverly, growling in displeasure, “I don't care if it was your best friend acting on her own to set me up, or if you were the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. I'm warning you, since I managed to escape death once, I won't let you bully and frame me anymore! Let's make sure what happened today doesn't repeat in the future, or the slap meant for your best friend will land on your face!” The warning left Waverly speechless. She clutched the hem of her skirt, her face drained of color. Whether it was fear or guilt, she didn't even have the courage to meet Raylee's gaze. Mindy, who was dazed from the blow, recovered her senses and shouted, “You hit me! I'm calling the police. I'm going to call the police!” The commotion attracted quite a crowd. From amidst the crowd, a towering figure pushed through, radiating an aura of authority and power. It was Samuel. “Raylee, you even hit someone?” His voice was icy cold.