"Ah..." The long needle pierced into her flesh, sending a searing, bone-deep pain through Aria's body, snapping her into full awareness. "Who are you? I've never wronged you… Why—why are you doing this to me?"
To Aria, this woman was a complete stranger. So why was she tormenting her like this?
She was completely baffled.
"Because you pushed the old man down the stairs, of course! Hahaha!" The woman stood arrogantly, looking down at Aria who was curled up in pain, trembling all over. "Micheal left you here to repent before the old man. Since you're awake, go kneel by his bedside."
"I won't! I want to see Micheal!" Aria struggled to get to her feet. She had just given birth to her daughter—not even fully out of the danger of postpartum complications—and she should have been resting in a soft bed, caring for her newborn. Instead, Micheal had thrown her unconscious body onto a cold floor, in a room without even a blanket.
The thought of her daughter pierced her heart like a blade. Micheal… He was a butcher. A monster. He would rot in hell.
The woman glanced at her wristwatch and gave a small, smug smile. "Alright. Once you've knelt before the old man, I'll go call Micheal."
Without thinking much, Aria stumbled to the old man's bedside. The patriarch was still unconscious, his body paralyzed, and her heart ached as she looked at him.
But just like her, he was a victim too. She didn't push him. Now that she was back, she was determined to uncover the truth.
She had to find out who really pushed the old man down the stairs.
Thinking back carefully, only three people were in the villa that day. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure out who the real culprit was.
But one thing she was sure of—just as the old man was pushed, she had happened to step out of a room, and that coincidence had framed her in Micheal's eyes as the "culprit."
"Grandfather… I didn't push you. Please wake up. Please tell Micheal the truth…" Aria sat by the bed, whispering helplessly. She wished so badly for the old man to wake up, to restore everything to how it used to be. Then she could clear her name.
But the old man remained silent and still. Looking at all the tubes attached to him, it seemed like he could stop breathing at any moment.
Suddenly, a shadow fell across the bed.
Aria didn't think much of it, continuing to hold the old man's hand, speaking softly to him, hoping her voice could reach him—bring him back.
But then, without warning, the old man began gasping violently. Before Aria could even react, the shadow beside the bed abruptly pulled back—and the door behind her burst open.
Micheal's tall figure strode into the room.
"Aria! Who gave you permission—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze snapping to the old man. Panic flashed across his face as he rushed forward. "Who told you to pull out his oxygen!?"
"Ah…" Aria finally noticed something was wrong—the old man's distress was due to his oxygen being removed. Flustered, she scrambled to reconnect it—but before she could reach the tube, a heavy force slammed into her.
Micheal's kick sent her flying across the room, crashing into the wall.
"Ah!" Aria let out a cry of pain. Her already fragile body couldn't take such an impact. She couldn't even stand up anymore.
The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth—she was bleeding.
"Mr. Smith, I'm so sorry—it's all my fault. She said she was Mrs. Smith, and begged me to let her see the old man. I couldn't bear to refuse her…" The nurse beside them—her voice trembling, face full of 'fear'—knelt down, looking absolutely 'terrified.'
"Ruby, get up. This isn't your fault. She already pushed the old man once—she could do it again. Hurry, go help save him!"
"O-okay!" Ruby wiped the 'tears' from her eyes and hurried to assist in resuscitating the old man.
The room was in chaos, with Ruby and Micheal frantically trying to save the old man.
Aria lay slumped on the floor, staring blankly at their backs, unable to believe the sheer despicableness of this woman named Ruby.
She hadn't pleaded. She hadn't touched anything. She didn't pull out the oxygen tube.
It was Ruby.
Ruby pulled it out…