Four:

I turned my head with a flicker of regret and saw that it was Kitty Delaney.

Thomas lit up with excitement and got straight to his feet, crossing over to stand in front of her, tears and snot streaming down mixed with the blood from his forehead.

"Kitty, thank God you're here."

"This bitch nearly got me killed. Hurry, go get a doctor, tell the doctor to—"

But before Thomas could finish,

Kitty reached out, her hand passing right through him, and slapped me across the face.

"Serena Bellamy, aren't you clever."

"You think if this fool Thomas dies, you get to seize all his money and throw me out? Dream on!"

"The first time I ever met you, I told you—I came to destroy this family, not to join it. Or did you forget that?"

Of course I hadn't forgotten.

But Thomas didn't know any of this. He'd never imagined that what I'd said before was true, that the sweet, gentle, adorable Kitty he carried in his heart could wear this face in front of me.

I saw how wounded he looked, and I couldn't hold back a smile.

"See now how formidable your little sweetheart is?"

"See now whether the person you love is a human or a ghost?"

Kitty followed my gaze, but she saw nothing.

"Serena, who are you talking to?"

I explained the situation, but Kitty simply took me for someone out of her mind.

Naturally I didn't waste any more words on her. I reached out again, meaning to pull Thomas's oxygen tube loose.

But Kitty wouldn't allow it. She grabbed my hand and started screaming for help, and the instant the door opened she slapped herself across the face, crumpled to the floor, and burst into tears.

"Serena, whatever's wrong, it's all my fault."

"If you've got a grudge, take it out on me. Please, spare Thomas. Please don't kill him."

Five:

The whole routine flowed without a hitch, and both Thomas and I had seen it many times.

Only, all this time Thomas had truly believed it was me who'd done it. It was only now that it dawned on him—maybe, in all those past incidents, I really had been innocent.

"How can this be?"

"Just now, just now she clearly did it herself."

I gave the smile of someone long used to it.

"Kitty, what are you performing?"

"The person who trusts you most is lying on that hospital bed. What's the point of putting on this show for anyone else?"

Kitty looked a little awkward too.

I supposed it had all become muscle memory by now, and she'd forgotten what the situation actually was.

Still, Kitty didn't get up. She crawled on her knees to the doctor who had come in through the door.

"Doctor, please, please, hurry and call the police."

"I saw a murder announcement Serena posted on her social media, and I'm Thomas's best friend, so I rushed straight over."

"The moment I came in, this woman pulled out the oxygen tube, trying to kill him—"

However disappointed Thomas was in Kitty,

what he wanted more was to live.

So once again he took her side.

"Serena, you're finished. When you're in prison, I'll come visit you often."

I paid Thomas no attention and only looked at the doctor, who took one glance and understood exactly what this was.

So he explained patiently.

"Miss, Ms. Serena Bellamy is Mr. Thomas Maxwell's lawful partner."

"After the accident she was the first to reach the hospital, and she signed to withdraw treatment. Everything she has done is a right granted to her under marriage law—reasonable, lawful, and fully in order. It is not the murder you're describing."

"If you are only Mr. Maxwell's friend, then this is not something you can interfere in."

Thomas and Kitty both panicked at once, but the next second, the door opened again.

"Kitty can't interfere, but I can!"

Six:

The one who came in was my mother-in-law, Silvia Hancock. As Thomas's mother, she naturally had every right to demand he be saved.

I rolled my eyes.

Sure enough, villains die from talking too much. I never should have posted to my feed just to feel better, never should have wasted time trading words with Thomas. I should have kept quiet, made my move, and pulled the oxygen tube straight out.

The moment Silvia walked in, she first helped Kitty up off the floor.

Then she tore the withdrawal-of-treatment form to shreds, demanded that treatment continue, and told the doctors to draw up a proper plan based on his condition and come back.

The doctors, who had wanted a show, left with a touch of disappointment.

Once the doctors were gone, Silvia slapped me across the face.

"You little bitch."

"If Kitty hadn't warned me, I nearly lost my Thomas."

Thomas noticed the slap even before I did.

I have no idea what was going through his head.

But he actually stepped in front of me, trying to block it.

*Mom, it's not what you think.*

*Kitty's the fake one here. We had it all wrong about Serena before, and honestly, her pulling my oxygen tube is understandable. Don't blame her.*

Pity, though.

Silvia couldn't see Thomas floating in the air either. She just turned back to Kitty, fussing over her with aching tenderness.

"Thomas is already lying in that bed. What are you putting yourself through this suffering act for?"

"Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see you like this?"

Thomas was even more stunned.

*What does my mother mean by that?*

*Don't tell me she knew all along too. She wasn't cruel to you because you were bad. She was helping Kitty the whole time?*

I nodded.

"That's right. Now you finally know what kind of people your mother and your true love really are."

Silvia froze.

Kitty rushed to cover.

"Serena's playing crazy. She keeps insisting that idiot Thomas is standing right here watching us."

"Go home and rest. I'll handle everything from here."

Seven:

Silvia left soon after.

I didn't. I just stood there, looking at Thomas.

"Congratulations. You don't have to die after all."

Even shaken by what Kitty and Silvia truly were, the lovestruck fool started hypnotizing himself again.

*Kitty only did all this because she loves me. And my mother helped because she knew Kitty was the right match for me.*

*So I won't be angry.*

*When I wake up, I'll use this insanity of yours today to have you committed to a psychiatric hospital, and I'll file for divorce. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with Kitty!*

I nodded.

Then I kindly relayed all of that to Kitty.

She looked at me like I was some kind of monster.

"Serena, what on earth are you performing here?"

"You know better than anyone that I don't feel a thing for Thomas. Only an idiot like you would love an idiot like him. I was only ever with him for the money."

"You knew I was in it for the money. You were afraid this fool would get conned by me, and that's the only reason you refused to let him divorce me, isn't it?"

"So everything you've been through, you brought on yourself. You deserve it!"

Of course I knew all this.

That was exactly why I'd said it out loud. If it was going to end, it might as well take both sides down together. At least that made it interesting.

I glanced at Thomas and turned to leave, but Kitty grabbed hold of me and started her self-inflicted suffering act again. Thomas and I exchanged a look, neither of us with any clue what she was playing at this time.

Before I could react, though, she took advantage of the moment. She seized my hand while I wasn't watching and made me pull Thomas's oxygen tube out again. Two tubes yanked in a row, and his heartbeat quickly flattened into a straight line.

I was more confused than ever.

But before I could ask anything, Kitty flung my hand away and ran into the hallway, screaming.

"Help, murder, someone help!"

"Serena killed Thomas...."