"Ugh, things made by a worthless person are just like her. It's destined for an unhappy end." Melanie continued to provoke her, the mocking smile still hanging on her lips.

Laura's gaze was as silent as death. She slowly reached for the vase beside her and hurled it directly at Melanie's head.

Melanie didn't expect her to actually take action. Startled, she dodged, but the vase still grazed her arm, crashing loudly onto the floor.

"You’re crazy! Laura, it's just a broken doll! What... what are you doing?” Melanie was shouting, but suddenly her words faltered. She trembled in fear.

All Melanie could see was Laura, her eyes bloodshot, slowly advancing toward her with a chilling, intense gaze.

Laura seemed to go mad. She threw herself at Melanie, knocking her to the ground.

She punched her on the nose, then pulled her hair and pressed her body.

Laura kept hitting her face, punching and kicking her.

"Why? Why did you take away the last thing I had, Melanie? You shouldn't have touched my things!"

Melanie was now filled with fear. She desperately hugged her head and struggled, shouting, "Help! Darren! Help me! Please help me!"

Upon hearing this, Darren rushed over, only to witness the scene. "Laura! Let go! Are you trying to kill her?”

Darren roared in anger, wanting to separate them but not knowing where to start.

In his moment of desperation, he grabbed Laura's arm and forcibly pulled her away. However, the force was too strong, causing her to fall to the ground, her back crashing onto the broken pieces of the vase.

Laura ignored the pain in her waist as she crawled forward, mixing with the glass shards and desperately clutching the last doll's body.

The glass fragments, mixed with dirt, pierced into her palms.

She didn't feel the pain. Her hands pressed tightly against the doll, holding it to her chest as she wailed uncontrollably.

Darren stood frozen, staring at the doll that had fallen to the ground, a flicker of panic passing through his eyes.

"La... Laura..."

He reached out, just about to touch her, but was stopped when Melanie grabbed his hand.

She threw herself into Darren's arms, crying uncontrollably. Her face streaked with tears as if she could hardly breathe.

"Darren, it hurts so much... She's trying to kill me... She's gone completely crazy, I’m going to sue her!"

Darren's earlier panic and guilt melted away when he saw Melanie in such a pitiful state.

Melanie had a congenital heart condition and psychological issues; she couldn't be under any stress. Moreover, if this really ended up on record, Laura would probably...

His face hardened as he kicked the shards in front of her aside and commanded, "Laura, apologize to Melanie!"

Laura's heart ached beyond words.

She lifted her head, her face drenched in tears, screaming in agony.

"Apologize? Why should I apologize? She is the one who is wrong! Yes, I am going to kill you, Melanie! Why don't you just die!"

"Laura, enough! Apologize to her, or get out of the Bill Family!"

Darren's expression darkened as he stood before her, towering over her with an overwhelming sense of authority.

But Laura was not afraid. She lifted her head and stared directly at him, speaking each word slowly.

"I won't apologize... I did nothing wrong!" Laura's eyes were bloodshot, filled with seething hatred.

The rain outside grew heavier, accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder. It illuminated the deep coldness in her gaze.

Her heart was filled with hatred for Melanie and for Darren.

Meanwhile, Darren was pierced by the intensity of her gaze.

"Darren, what should we do..." Melanie grabbed his shirt and collapsed weakly, gasping for breath.

"I... I feel so unwell, my heart hurts... Darren, I'm scared..."

After saying that, Melanie fainted in his arms.

"Melanie!" Darren panickedly lifted her up and quickly started walking toward the door.

As he took a step, his peripheral vision caught sight of Laura, who stood silently and a surge of unexplained anger rose in his chest.

Then he ordered the servant, "Get someone to take her out and have her kneel and reflect! She can come back only when she admits her mistake!"

As he passed by, noticing the others hadn’t moved, he frowned and scolded, "This is the Bill Family! If you don't want to work, then leave!"

The other servants dared not breathe, fearful of causing trouble.

Two male servants quickly dragged Laura outside.

The blood on her palms was dragged all the way and no matter how she struggled, the servants were indifferent. In the end, she could only roar and curse in pain.

"I'm not wrong! I won't go! Darren! I hate you!"

Darren trembled while holding Melanie's body. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't stop. Instead, he held Melanie and rushed into the rain, getting into the car.

Laura was pressed down by two servants, forced to kneel in the rain. The large raindrops poured down relentlessly, hitting her body.

Her knees sank into the cold rainwater as she lowered her head, staring at the doll in her hands.

The last bit of dirt, soaked by the rain, had turned into a yellowish mud. It slipped through her fingers and carried away the final remnants of her hope.

Laura knelt in the muddy water, her eyes hollow and devoid of emotion, not even hatred remained.

She simply stared blankly at the car disappearing from her view, neither crying nor making a scene. Her body slowly sank lower and lower.

The servant beside her couldn't bear to watch any longer and kindly tried to persuade her.

"Miss Marsh, it's too cold out here. Just admit your mistake and go back. If you kneel for so long, how can your body handle it?"

The rain soaked her hair and her clothes clung tightly to her body.

Her eyes were vacant and lifeless, repeatedly muttering to herself, "I'm not wrong... I won't admit my mistake, why should I admit my mistake?"

"But... in the past, when something went wrong, you would admit your mistake first. Miss, don't be so stubborn. Just apologize, like you used to. Wait for Mr. Bill to come back, everything will be fine. There's no lingering grudge between you two."

Laura lowered her head, reflecting on everything from the past.

Every time she and Darren argued, it was always her who softened first, even though those things weren’t her fault.

But she felt that her conversations with her mother had made Darren insecure about love.

So, she was willing to be the one to bow down. She was willing to compromise countless times for him, just to repeatedly confirm to him that she truly loved him.

But now, Melanie had been dating him for just three months before cheating and going abroad. Yet, Darren still loved her just the same.

Laura tugged at the corners of her lips, but she couldn't force a smile.

She only felt a sharp, sour pain in her throat, a sense of agony, as if everything was pointless.

What was she even pursuing? Love? But had Darren ever truly loved her?

Laura looked up at the overcast sky, her tears mixing with the rain, slowly eroding the last remnants of her love.

Her voice was very soft, almost disappearing into the wind, constantly repeating the same words. "But... I'm not wrong... This time, I won't soften."

Brenda, standing nearby, didn't know what to say and could only sigh. She held the umbrella, quietly leaning it toward Laura's side.

Time passed minute by minute.

From day to night, Laura had lost track of time. She didn't know how long she had been kneeling.

She kept her head bowed, everything before her blurry. She could feel heat rising from her body, a fever slowly taking over.

Even Brenda couldn't bear to watch anymore. She slapped her thigh and sighed. "Miss Marsh, please listen to me. Just apologize for now and once everything calms down, we'll talk. Mr. Bill definitely loves you. I remember how he secretly went to check on you when you were asleep..."

Laura finally couldn't hold on any longer. One hand braced on the ground, swaying unsteadily and everything in front of her became a blur.

Seeing this, Brenda immediately dialed Darren's number. It rang a few times before being hung up.

The third call was finally answered.

Darren's tone was sharp. "What happened?"

"Mr. Bill, Miss Marsh has a high fever now. Please let her go back. As for what happened today..." Brenda hesitated, unsure how to continue.

Darren was silent for a few seconds before asking, his voice harsh. "Has she apologized? Melanie needs three stitches, while she only has to kneel. What else does she want? Tell her to apologize! If she doesn't, don't bother notifying me if she dies out here!"

Brenda's expression changed and she hurriedly turned off the speaker on her phone.

But Laura had already heard. She braced herself and stood up unsteadily, reaching for the phone.

"Darren... I'm not at fault. Who's really to blame in this matter? She deserves it, doesn't she?"

On the other end, there was a sharp intake of breath and even through the phone, one could feel Darren's anger.

"Laura, if you still don't understand your mistake, then get out of the Bill Family!"

Normally, this threat was the most effective. Laura had long since lost her home, so he knew she had nowhere else to go.

In the past, every time he said this, Laura would admit her mistake. Even if she ran away, she would sneak back the next day as if nothing had happened.

But this time was different.

Laura remained silent, her hand gradually loosening. She spoke softly. "Then I won't come back. You don't want me to come back, do you?"

The breathing on the other end grew heavier and Darren was panting deeply. "Fine... you’ve even learned to threaten people. Laura, if you have the guts, then never come back!"

This time, the expected softening didn’t come.

Laura looked up at the gray, overcast sky, unable to see even a trace of sunlight.

It was just like her mood. After too long under the clouds, she had forgotten the existence of the sun.

Her voice was light and airy as she gazed at the sky. "Darren, do you remember the weather when we first met? It was just like this. It's so nice. Now, as I leave, it's the same weather. I won't come back."

Darren's heart sank, a panic he had never felt before overwhelming him.

In his mind, the thought of how Laura could leave flashed quickly and he even started to believe that this time, she wasn't just speaking out of anger.