Chapter 248

“I don’t hate you. We can call it even, but I just want you to stop messing with my life,” Cynthia said.

“No way,” Lilian said, her voice filled with emotion. “Cynthia, I’ve told you. You can never get rid of me. It’s just not going to happen.”

Cynthia knew this would happen. Lilian would never let her go. Every time Cynthia tried to catch her breath, it felt like being haunted by a stubborn ghost.

“Lilian, what exactly do you want? What do you hope to gain from me? What’s your purpose?” Cynthia asked.

This question seemed to leave Lilian speechless. Cynthia, however, gave a cold laugh. “You want to ruin me, take everything from me, wreck my life, my reputation, and the lives of the people I love. You want me to end up with nothing, like a stray dog, isn’t that right?”

Those were the words Lilian had once said to Cynthia. Even now, Cynthia clearly remembered them, recalling the expression on Lilian’s face as if she were under some sort of spell.

Lilian lifted her head and suddenly laughed. “Yes, Cynthia, I want you to become who I was before I met you.”

“Why?” Cynthia didn’t understand. She had once given everything to pull her friend out of the abyss. Yet now, the person she had opened her heart to wanted nothing more than to push her back into it.

Lilian slowly hooked Cynthia’s arm; her voice, wrapped in a fog, was ethereal but eerily chilling. “This way, we’ll never be apart.”

Cynthia felt goosebumps. She immediately pulled her arm away. “Lilian, are you crazy?”

A bright smile appeared on Lilian’s face. Cynthia felt that Lilian was quite different from the shy girl who used to hide behind her. She was like a strategist, planning every step, her eyes full of confidence and determination. Yet, she was also like a gambler with nothing to lose, placing her final bet, certain she would win.

“Cynthia, I’ve actually been missing our high school days lately. You know, when I couldn’t pay my tuition, you’d lend me money for books and other school expenses. You always secretly put cash in my backpack. You were afraid I’d feel like I owed you, so you’d have me run errands and buy breakfast for you every day—your favorite: the little fish pancakes.”

“You always said you’d never had such a tasty breakfast before, but the truth is, I made them for you every morning. Do you know how complicated it is to make those fish pancakes? The fish has to be fresh, so I’d go to the market every morning to buy a few. I’d make a creamy fish broth to mix with the dough, then pick out the fish meat and make it into pancakes. To make these for you, I had to get up by 4 AM at the latest. Sometimes, if I woke my mom by accident, she’d scold me,” Lilian said.

Cynthia was shocked. Back in Grade 11, she and Lilian were close friends. Knowing Lilian didn’t have much money, Cynthia would often secretly put cash into her backpack. Once, Lilian took the money out, and a small fish pancake fell out of her backpack.

Chapter 218 (Note: This chapter number is inconsistent with the previous chapter. It's likely a mistake.)

Cynthia grabbed the fish pancake, took a bite, and said cheerfully, “Consider this money as me buying the fish pancake from you. It’s so delicious. It’s worth the price?”

From that day on, Lilian would bring her a fish pancake every morning. To be honest, it didn’t really matter to Cynthia whether they were tasty or not. She wasn’t even much of a fish person. She just wanted Lilian to accept her help without any sense of obligation. But unexpectedly, it became a huge burden for Lilian instead.

Cynthia spoke up. “So you think, because I gave you money for tuition, that you were forced to make fish pancakes for me? Is it such a huge disgrace that you started resenting me back then?”

Cynthia remembered that Lilian had brought her fish pancakes for about a month. Later, with her help, Lilian moved into campus housing, and Cynthia never received them again.

Lilian shook her head. “No, I felt really happy, honestly, Cynthia. Waking up at 4 AM every day to make little fish cakes for you was the happiest time of my high school years. I realized I actually meant something to you and that I wasn’t just some parasite living off your support.”

Cynthia frowned. “If that’s the case, then why did you treat me that way later on—was it because of Filip?” If Lilian hadn’t started disliking her since high school, then there could be only one reason: she was willing to betray her and end their friendship just to be with Filip.

Lilian shook her head. “You won’t understand; you never will. But I hope one day you do.”

Cynthia’s eyes were filled with impatience. “I don’t have time for your riddles, but there’s one thing I do want to ask you.”

Lilian stared at her. “What’s that?”

“How did Silas die? Was it related to you?”

Hearing the name Silas, a change flickered across Lilian’s face, but she quickly concealed her emotions, maintaining a cheerful demeanor. “Do you want to know? Accompany me to the hospital for my check-up tomorrow, and I’ll tell you.”

Cynthia sensed that Lilian was up to her schemes again. She had been trapped using the pregnancy as bait before, and this wasn’t the first time.

Cynthia responded coldly. “If you won’t tell me, that’s fine. I’ll find out everything myself.” Having said that, Cynthia didn’t want to say another word and walked away.

Cynthia felt annoyed. As she reached the door to the private room, she was about to open it when a force grabbed her arm, and she was dragged into an adjacent room. Cynthia knew who it was, so she didn’t resist. Once inside, Cynthia shook off the person’s arm. “You and your spouse must really love me, taking turns to hold these meetings for me, huh?”

The person who had pulled Cynthia in was Filip. His eyes turned cold when he heard her words. “Did Lilian come to you?”

Cynthia crossed her arms. “Filip, stop pretending. Aren’t you and your wife in this together? Honestly, you two are too much.”

Chapter 248 (Note: The chapter number is repeated. There's a problem with the original text's chapter numbering.)

“I might not know exactly what you’re up to, but my patience is limited. If you push me, I can make sure neither of you can find a foothold in Roncrity. Do you believe me?”

Filip certainly believed it. Cynthia was now the young mistress of the Bennett Group. With just a snap of her fingers, she could make both him and Lilian unable to take a step. He couldn’t understand why Lilian had to provoke Cynthia. Filip said, “I’m sorry, Cynthia, about the child Lulu’s carrying.”

The text has been significantly improved for grammar, punctuation, and flow. The inconsistent chapter numbering remains a problem and requires correction from the original source.