Chapter 309

Cynthia was taken aback, frozen in place. Lilian's eyes slowly focused. She turned her head slightly, her gaze settling on Cynthia's face.

The moment their eyes met, Cynthia felt completely stunned. Lilian was finally awake. Before she could react, she reached for the bedside alarm, but Lilian immediately grabbed her arm.

"Cynthia, don't call anyone. I need to talk to you."

Lilian's voice was clear, surprisingly alert. Cynthia was amazed by her seeming full recovery. She saw Lilian's face had regained its color, her eyes sparkling. She truly seemed well. Cynthia breathed a sigh of relief. She sat back down in the chair by the bed.

Lilian raised her hand and removed her oxygen mask. Cynthia wanted to stop her, but it was too late. However, Lilian appeared almost normal.

Lilian turned to Cynthia, her eyes welling with tears.

She spoke clearly, "Cynthia, I heard everything you said to me these past few days." Cynthia was shocked. Lilian had been in a coma; she never imagined her friend had heard those words.

"Do you want to know why I took a bullet for you?" Lilian asked.

Cynthia stared, speechless.

Lilian smiled. "Because if you weren't in this world, my life would be meaningless."

Cynthia's pupils widened in shock, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Lilian, do you really hate me that much? Is competing with me, fighting against me, so important it defines your life?" Cynthia couldn't understand Lilian's obsession. To fight, to torment each other, even at the cost of life—how had such a mindset developed?

Lilian shook her head, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "Cynthia, it's not that I hate you. It just hurts so much to love you."

Cynthia's body tensed. Lilian still held her hand. Cynthia instinctively tried to pull away, but Lilian's grip tightened.

"What did you just say?" Cynthia froze.

Lilian looked at her, tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes filled with longing and love. "How could I hate you? In this world, you're the one I care about most. I love you, Cynthia."

It was like a thunderbolt in Cynthia's mind.

Lilian, tears streaming down her face, said, "All these years, I wanted to destroy you, to ruin everything about you, to bring you to your knees, so you'd have no one left but me."

"I wanted you to rely on me, to turn to me. Then, I could atone for my sins. You're so kind; I knew you would forgive me."

"My life was originally just a pile of mud. Born into that family, I resigned myself to it, thinking I would wallow in it forever."

Chapter 309 (continued)

"But then you appeared, like a rose blooming from the mud, so beautiful and vibrant. I secretly watched you, my heart filled with joy and silent gratitude. I hoped that this rose would forever grow above the muck that was my life."

"But there were too many who coveted the rose, always wanting to take you away. I was afraid because I was just a patch of mud; I wasn’t the sunlight, the dew, or even the gentle breeze you needed."

"I hated them and feared that one day, you would discover my darkness and the stench that clung to me. I was terrified you would grow weary of me and distance yourself, so I gave birth to a terrible thought…"

"I wanted to drag you down into the abyss with me. I wanted you to be covered in mud as well. When they all despised you and abandoned you, you would have no choice but to be with me."

Cynthia sat up straight, her body tense. Her expression remained unchanged, but inside, a tsunami of emotions surged.

She had considered countless explanations: Lilian hated her, felt guilty, clung to the last vestiges of her humanity, acted on a whim, or had truly lost her mind. But she never considered that Lilian loved her.

Love? she wondered.

Lilian noticed Cynthia, prim and proper, a smile playing on her lips, seemingly mocking herself. "Cynthia, did I scare you?"

Cynthia looked into Lilian's eyes, still confused. She couldn't understand this warped expression of love.

In Cynthia's world, love meant responsibility, fulfillment, sacrifice, and wanting the other person's happiness.

"I don't understand you," Cynthia said, dazed.

Lilian's eyes dimmed.

"Cynthia, do you now find me truly disgusting and annoying?"

After a moment, Cynthia regained her composure.

"I don't. There are many kinds of love, each with its reasons. What you did in the name of love often hurt the other person. I believe that's not love; it's selfishness."

Lilian was stunned, then smiled again. "Yes, I am selfish. My life was so empty; when you appeared, I just wanted to hold on desperately. Do you remember that movie we watched, The Shawshank Redemption?"

"There's a line that impacted me deeply."

"Red reflects after Andy escapes: 'Some birds aren't meant for cages, their feathers are too bright. Keeping them in a cage is a sin.' When they fly away, you celebrate their freedom, but you endure the monotony. Every time I read that, I cry. I've thought about letting you go, wishing you well, but I can't. My life is too gloomy and dark. I crave a beam of sunlight."

Lilian's voice faded. "I could've endured the boredom, darkness, and chaos if you'd never appeared."

Lilian coughed violently, her face quickly changing color. The monitors beeped alarmingly. Cynthia, startled, stood up.

Chapter 309 (continued)

"Don't go. Cynthia, let me finish," Lilian pleaded, clinging to Cynthia's hand.

Cynthia reassured her. "We'll have plenty of time later."

But Lilian held on tight. "Cynthia, I'm dying. I know. Please, just listen."

Cynthia saw the blood on the pillow, a chill running down her spine. She wanted to press the call button, but Lilian gripped her arm with surprising strength, trying to pull herself up.

Cynthia hurriedly helped her lie back down. "Lilian, don't move. If your wounds tear open, I won't have enough blood to save you again."

The "SEND GIFT" at the end appears to be extraneous and unrelated to the story.