Karen’s incessant screaming filled the room. Her voice conveyed immense pain and a sense of profound injustice. She relentlessly pressed Destiny, her spirits fracturing with each accusation. “Destiny, why did you scheme with Hannah to blame me? Why are you doing this? We’ve shared a close bond for years. Am I so insignificant to you?” The veiled threat in her words was unmistakable.
Destiny wept furiously, her intention to reveal everything clear. The Wells family’s domestic servants were grateful for their kind treatment by Robert, Venus, and their children. Though the youngest daughter, Karen, possessed a difficult temperament and a twisted personality, Destiny had never considered harming anyone in the family.
Seeing Destiny momentarily silent, Karen believed she had prevailed. Destiny, a long-time companion whose disposition Karen knew intimately, was not one to initiate conflict. Her agonized expression confirmed Karen's belief that she wouldn't continue the confrontation.
Turning to Hannah, Karen pointed with a pained expression. “Hannah, I know you hate me. Torture me, get revenge—I don't care. But why fabricate that story about my feelings for my brother? No matter how you view me, I’m not that depraved! I may be uneducated, but I know that relationship is forbidden. You’re using this to blame me. Do you want to watch me die proving my innocence?”
Hannah, in contrast to Karen's agitated state, remained remarkably calm. “If I hadn’t discovered your feelings for Oscar, I would have admitted the wrongdoing you pinned on me,” she said, her poised response highlighting Karen's current barbarity. “Since marrying Oscar, I've sought no conflict. I understand your framing me; you don't know me well, and our marriage was quick. I can accept your bias based on rumors. Given time, this misunderstanding would resolve itself.”
Karen stared, teary-eyed, unable to anticipate Hannah's next move. Still, she would never admit her feelings for her brother.
“But discovering your feelings for Oscar changed that,” Hannah continued. “Your feelings for him are wrong, sickening. You are siblings.” Turning to Destiny, she requested, “Please bring Karen’s diary.”
Destiny, visibly nervous, glanced at Hannah then at Karen, whose expression had drastically changed. A grotesque look of apprehension clouded her features as she realized Hannah knew about the diary—a secret she guarded fiercely.
The diary contained her feelings for Oscar, her cruel acts, and the dark, twisted thoughts hidden within her heart. She had chronicled her triumphs and reread them for self-gratification, meticulously concealing her habit from all but Destiny.
Karen's gaze, sharp as a knife, pierced Destiny. Destiny shuddered, remembering stumbling upon the diary—a pretty book she’d opened out of curiosity—and the shock of its contents. She'd never imagined Karen’s heart so dark, so filled with curses against everyone, even her parents, whom she blamed for her life and wished dead. The diary detailed ruthless thoughts, including a shockingly romantic account of her feelings for her brother, Oscar, even fantasizing about their wedding. Overwhelmed, Destiny stopped reading.
“The diary is locked in a drawer,” Destiny finally whispered.
“Destiny!” Karen’s shrill cry pierced the air. But the maid had already fled to retrieve the diary.
As Karen lunged forward, Hannah blocked her. Karen’s anxiety was palpable; the diary's revelation meant expulsion from the family. In a desperate act, she raced toward the grandfather clock, intending to threaten suicide to prevent the diary's exposure. Hannah, anticipating this, intercepted her. Karen, in a fit of rage, clawed at Hannah, inflicting injury. Just then, Oscar intervened, pulling Hannah into his arms, shielding her.
Karen glared at the couple, her bloodshot eyes burning with envy. The cruelty she'd faced and the exposure of her deceit ignited a torrent of hatred and fury. “How am I inferior to that woman?” she screamed, venom lacing her voice. Finally, shedding all pretense, she unleashed her pent-up emotions.