âWhy didnât Shawn come by himself?â
Katherine responded with a smile, âEver heard the phrase âtrouble appears out of the blueâ? Thatâs exactly how Shawn feels. You claim to be filled with guilt, yetâ¦â
âYou do nothing but play on your misfortunes to win his pity. I donât see any genuine regret in you; youâre merely exploiting his good nature.â
Lina sneered, cautious not to strain herself, wary of her fresh stitches. âThe connection between Shawn and me is unbreakable. Your presence here only confirms that he hasnât moved on and still has feelings for me.â
Katherine settled herself confidently on the couch, arms folded. âSo what? Heâs going to be my husband.â She then proudly displayed the engagement ring on her finger. âHe proposed to me. Does that unsettle you?â
Lina, her hand concealed beneath the blanket, clenched her fist tightly, though Katherine couldnât see. In those brief moments of silence, her tension was palpable, fueling Katherineâs smug satisfaction. She believed she and Shawn were truly in love, yet Lina persisted in meddling. If she didnât put a stop to it, Lina would only become more arrogant.
Gathering her resolve, Lina masked her turmoil with a mocking smile and retorted, âWhat of it if he proposed? When he asked me, you were still a mere teenager.â
Katherine was about to peel an orange for Lina, but she stopped and returned it to the basket after hearing Linaâs biting remarks.
âAre you dropping the pretense now? Feeling bad about ending things with Shawn? Or are you just so jealous of me now that itâs eating you up?â
Lina vented her frustration, slamming her hand against the mattress. âAnd do you honestly believe Shawn has feelings for you? Did you ever see how he behaved around someone he genuinely loved? When I was in college, even though we attended different schools, he came to see me five times a week. If I was even slightly upset, heâd sneak out at midnight just to surprise me with barbecue. Has he ever gone to such lengths for you?â
That provoked a memory in Katherine of Shawn disguising himself as a food deliveryman to bring her barbecue. Though she was aware of Linaâs absurdity, a slight unease still managed to seep in at the mention of âbarbecue.â
Spotting a trace of sadness flicker across Katherineâs face, Lina delivered her crushing remark with a smirk.
âShawn doesnât truly love you! He was just too lazy to look for someone else, and you were just there, easy and convenient. What Shawn and I shared was real loveâdeep and memorable, something he will cherish forever!â
Katherine stood, her face a mask of tranquility.
âMaybe,â she responded, her lips curling into a sardonic grin as she sized Lina up. âBut Iâm certain heâll never take you back.â
With a harsh snicker, she underscored her words. To a woman, maintaining her image was of the highest priority.
In that moment, Linaâs face was a mask of tears and distortion, heavy with the weight of Katherineâs disdain.
âHow dare you!â
Without another word, Katherine swept out of the hospital room. In the solitude of her car in the parking lot, she sat, enveloped in her thoughts. Those words from Lina were meant to sting. She knew Shawnâs true feelings for her well enough.
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