“I admit it was cruel of me to take your boyfriend,” Alison said, her voice sharp and cutting. “But let’s face it—Wilson was never good for you. At least he was honest about who he was. But Jeff…” Her lips curled into a bitter smile. “Jeff played you, Alicia. He lied to your face, used you like you were nothing. And you fell for it. Completely.”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Alicia’s voice cracked as her scream tore through the room. Her body lunged forward like a coiled spring, her hands wrapping tightly around Alison’s throat.

Alison gasped, stumbling as Alicia’s nails dug into her skin. Panic surged through her, wild and unrelenting, as she clawed at the iron grip around her neck. She wrestled Alicia’s hands away, gasping for air, only to feel a sharp yank as Alicia grabbed a fistful of her hair.

“Let go!” Alison cried, her voice breaking, but Alicia’s hold was unyielding. Her face twisted in unrecognizable fury, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light.

Alison’s heart pounded as she saw Alicia’s hand dart toward the shards of glass scattered across the floor. A strangled gasp escaped her lips.

“Alicia, stop!” Alison screamed, but the words felt like they were swallowed by the storm in the room.

Alicia’s trembling fingers gripped a jagged piece of glass, her knuckles white with effort. With a feral growl, she raised it high above her head. Her intent was clear, her fury blinding.

“Go to hell,” Alicia hissed, her voice venomous and guttural.

Alison reacted instinctively, her hands shooting up to grab Alicia’s wrist. She wrestled against the force bearing down on her, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The shard glinted in the dim light, too close for comfort.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Alicia!” Alison’s voice cracked, her words frantic and desperate. But the venomous glare in Alicia’s eyes didn’t falter.

Blood began to drip from their hands, mingling with the shattered perfume bottles and crimson lipstick smeared across the floor. The air grew thick with the metallic tang of blood and the suffocating sweetness of spilt cosmetics.

Pain seared through Alison’s palms as the glass bit into her skin, but Alicia didn’t seem to feel it. Her rage had eclipsed everything else. She pressed the shard down, inching it toward Alison’s chest.

“Stop it, Alicia! Please!” Alison sobbed, her voice breaking under the weight of desperation.

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With a sudden burst of strength, Alison twisted her body, flipping Alicia onto her back. For a split second, everything froze.

Then Alicia gasped, a sound so sharp it pierced the heavy air. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked down at the shard now embedded in her stomach.

Alison blinked, her mind reeling as if time had collapsed in on itself. She couldn’t understand how it had happened—how the glass had ended up in Alicia. Her trembling hands fell to her sides as she stumbled back, her breath catching in her throat.

“No… No, no, no,” Alison whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her pounding heart.

Alicia groaned, her trembling hands clutching at her stomach. Blood poured out in a relentless stream, pooling beneath her. Tears streamed down her face.

The sound of a car engine outside shattered Alison’s daze. Her head snapped toward the window, her breath hitching as she spotted Jeff’s car pulling into the lot.

Her mind raced, panic rising like a tidal wave. She glanced at Alicia, lying motionless in a growing puddle of blood. Her heart ached, guilt twisting like a knife in her chest, but fear quickly overpowered it.

She couldn’t stay here—not like this.

Wiping at the tears blurring her vision, Alison stumbled toward the door. Her fingers trembled as she grasped the handle, her breaths coming in shallow gasps.

The door slammed shut behind her as she ran out into the night, the cool air hitting her like a slap. She barely noticed Jeff standing by his car until the sound of her footsteps drew his attention.

Jeff turned, his brows furrowing in confusion. “Who—?”

Before he could finish, Alison disappeared around the side of the house. Jeff’s instincts kicked in, and he chased after her, but by the time he reached the corner, all he saw was a figure leaping into a waiting car.

The vehicle roared to life, speeding off before he could catch a clear look at the driver.

“Who was that?” Jason’s voice rang out behind him, laced with curiosity and unease.

Jeff didn’t answer. His mind suddenly snapped to Alicia. Dread crawled through his veins like ice.

“Alicia,” he breathed, his voice heavy with fear. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the house, Jason trailing behind him.

The door swung open, revealing the chaos inside. Blood. Glass. Alicia’s pale body is on the floor.

Jeff froze, his stomach churning as the horrifying scene before he unravelled. “Alicia!” he cried, rushing to her side as Jason stood frozen in the doorway, his face pale with shock.

Alicia let out a painful groan, her voice weak but filled with agony. Without hesitation, he collapsed to his knees beside her, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Alicia!” he cried, his voice cracking with desperation. He pulled her into his arms, his entire body trembling with fear. His hands pressed firmly over her wound, a futile attempt to slow the relentless bleeding. Alicia’s groans turned to faint wails, her nails digging into his skin as though anchoring herself to him.

Her face was pale, drained of all colour, and Jeff felt panic surging through him like a tidal wave. Tears streaked his cheeks as he stammered, “You’re losing too much blood. No… no… this can’t happen.”

Turning sharply, he shouted at Jason, his voice almost breaking, “Call K and Y Emergency! Now!”

Jason fumbled with his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialled. Meanwhile, Jeff cradled Alicia closer, his voice a shaky whisper. “You’ll be fine, Alicia. You’ll be fine. Just hold on, okay? Stay with me.”

Alicia’s laboured breathing was the only response, and Jeff fought to keep his composure, though dread gnawed at his insides.

Jason, speaking hurriedly with the emergency dispatcher, suddenly froze mid-sentence. His gaze dropped to the shattered photographs on the floor. The images—now smeared with blood and scattered among broken glass—caught his eye. Slowly, he scanned the room: the overturned vase, flowers strewn carelessly, splinters of wood and shards of cosmetic bottles mixed with the pungent smell of perfume and blood. The scene was chaos, yet it told a story Jason wasn’t ready to face.

“J…J…Jeff…” Jason stammered, his voice barely audible as he pointed toward the photos.

But Jeff didn’t hear him, consumed entirely by Alicia’s fading strength. Jason’s throat tightened as he tried to speak again, but the words wouldn’t come. His legs felt like lead, unable to move closer, his mind racing with the implications of what he saw.

Frozen in horror, Jason could only watch as the scene unfolded before him, his imagination running wild with thoughts of what might happen next. The weight of the moment pressed down on him, suffocating, as Jeff clung to Alicia, desperate to save her.