After struggling to get his emotions under control for some time, Ron finally replied, "I distinctly remember asking you to stay away from Ashley. But what did you do? Did you listen to me? No!"
He looked miserable. It was the first time he had spoken to Lena so harshly.
She had really crossed the line this time! Ron could barely bring himself to forgive her for what she had done to Ashley. There was no way Ashley was going forgive her for this heinous crime she committed.
He continued, "Do you even have an inkling as to what you have done? It was still just a fetus! An innocent life! Do you understand the graveness of the situation? How did you have the heart to kill it? And then you had the audacity to blame Ashley for your cruel act? Lena, what happened to you? How could you be so inhuman? How? How could you!
Tell me!" he roared.
Lena didn't even know why she held a grudge against Ashley. So it was impossible for her to analyze why she wanted to destroy her reputation.
All she knew was that she hated her from the first time she laid eyes on her. Ashley had come into her life as a threat.
And she was convinced that she was a hundred percent right about her. Ashley was indeed a threat to her well-being.
As an orphan, Ashley had arrived at their home looking filthy but after taking a shower and changing into a pretty dress, she looked more beautiful than Lena.
Once she was groomed, Ashley looked just as good as or even better than her.
Lena couldn't even remember why she had started harassing Ashley. Perhaps it was out of jealousy or maybe the real reason was something else.
Whatever it was, one thing was certain: Lena couldn't stand the thought of Ashley leading a happy, content life. She just had to ruin her peace of mind all the time.
This enmity was not so bad when they were younger, but the older Lena got, the more jealous she felt of her adopted sister. Now, her hatred for Ashley had driven her to the point of ending an innocent life to frame Ashley.
Thinking back to her childhood, Lena couldn't remember anything about it apart from devising plans to create trouble for Ashley. It was almost as if it had become her life's purpose.
Ron slammed his coffee cup on the table.
The noise jolted Lena back to the present. Seeing Ron's terrifying expression, Lena's eyes reddened.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke, "Ron, I have understood my mistakes. Will you please help me out now? I promise I will stay away from her in the future! I will not contact her for the rest of my life. Please, Ron!" she begged.
Lena was desperate now.
She knew very well that Ron was the only one who could persuade Ashley to change her mind about the lawsuit.
When Ashley lived with the Mu family, he was the only one who genuinely cared about her. They had a really good relationship.
So Lena knew that Ron was the only person whom she might listen to.
Ron sighed at the whole mess that his silly sister had created.
Lena had been this way since she was young. She always aimed high and was arrogant and stubborn. If she liked something, she would find a way to get it using any means possible.
With Ashley's arrival in the Mu family, Lena had begun vying for the things that Ashley liked. Ron didn't know when it started, but over the years this pattern had become evident. It was the ugly side of sibling rivalry.
He had really hoped that over time they would be nice to each other, but on the contrary, their relationship only deteriorated and they fought like cats and dogs all the time. It was nearly impossible for them to be in the same room peacefully.
He looked at Lena who was now bawling like a little baby. It was hard for him to see through her act with her messy make-up and red eyes. She managed to convince him that she was truly sorry about what she had done.
No matter what, Lena was Ron's sister by blood and he was not going to watch her fall.
Taking out a tissue from the box nearby, he wiped the tears on her cheeks and said, "Okay. I will go talk to Ashley. I can't promise you anything. Whether or not she wants to press charges is entirely up to her. You have gone too far this time, so don't expect any mercy from her or miracles from me! If she can't forgive you, there is nothing I can do about it."
Lena nodded hastily. "That's fine! Thank you, Ron! As long as you are willing to talk to her about it," she said gratefully.
Deep down, Lena was sure Ashley would drop the charges if he spoke to her.
Lena couldn't explain why she was so certain, but she just knew.
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