He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 119

Lydia's eyes dropped to Juniper's injured leg, the bandages clearly visible beneath her clothes.

She smiled, then violently kicked it.

Juniper truly hadn't expected such a dirty move. Her leg had only just started healing, and the sudden impact sent a blinding, agonizing pain shooting up her nerves. It hurt so much her nails dug into her palms.

Lydia's smile never faltered. "Oops, did that hurt? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

The words had barely left her mouth when Juniper raised her hand and slapped her hard across the face.

The force of the blow made Lydia stumble backward in shock.

Before she could process what had happened, Juniper swung again, delivering a second slap that left both of Lydia's cheeks red and swelling.

In Lydia's mind, Juniper had always been an ant she could crush at will. No matter what she did to her, Juniper would never dare fight back—she had absolutely no one in her corner. The stinging pain on her cheeks left her stunned for several seconds. She slowly touched her face. "You dare hit me?"

She was in total disbelief.

Juniper's chest heaved. She used to swallow her pride and tolerate Lydia's bullying because of the Thorne family's financial aid. That debt had always forced her to keep her head down.

But Lydia had pushed her too far. She was completely out of patience.

"Oh, did I hit you? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention either. Did that hurt?"

Lydia wanted nothing more than to lunge forward and claw Juniper's face off, but she had an image to maintain. She couldn't brawl in a public hallway like a common street thug. The gossip would ruin her reputation.

Suddenly, she looked past Juniper, her eyes welling with tears. "Juniper, I know you're upset about everything happening online, but I was just trying to give you some friendly advice. There was no need to get physical."

Juniper was completely nauseated by the pathetic act, but she knew perfectly well what it meant: if Lydia was putting on a show, someone else had just walked in.

She turned her head and saw Nelson standing right behind her.

His expression was dark as his eyes locked onto Lydia's face.

Lydia's cheeks were visibly swollen now. Catching Nelson's gaze, she quickly wiped away a tear and offered him a fragile smile. "Nelson, I'm fine."

Juniper felt the freezing chill radiating from Nelson, and that coldness was directed entirely at her.

Her fingers slowly curled into a fist as she heard him say, "You are acting like an absolute lunatic right now."

Lydia walked over slowly and gently tugged on his sleeve. "Forget it, Nelson. Let's just go."

They were so dark, so incredibly heavy. The deep-seated disgust hiding in his gaze pierced straight through her heart like a needle.

Then, she saw Lydia standing beside him. From an angle only Juniper could see, the corners of Lydia's lips curled up into a victorious smirk.

A sharp pain pierced through Juniper's mind, triggered by the sheer audacity of it all.

She turned to leave, but Nelson blocked her path. "I said, apologize."

Slap!

As soon as the words left his mouth, a loud smack echoed through the hall. She slapped him across the face.

Juniper stared at him and spat out, "Sorry."

Nelson's head was turned to the side. He let out a dark, furious laugh. "Do you have a single shred of conscience?"

Juniper started kicking and clawing at him wildly. "No! I don't! Are you happy now?! I am a heartless bitch without a conscience! Is that what you want to hear, Nelson?!"

She thrashed against him, her nails catching his cheek and leaving a thin line of blood in their wake.