Web Fic
Chapter 109
Linda always remembered that first scene vividly. Chloe had dragged her through several narrow alleys, her grip firm and reassuring. Chloe's scent was intoxicating, like the fresh fragrance of gardenias—both crisp and overwhelming.
Linda couldn't take her eyes off Chloe's profile. Bathed in sunlight, she looked like a golden angel sent from heaven, holding Chloe's hand tightly felt like a lifeline, pulling her away from a nightmare.
They eventually reached a small square nearby. Chloe treated her to McDonald's. It was Linda's first time ever eating there. She devoured so many apple pies, convinced she'd never tasted anything so delicious. They were so sweet and rich that they brought tears to her eyes.
Chloe watched as Linda finished off an entire box of apple pies, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, she grabbed Linda's hand and said, "Linda, don't be afraid. I've got your back from now on."
Chloe made that promise without hesitation, and she kept it. From that day on, whenever someone at school bullied Linda, Chloe was ready to defend her fiercely. She even helped Linda secure a scholarship for boarding, giving her a break from her unstable mother. Chloe shared everything with Linda, even the expensive gifts she received for her birthday. She gave her heart and soul to Linda, even more than to her childhood friend Cassie.
So, when Chloe found out about Linda's betrayal, it felt like a knife to the heart.
"Linda, what are you trying to say now?" Chloe's lips curled into a cold, ironic smile. "I still don't get it. Why? Why did you have to steal Lucas? Why use such underhanded tactics?"
If Linda had genuinely loved Lucas, then a fair competition, or even an open pursuit, wouldn't have bothered Chloe. But she couldn't accept being betrayed and schemed against by someone she cared for so deeply.
Linda confessed honestly. "It was jealousy. I envied the way you two strolled hand in hand across the field, the way he lined up every morning to get you breakfast. How you two were inseparable and shared everything. You both were like a match made in heaven-one radiant and cheerful, the other bright and handsome."Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.
Linda's eyes darkened, turning
somewhat sinister. "But I was just jealous. You were like leaves and flowers basking in the sunlight, while I was like the root buried in darkness and never saw the light of day. silently enduring the dark and the nibbling of worms and insects. I was going mad with envy night and day."
Chloe never expected Linda, who had always followed them, to harbor such feelings. She fell silent for a moment before speaking calmly.
"It's your insecurity and sensitivity at
fault. Everyone's heart is a seed. It's up to us whether we grow into happy people or remain bitter and sad. Linda, you've had it tough,. there are others who've had it tougher. Does that mean everyone should succumb to jealousy and betray those who genuinely care for them, like the snake in 'The Farmer and the Snake?""
Chloe felt an inexplicable sadness. "Back then, you were doing well academically and got into a prestigious university. You were no longer the helpless girl who was controlled by her mother and unable to fight back. You had already set foot on the path to a brighter future, where you could have proudly basked in the sunlight. Yet, you chose the most despicable and darkest path, betraying friendship and sacrificing sincerity. Your life remains shrouded in darkness and falsehood, but this time, you chose that cold, damp path for yourself."