Chapter 3

Before Cecilia could refuse, Edmund grabbed her hand and led her to the car. The car stopped in front of an upscale club after a while. Edmund got out, walked around to her side, and opened the door for her. Cecilia glanced at him but said nothing, silently stepping out of the car. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a familiar figure when they entered the club. It was Leena. She wore a white dress, and her long hair was cascading over her shoulders. There was a gentle smile on her face as she chatted and laughed with a group of friends in the center of the room. Leena was Edmund's childhood friend. Although the two had grown up together, Cecilia and Leena had never crossed paths in all the years Cecilia had been with Edmund. So, it had never occurred to Cecilia that Edmund was in love with Leena. The way Leena looked at them, her eyes half-smiling as they walked in hand-in-hand, seemed to confirm that she was also aware of the 99 acts of revenge. Cecilia suddenly found it hard to breathe. Edmund seemed to notice Leena's presence, too. His fingers stiffened slightly before he let go of Cecilia's hand. He turned to Cecilia and said lowly, "I need to make a phone call. Go ahead and mingle. I'll be back soon." Cecilia stood there, watching Edmund's retreating figure while her heart turned cold. Before she could say anything, Leena followed Edmund out in graceful steps. Their figures then disappeared around the corner of the club, one after the other. Cecilia didn't have time to dwell on what they were doing outside because Edmund's buddies soon surrounded her. "Yo, Cece! Come have a drink!" one of them said, grinning while handing her a glass of alcohol. Cecilia shook her head. "I can't drink." "Don't be a buzzkill! Just one glass. It won't hurt!" he insisted, shoving the glass into her hand and pushing her forward. Cecilia tried to break free and leave, but one of them suddenly gave her a hard shove. Cecilia let out a cry as she lost her balance and fell into the nearby pool. The icy water instantly engulfed her body. She couldn't swim. Her arms and legs flailed wildly, but she only sank deeper. Water rushed into her mouth and nose, choking her until she could barely breathe. Her consciousness began to fade, and her vision turned dark until she completely blacked out. … When Cecilia woke up again, she found herself lying in a familiar room. Her head felt heavy, and her body burned as if it was on fire. She struggled to open her eyes and finally saw Edmund sitting by the bed, holding a glass of water and a few pills. "You have a fever. Take these," Edmund said, his voice low and tinged with concern. Cecilia, still dazed, took the pills and swallowed them with the water. Too disoriented to think, the only thing she felt was her parched throat, and her body that was drained of strength. She closed her eyes, wanting to fall back asleep. Even so, her body grew hotter, as if something inside her was burning. After what felt like an eternity, she forced her eyes open again, only to find that Edmund was no longer in the room. Cecilia managed to sit upright. She touched her forehead, only to discover that it was frighteningly hot. She knew that she couldn't delay any longer. She had to go to the hospital. Dragging her heavy body, Cecilia made her way to the hospital with incredible difficulty. The doctor administered an IV, and her fever gradually subsided a little. After examining her, the doctor frowned and said, "It's good that you came early. Any later, and this could have turned into pneumonia." Cecilia leaned weakly against the hospital bed. She hoarsely asked, "Doctor, I took some medicine earlier. Why did I get worse?" The doctor paused, then asked, "What medicine did you take?" Cecilia pulled a small pill bottle from her pocket and handed it to the doctor. "Just some aspirin my boyfriend gave me." The doctor took the bottle, opened it, and his expression immediately turned serious. "These aren't aspirins. The bottle is labeled as such, but it's filled with sugar pills. "They have no medicinal effect and could have worsened your condition." Cecilia's heart sank, and her fingertips trembled slightly. Suddenly, her phone buzzed repeatedly. She mustered the strength to lift her hand and glanced at the screen, only to see that messages were flooding in. They were from Edmund's close friends. "Hahaha, the 97th revenge is a success!" "Who came up with this idea? It's genius! First, we accidentally pushed her into the pool, then Eddie swapped the pills. "She's probably suffering like hell right now." Then, someone panicked and sent a message that read, "Holy crap! You sent this to the wrong group! Cecilia's in this one!"