The Manipulated Villainess

When Leon and Shara reached the hospital, it was around 5 p.m. Losing no time, they quickly went to VIP room number 5. Aston sent them the room number a few minutes ago.

They knocked on the door and when they made their way inside, Garcia Han was also there, much to their displeasure.

"Why did you come here?" Garcia Han instantly asked Leon with an unpleasant voice. She briefly turned to Nicole who was sitting on the bed. "How did they know that you are hospitalized?"

"When you walked out to used your phone, they call me and I tell them." Nicole promptly lied. Should she say that it might be Aston? The suspicious Minister won't be entertained by it.

"We're here to visit a friend who is hospitalized. Is that a big deal?" Leon simply said and put the fruits they bought on the top of the drawer next to Nicole's bed.

"Friend?" Garcia Han smirked. "After breaking off the engagement and your so-called marriage with this woman, you still care about Nicole? How funny."

"We were never in love anyway. Why can't we be friends?" Leon said and fake a flustered expression. "Oh! Did the mighty stepmother opposed to it?"

Nicole squeezed the small blanket which covered her legs. That stubborn Leon! She already told him many times not to provoke Garcia Han! He never listened!

"You should be careful with your words, Leon Jung." Garcia Han's voice was dangerously low. "Seems like you know me well and if I were you, I would surely think twice before I speak."

"Is the Minister of Justice threatening me?" Leon simply uttered, unfazed by her warning.

"Next time, it won't be just a threat."

"Mother, don't be - "

"Stay out of this, Nicole!" Garcia Han snapped and Nicole fell silent. Then the Minister took a step towards Leon.

"Do you know this, Mr. Potter? If we have too much weakness, we already lost the fight before we even get the chance to start. You should be careful." She whispered and her eyes trailed to Shara who was standing beside Leon.

Leon was instantly provoked but Shara holds him back. "Let's leave first." She said and turned to Nicole. "I hope you recover soon, Nicole." Then she pulled Leon out of the hospital room.

"Do you understand why I always warned you to stay away from him, Nicole?" Garcia Han uttered and shifted her gaze to her stepdaughter. "He is only hiding his claws."

"I don't - "

"People aren't what they look like. You are too young and naive. You don't know anything."

Nicole narrowed her eyes and hardly pressed her nails together. She can't hold back anymore. "Your first sentence. You already made me experience that while I was 10, Mother."

No one knows how hurt and scared the 10 years old Nicole was when she realized the true nature of her seemingly loving stepmother. For a young girl who didn't have a clear memory of her birth mother, the new mother who entered her life was the one who first made her feel a mother's love. However, one day, everything was gone. They were all lies and that will surely haunt the girl forever!

Garcia Han was tight-lipped for a while as it was the first time she ever heard such words from Nicole. After a few seconds, she said, "It's useless to talk about that now." She turned around, trying to leave the room but...

"Why? Are you feeling guilty?" Nicole braced herself, hardly squeezing the blanket due to nervousness. She made a huge risk by pressuring the stepmother.

"Guilty?" Garcia Han muttered and turned around. "What do you even know?"

Nicole turned away from her and refused to say anything. 

"If you know nothing, then - "

"I know everything. Why you married my father and your past. I know it all." Nicole uttered, darting her eyes to Garcia Han.

The Minister's usual calm face was suddenly replaced by astonishment but soon... it was replaced once again by rage. "How do you know that?!"

"That's not important."

"Nicole Yang!" Garcia Han snapped and walked towards her. "How dare you bring up my past!"

"You still live in the past, Mother! For you, it's not a past. My father - "

Garcia Han suddenly bent down and grabbed the hospital patient's shirt which Nicole wear with both of her hands. She hardly squeezed it, making her leaned a bit forward. She was so blinded by her anger!

This time, Nicole didn't felt paralyzed! She didn't have any problem moving her hand. She could attempt to break free but... she chose not to. 

Garcia Han narrowed her eyes at the bandage on Nicole's head and tried her best to hold back herself. "Just shut up! I don't want to hear about your father!" She grunted and finally withdrew her hands.

However, Nicole barely managed to strike up this conversation after a long time. She had no intention to back down now. If she did, it would be impossible to bring it up again!

"I want to know the truth this time. Even if you punish me by your harshest ways, I won't back down." She firmly said, looking at Garcia Han.

"You don't fear anything now, don't you?" Garcia Han voice was very low and Nicole knew that she shouldn't be pushing further but...

"I still fear you, Mother. After all the things you have done to me in the last 15 years, do you think I will be able to break free that easy? If it's that easy, I will already do it."

Garcia Han clenched her fist and glanced down at Nicole. "You're sick now, but as I warned you before, you won't get away with this. You will surely pay for it." She said and turned her back at Nicole again.

"Why don't you just kill me rather than making me live this way?!" Nicole snapped. "It was never hard for you to do that! The number will only be increased by 1 and that's not a big deal for you!"

"Do you think I never thought about that? I would already do it if I can!" Garcia Han howled as she turned around. But when she noticed Nicole's reaction, she realized that she just said what she shouldn't say.

"Enough, Nicole! I'm tired of this!" She added right away.

"Do you know that you are rarely reasonable these days, Mother? Your words make no sense!" Nicole still said, glancing at her stepmother with a confused face.

Garcia Han briefly glanced at the glass walls and then turned back to Nicole. "Do you really want to test my limits? You should know that in life, there are many things worse than death."

When Nicole fell silent, Garcia Han spoke up again. "You said you know everything. So, you will know how much I hate your father, Zachary Yang. Whenever I see you, I am reminded of him and my brother who died an unjust death. You are the blood of the one who let that happen. Do you even know that facing you alone is a torment for me?"

"You can end that 15 years ago. Staging an accident won't be hard for you." Nicole uttered and her face darkened. "Do you kill my father?"

"No." Garcia Han was surprisingly calm. "He died due to illness before I got the chance to avenge my brother."

Nicole smiled but... it was a sarcastic one which made the stepmother flustered. "I think I finally know why you let me live. You don't get your way with my father and you want to see me in pain to pacify your anger. You made me suffered for 15 years. Are you happy?"

"I'm the only daughter of your enemy, the one you abhorred. Is it fun to see me suffer? Is it fun to see me at your mercy?"

"I don't have to answer your question." Garcia Han coldly said, maintaining a calm facade.

"Is it that hard to answer?" Nicole paused and let out a breath. "Do you know how I really think, Mother?" She said, recalling the mixed emotions she felt when she heard Garcia Han's past.

"I was torn. If my father was indeed behind your brother's death, I don't think that I can continue to hate you. No matter how much I suffer, it can't be compared to a precious life. If my father was truly guilty, I'm willing to spend my whole life making it up to you. I will endure everything if it can placate your anger and hatred. I will continue living like I always did. I won't complain but... I believe in my father. He will never do that."

Garcia Han shook her head. "You are only 5 when that happened. You don't know anything, Nicole."

"But what if you're wrong? What will you do if everything is just a trick someone played on us?" Nicole promptly asked.

"Do you think I make such a huge decision without even knowing the truth?" Garcia Han made a deliberate pause and glance down at Nicole again. "I'm not a fool, Nicole. I don't plan to say this but... do you think I don't know how much you care about Aston Kang?"