Chapter 2

"Hello, police? I need to report something. There's a mentally unstable person making a scene at my door, and she keeps threatening to kill me. Please come handle this right away."

3

Hearing that I'd called the police, Lily suddenly broke free from the neighbors holding her and lunged at me like a madwoman, slapping me twice across the face.

The crisp, loud slaps echoed through the hallway. My face immediately swelled up.

"You bitch! Stealing my husband and you dare call the police? I think you're tired of living!"

She glared at me through gritted teeth, eyes full of poison.

The slaps left my head ringing. I raised my hand to hit back, but just as I lifted my arm, two nosy neighbors grabbed my wrists tightly.

"You want to hit back?!"

One neighbor gripped my arm hard:

"No matter what she said, you can't hit first. Now you want to keep hitting? Can't you just behave?"

Another woman chimed in:

"Exactly! You're a homewrecker who hit first. This is outrageous."

Seeing me restrained, Lily became even more arrogant, standing in front of me with her hands on her hips, cursing even more viciously---her language was absolutely vile.

The surrounding neighbors also joined in condemning me, saying I'd destroyed someone's family, caused a disturbance in the middle of the night, and had no sense of public decency.

"I didn't!"

I struggled to break free from their hold, stubbornly retorting:

"I've explained so many times---I'm the only person in my apartment! I don't even know her husband. How could I have seduced him?"

I looked around at the watching neighbors, sweeping my gaze across their faces, raising my voice:

"Besides, she says her husband is in my apartment. My door is wide open right now. Look inside---do you see anyone?"

At those words, the previously chattering hallway instantly quieted down somewhat.

Several neighbors instinctively craned their necks to look into my empty living room, doubt gradually creeping into their eyes.

That's right. The door was wide open, the inside completely visible. Forget a man---there wasn't even an extra shadow.

Seeing this, Lily immediately shrieked in defense:

"He must have just run away! He was still inside when I was banging on the door. He must have heard we were calling the police and snuck out the back door or window!"

I let out a cold laugh, struggling against the hands restraining me:

"We're on the 11th floor. How could anyone climb out a window? They'd have a death wish! Besides, there are only a few apartments on our floor. If someone ran out of my place, wouldn't you all have heard something?"

Everyone froze, exchanging glances.

The commotion from Lily banging on my door earlier had been so loud, and they'd all been gathered in the hallway. If someone had actually run out of my apartment, it would have been impossible for no one to notice.

One man muttered to himself:

"True, I was standing at the hallway corner the whole time. Didn't hear any doors opening or closing."

Hearing this, people finally calmed down a bit.

Just then, two police officers in uniform walked into the hallway:

"Who called the police? What happened here?"

I immediately broke free from the neighbors' hands, stepped forward, and pointed at the still-panting Lily:

"Officers, I called. This woman, the resident of apartment 1101, Lily Monroe---without any evidence, she accused me of seducing her husband, claiming I was having an affair with him in my apartment. She not only verbally abused me in our building's group chat but came to my door and banged on it, and just now she hit me."

I pointed to my swollen cheek where the five-finger mark was still clearly visible.

Lily, who had been so aggressive moments before, suddenly deflated the instant she saw the police, actually falling silent and lowering her head.

The officer looked at Lily and asked:

"Ma'am, is what she said true? Why would you slander her?"

Lily was silent for a long while before reluctantly raising her head and muttering:

"Never mind, officers. My husband Lucas Gray already ran away. What's the point of you coming now!"

"Ran away?"

I immediately seized on that, my sharp gaze fixed on her.

"I think you're just feeling guilty, aren't you? I've lived in this building for five years. Three years ago, I saw with my own eyes your husband Lucas Gray fighting with you, dragging you through a divorce, and I haven't seen him since!"

"You're lying!"

Lily's head shot up, her eyes excited as she glared at me, suddenly stepping forward and grabbing my arm tightly.

"You keep saying you have nothing to do with my husband. I'm asking you---if I have evidence proving you're having an affair with my husband, what will you say?"

Her grip was strong, her nails almost digging into my flesh.

I endured the pain, looking straight into her eyes, saying firmly:

"If you can produce evidence proving I'm having an improper relationship with your so-called husband, I'll move out of this building immediately and promise never to set foot here again or seduce your husband ever again!"

"Good! Those are your words!"

Lily immediately turned to the watching neighbors:

"Everyone heard that, right? This is Mia Watson's own promise. Don't try to back out later!"

The neighbors all nodded, whispering to each other.

Lily grabbed my arm and dragged me toward her apartment:

"Fine, I'll let you see with your own eyes whether I have evidence or not!"

I didn't resist, letting her pull me forward.

The curious neighbors followed behind, wanting to see what evidence she could possibly have.

As soon as I stepped into Lily's apartment, a warm, homey atmosphere hit me in the face.

Men's slippers sat on the shoe rack by the door.

A freshly washed suit jacket hung on the balcony.

The bathroom and kitchen items were all matching couples' sets. Even the bedroom bed clearly showed signs of two people sleeping in it.

Most eye-catching was the wedding photo hanging on the wall.

In the photo, Lily wore a white wedding dress, nestled in Lucas Gray's arms, smiling blissfully.

Seeing all this, my heart couldn't help but skip a beat, a trace of doubt creeping in.

Could she really not be divorced?

Had my memories from my previous life been wrong?

Seeing me freeze, a triumphant smile appeared on Lily's face. She turned and pulled out a stack of photos from a drawer, throwing them viciously in front of me:

"Take a good look! Is that you and my husband in these photos!"

I looked down at the drawer, my pupils contracting sharply, instantly falling silent.

"Everyone saw that, right?"

Lily raised her chin smugly, addressing the watching neighbors.

"This is the evidence! She still dares to say she didn't seduce my husband? Now that the proof is ironclad, Mia Watson, you should keep your promise and get out of this building!"

The neighbors looked at the photos, their eyes full of contempt and certainty:

"So it really happened. You really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Never thought Mia Watson, who seems so quiet, would actually be a homewrecker."

"Having someone like this in our building is disgraceful."

Even the police frowned, looking at me disapprovingly.

Feeling these strange looks, I took a deep breath, pulled out the divorce papers from the drawer, and threw them hard in front of Lily.

"You take a good look at this. What is this?"

4

Lily's gaze locked onto that divorce certificate, the smugness on her face instantly freezing.

Her mouth hung open, the curses she'd prepared stuck in her throat. Her expression shifted from triumph to shock, then to panic.

The surrounding neighbors also stopped their chatter, all eyes focusing on that suddenly appearing divorce certificate. The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

"What... what is this?"

Lily muttered to herself, as if unable to believe her eyes.

I didn't speak, just stared at her coldly.

The next second, she suddenly scrambled up from the floor, snatched up that divorce certificate, then threw it violently to the ground like it was something dirty.

"Fake! This is definitely fake! Mia Watson, to clear your name, you actually fabricated that Lucas and I got divorced!"

She shrieked.

"Lucas and I never got divorced! We have a great relationship. You had someone forge this certificate!"

While shouting, she suddenly rushed over and slapped me again.

Smack---this one was even harder than before. My other cheek instantly burned with pain, and I even tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't seduced him, why would he have asked me for a divorce! It's all your fault! You destroyed my family!"

This slap completely ignited the emotions of the watching neighbors.

Those who had shown some doubt moments ago now seemed to have found an outlet, all pointing and criticizing me.

"Exactly, Mia Watson. You must have lured away her husband. Lily is already so miserable, and you're still trying to blame her!"

"You said it yourself---if there's evidence, you'd move out of the building. Now the proof is ironclad. Don't try to weasel out!"

"Just move out. Our building can't tolerate someone like you who destroys families!"

The condemnations came one after another. They looked at me with contempt and disgust, as if I really were that unforgivable homewrecker.

I rubbed my swollen cheek and a cold smile curved my lips.

"To catch an affair, you need to catch both parties. You all keep saying I stole her husband---so where is her husband, Lucas Gray?"

I looked around at the surrounding neighbors, my voice clear and firm.

"This is a society governed by law. Everything requires evidence. And this divorce certificate has the government seal and a registration number. If you don't believe it, you can verify it!"

"Stop making excuses!"

A middle-aged woman shouted with her hands on her hips.

"Lily's apartment is full of her husband's things, and their wedding photo is still hanging on the wall. How could they be divorced? You must have done something!"

"Exactly! So stubborn!"

Another neighbor chimed in.

"Lily, quick, call your husband and have him come confront her. Let's see how she weasels out then!"

Everyone echoed this sentiment, all urging Lily to make the call.

Lily's eyes flickered, a trace of hesitation crossing her face, her earlier arrogance diminished by half.

She clutched her phone, her finger hovering over the screen, hesitating to press down.

"I can't... I can't call..."

She said in a low voice:

"Lucas is busy right now. I can't disturb him, or he'll get angry and be even less willing to come home..."

At these words, the surrounding chatter immediately quieted down.

A female neighbor in a red jacket frowned, stepped forward, and looked at Lily with disappointment:

"What are you doing this for? He already cheated on you, and you're still trying so hard to win him back? This kind of man isn't worth it!"

"Exactly. You can't force love. Why torture yourself like this? What's the point?"

Another neighbor also tried to persuade her.

Lily's eyes reddened, but she still stubbornly shook her head:

"You don't understand. Lucas still has feelings for me. It's all because of this woman that he was confused for a moment..."

She spoke, then glared viciously at me again.

I took a deep breath, stepped forward, and looked calmly at Lily and the surrounding neighbors:

"Since you won't have him come here, then I'll just have to take you all there."