Chapter 18: Almost got caught
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Mrs. Lani mistakenly thought that Erica was dead. Erica wants to gather more information about Mrs. Lani’s crimes.
“Is that true? You didn’t intentionally try to kill me?” Erica appeared skeptical of the woman’s honesty: “You’re not lying, are you?”
“What I’m saying is all true.” Mrs. Lani trembled while confessing, “I can swear on my life. I genuinely didn’t have any intention to cause you harm. I only wanted to teach you a valuable lesson. It’s because you looked down upon me and showed disrespect.”Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.
In Ms. Lani’s testimony, it is clear that half of it is true and the other half has been hidden. Mrs. Lani herself did not understand why she did not reveal the whole truth to Erica.
After hearing this, Erica still felt that Ms. Lani was not trustworthy. She expressed her dissatisfaction and continued to ask:
“Why? What’s the real reason for you to hate me and get rid of me? It can’t simply teach me a lesson, can it? You’d better answer honestly; don’t try to lie or deceive me. Otherwise, you will deeply regret it.”
Because of Mrs. Lani’s unstable mental state and her inability to distinguish whether Erica was a real person or a ghost, Erica seized the opportunity to probe further. She didn’t hesitate to use threatening words to achieve her goal more easily.
“Speak quickly; don’t play with my patience.”
“Actually, I did it for the sake of Kora,” Mrs. Lani, aware that one should not toy with a spirit, explained with a raised voice. “I want Kora to have a better life.”
“What does Kora’s situation have to do with me? She has her own life. And so do I,” Erica said, puzzled. “The reason you’re giving is absurd and ridiculous. Are you mocking me?”
“That’s not true,” Mrs. Lani vehemently denied. “Your existence is a threat to Kora.”
“I don’t understand,” Erica asked directly. “What on earth are you talking about? How could I possibly harm Kora?”
“If it weren’t for you, that inheritance would belong to Kora.” Mrs. Lani, believing she was speaking to a ghost, casually revealed everything to Erica. “With the money, Kora would have a luxurious, wealthy life. She would be respected and loved by many.”
“Just that? You treat me cruelly just for money. What have I done wrong or held a grudge against you and Kora?” Erica asked, feeling both anger and pity for the childish mindset of Mrs. Lani and Kora. “Furthermore, that money doesn’t belong to you in the first place.”
“Kora hates you.” Mrs. Lani asserted, “You are a thorn in Kora’s eyes. That money is not ours. But without you, it would belong to us.”
“I have never had any ill intentions towards Kora,” Erica stated clearly about her principles and feelings. “As for the inheritance money, I have only recently become aware of it. If we treat each other well, I am willing to be generous and allow you to enjoy a portion of it, ensuring a good life for yourself. Isn’t that fair?”
“Whether you harbor ill will towards us or not, it doesn’t matter,” Mrs. Lani replied indifferently. “From a young age until now, your presence has made Kora uncomfortable. She has always felt inferior to you. Without you, Kora would no longer be sad or angry. As a mother, I must do everything for the sake of my daughter.”
Mrs. Lani suddenly asked Erica, “Also, are you sure you’ll share some of the inheritance with us?”
Before Erica could answer, Ms. Lani smugly said, “The answer is no. Because all humans are equally greedy. You are no exception.”
What the hell? Erica felt she was being unjustly slandered. With the extravagant words spoken by Mrs. Lani. One more reason for Erica to be angry with Lani and Kora Erica wanted to do something to punish Mrs. Lani. But Erica’s nature once again chose calmness and rational thought.
The truth is that Erica does not possess the greed that Mrs. Lani claims. Erica wanted to explain and clarify this, but she knew that it probably wouldn’t work with Mrs. Lani. So she decided to give up on the idea. Erica openly disagrees with Ms. Lani’s personal and biased views. Erica believes that humans are not all cruel or greedy. Erica’s views are the opposite of what Mrs. Lani believes.
“So, you don’t blame me either. Blame the gods. He was too unfair to Kora, giving you more good things than Kora,” Mrs. Lani said another nonsense.
The more Mrs. Lani spoke, the more Erica became disgruntled. Where does nonsense like Mrs. Lani’s conclusion come from? Erica firmly believed in the concept of cause and effect, or karma, in the world. Erica believes that in the world, there is always cause and effect, or karma. So instead of arguing, Erica will wait for the consequences Mrs. Lani has to bear for her actions.
“You also shouldn’t blame Kora or see her as the troublemaker. Kora is not at fault. It’s simply that Kora doesn’t like you,” Mrs. Lani emphasized, reaffirming Kora’s feelings and nature. It was a common trait for any mother. Good and evil can coexist.
Erica now understood the root cause of the current situation: Kora’s jealousy and resentment towards her. It was absurd and ridiculous. Wasn’t it incredibly unfair to Erica? Erica was innocent and didn’t deserve any of this. Upon this realization, Erica sighed, feeling at a loss for how to react to the situation. What good would getting angry do? Erica no longer wanted to be controlled, influenced, or manipulated by the cruel spirit.
“I forbid you to seek Kora’s revenge.” Ms. Lani extravagantly added, “If you dare to disobey me, after I die, my ghost will definitely find you to punish.”
Erica didn’t give a damn about Lani’s threats.
“Even if what you’re doing is wrong-a crime that is difficult to forgive? Are you still stubborn?” Erica wanted to clarify this point clearly. It could be an important factor that could help Erica.
“I don’t care about the trivial things you’re mentioning. I only want my Kora to be happy,” Mrs. Lani asserted. “Anyone who gets in Kora’s way, causing obstacles, I will definitely eliminate.”
A sudden silence interrupted the conversation. Mrs. Lani appeared to have regained control over her emotions, causing her agitation to subside. Realizing this, Erica knew she needed to act quickly before Mrs. Lani discovered Erica’s scheme to pose as a ghost to scare her.
Just as Mrs. Lani slowly opened her eyes, intending to check if Erica was still present, Erica spoke up, inquiring, “Then why are you so eager to find me?”
Erica’s tone was firm, once again catching Mrs. Lani off guard.
“Speak quickly, and no more tricks,” Erica added.
Before Mrs. Lani could respond, there came a knock at the door from outside, followed by Kora’s voice saying:
“Mom, what’s going on? I heard you scream.” Kora’s voice reached Mrs. Lani, snapping her back to consciousness. Mrs. Lani was about to respond when suddenly everything went pitch black. It turned out that she had been completely covered by a blanket, obstructing her vision. Mrs. Lani struggled to free herself from the blanket, and as she looked around the room, she couldn’t find Erica anywhere. Believing that Erica had disappeared, Mrs. Lani felt a slight sense of relief.
“Mom, open the door for me to come in,” Kora continued to call, her voice filled with impatience.
Hearing Kora’s urgent plea, Mrs. Lani trembled and swiftly swung her legs off the bed, moving quickly toward the door. Hearing the door open, Kora, who had been looking down at the floor, raised her head. Upon seeing her mother’s pale face and beads of cold sweat on her forehead, Kora asked with concern:
“What’s wrong, Mom? You don’t look well; your face is so pale.”
“It’s nothing serious. You don’t need to worry,” Mrs. Lani replied, her voice choking. “I just had a nightmare.”
Kora felt relieved after hearing her mother’s explanation. While sleeping soundly, Kora suddenly woke up, and when she left the room to use the restroom, she happened to overhear her mother’s fearful voice. After a few minutes of hesitation and contemplation, Kora decided to knock on Mrs. Lani’s room door to inquire and check if everything was alright.
“If there’s nothing else, then…” Kora was about to ask for permission to return to her own bedroom when Mrs. Lani quickly interjected:
“Mom will sleep with you, dear.”
Without giving Kora a chance to react or refuse, Mrs. Lani swiftly took hold of Kora’s hand and pulled her away from the doorway. Kora didn’t understand what was happening and didn’t know what to do. All she could do was remain silent and comply with Mrs. Lani’s arrangement.
In the meantime, as Mrs. Lani entered Kora’s room, Erica cautiously emerged from her hiding spot.
The situation just now was truly dangerous. Erica was almost caught red-handed. Unfortunately, Erica was not able to clarify the whole plan and conspiracy of Mrs. Lani.
Taking a moment to gather herself, Erica quickly left Watson’s house. Tomorrow, she would come back to visit Mrs. Lani openly and inquire further. With that thought in mind, Erica let out a sigh of relief before climbing down from the balcony.