Tabitha's POV
I took a deep breath, swallowing the blood that surged up my throat again.
"Mrs. Sutton, from now on, we're done. Just take me as a stranger when you meet me again," I announced word by word.
After I finished speaking, Holly slapped me across the face.
"Tabitha, listen to yourself! Where have all your manners gone?" she shouted.
Clutching her chest, she glared at me. "How did you become like this?"
Mark hurried over to support her, siding with her without hesitation.
"Tabitha, she's doing all this for your own good. Don't you know she has a heart problem? How could you anger her like that? Come and apologize to her now."
Daphne walked over and held Holly's arm too. "Ms. Hartley, I know you blame me for taking Derek away, but you shouldn't have upset your mother like this! Mom, are you okay?"
I was the one who got smacked. How could they accuseme now?!
Holly's slap was so strong that it disheveled my hair.
Blood dripped down my chin, splattering on the cold floor.
Derek was the first to notice. He rushed over, saying in a concerned voice, "Are you okay?"
I slowly looked up, and blood kept flowing out of my nose.
"Lift your head." He quickly stuffed some tissues into my nose.
But the blood just wouldn't stop, soon soaking the tissues.
Holly, panicked, rushed over in a fluster.
"Tabitha, how could this happen? I didn't even touch your nose. I..." she stammered.
She tried to hand me a tissue, but I swatted her hand away. "Don't touch me!" I screamed.
I then said to Mark, "Mr. Sutton, can I use your bathroom?"
"Go ahead," he blurted out.
I dashed into the bathroom all by myself. As soon as I bent down, blood poured into the sink.
Not only my nose but also my throat was filled with blood.
I spat out a mouthful of blood, looking at the water that had been stained red, thinking, 'Am I dying?'
I called out for Crystal in my mind, hoping for an answer, yet she just gave a low whimper.
Derek's POV
I stood at the door, frowning. Not long ago, I had just had Tabitha undergo a complete checkup. She shouldn't be unwell.
But the amount of blood she was losing clearly exceeded normal nosebleeds. And it looked horrifying.
Just when I was pondering over it, Holly came over, saying, "Don't worry, she's fine. She has loved feigning illness since she was a child."
Daphne chimed in, "Mom, I can't believe Tabitha would be so scheming, trying to gain attention this way."
Holly added, "Yeah, she's always been wayward. John's spoiled her!"
She then looked at me again, warning, "Derek, don't be fooled by her. She's always been healthy. How could a slap cause a nosebleed? Plus, I didn't even touch her nose."
Mark interjected, "Enough. How could a nosebleed be faked?"
"What can't be faked nowadays?" Holly retorted.
I coldly stared at Holly, sneering, "I'm curious, is Tabitha really your biological daughter?"
Holly paused before replying, "Of course."
"Oops, I thought Daphne was your real daughter," I said, my words heavy with irony. Holly couldn't hide her embarrassment, at a loss for words.
Just as I was about to say more, Tabitha came out, looking awful.
Her chest was stained with blood, and her nose was temporarily plugged with tissues.
Her skinny face now looked terrifyingly pale as if a gust of wind could knock her over.
Seeing Tabitha, Holly piped up without a hint of guilt, "I didn't even touch your nose just now. Tell us, were you faking it?"
Even after witnessing the horrible scene, Holly's first reaction wasn't concern for Tabitha but to question her.
Tabitha pushed her away, heading for the door.
Worried, I grabbed her wrist and said, "Wait, I'll have someone take you to the hospital."
Tabitha paused, looking earnestly at me.
"What if I say I want you to take me? Will you agree?" she asked me.
Her words were like a hammer, dumbfounding everyone present.
I knitted my brows, saying, "Tabitha, stop joking."
She laughed, "Derek, if you had to choose between Daphne and me, who would you choose?"
Mark stared at me, and even Alpha Justin showed up, leaning heavily on his cane.
He snapped, "That's what I wanna know as well. Are you leaving with her or staying here? Ex-wife or fiancée? Make your choice."
I finally realized Tabitha's compliance these past few days was just her biding her time. This was the real her.
Mark warned, "Think carefully before you answer. If you choose Tabitha, I'll announce to everyone that your engagement is called off."
"Dad!" Daphne stomped her foot.
"Shut up! He's screwing around with another woman before your engagement! Justin and I are looking out for your best interests," Mark hissed.
Alpha Justin continued, "Alright, since everyone is here, I want a straight answer from you today. If you choose Tabitha, it's fine. Just stay away from Daphne from now on. But if you choose my granddaughter and continue to entangle with Tabitha, there will be consequences!"
All eyes were on me.