The Mistress Is Reborn As The Fiancée
Chapter 51: Back To The Top Where She Belonged

Chapter 51: Back To The Top Where She Belonged

The sterile white walls of the hospital room seemed to close in on Areum, the antiseptic scent a constant reminder of her vulnerability. Her body ached, a symphony of bruises and tender wounds, and her mind was a whirlwind of anger and despair. She lay in the bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, replaying the attack, the betrayal, the loss.

The door to her room opened, and Areum’s eyes snapped towards the entrance. Ma-ri stood there, her expression a mask of concern, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and something else, something Areum could not quite decipher.

"What are you doing here?" Areum demanded, her voice hoarse and strained.

Ma-ri stepped into the room, her movements slow and deliberate. "I came to see how you were doing," she said, her voice soft and sympathetic. "I know Flynn is busy, so I came in his stead."

The way she said it, the emphasis on Flynn’s supposed busyness, sent a shiver down Areum’s spine. It was as if Ma-ri was implying something, hinting at a secret Areum was not privy to.

Areum watched as Ma-Ri looked around the room and raised the wreath she was holding.

"I see your fans have truly abandoned you." Ma-Ri said mockingly, satisfaction at her cousin’s downfall in her eyes. "So I brought a wreath to mourn the death of your career."

"I don’t care why you have come here," Areum said, her voice sharp and cold. "I just want you to leave me immediately."

Ma-ri’s expression shifted, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips. "Don’t be like that, Areum," she said, her voice laced with a false sense of concern. "I’m just trying to be helpful. I am pained to see how low you have fallen."

Judging by Ma-ri’s expression, the opposite was true. She had come to laugh openly in Areum’s face. "You thought yourself untouchable, loved by all these your fans. Yet look at." Ma-ri gestured around the empty room. "Not even a single flower petal from your ever adoring fans. It seems you are truly finished cousin."

She took a step closer, her eyes fixed on Areum’s bandaged arm. "I can’t imagine what you are going through," she said, her voice dripping with insincerity. "It must be so painful to have no one who cares for you."

She reached out, her hand hovering over Areum’s injured arm, as if to touch it. Areum flinched, her body tensing, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Don’t touch me," she hissed, her voice filled with venom.

Ma-ri’s smile faltered, a flicker of irritation crossing her face. "I was just trying to—"

"Get out!" Areum interrupted, her voice rising, her anger boiling over. "Get out of my room! Get out of my life!"

She pushed Ma-ri away, her movements fueled by a surge of adrenaline. Ma-ri, caught off guard, stumbled backwards, her balance thrown off. She landed on the floor with a soft thud, her eyes widening in surprise and anger.

Just as Ma-ri hit the floor, the door to the room swung open. A nurse, her expression concerned, stepped inside, her eyes widening at the scene before her.

"Is everything alright in here?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

The sudden intrusion of the nurse, her starched uniform and concerned expression, shattered the tense silence of the hospital room. Ma-ri, seizing the opportunity, erupted in a flurry of tears, her body shaking with what appeared to be genuine distress.

"Oh, nurse," she sobbed, her voice trembling. "She pushed me! She just... pushed me!"

She gestured towards Areum, her eyes filled with a mixture of hurt and indignation. "I was just trying to help," she whimpered, "and she... she attacked me."

The nurse, her expression shifting from concern to irritation, turned to Areum, her eyes narrowed. "Ms. Areum," she said, her voice laced with reprimand. "This is unacceptable. You can’t just... assault visitors."

Areum, her eyes flashing with anger, met the nurse’s gaze, her expression cold and unwavering. "Get out," she said, her voice sharp and clear. "Both of you. Get out of my room."

The nurse’s eyebrows shot up, her face flushing with indignation. "Excuse me?" she exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief. "I won’t tolerate such rudeness."

"I don’t care what you tolerate," Areum retorted, her voice icy. "I want you out. Now. And take her with you."

She gestured towards Ma-ri, her eyes filled with contempt. Ma-ri, her tears drying, her expression shifting from feigned distress to thinly veiled anger, glared at Areum.

"You are being unreasonable," the nurse said, her voice rising. "This is a hospital. We have rules."

"Then one of your rules should be to respect the patient’s wishes," Areum said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "And my wish is for you both to leave."

The nurse’s face turned crimson. "You are being incredibly rude," she said, her voice trembling with anger. "I can’t believe you fooled the public into thinking you were a nice person."

"Whatever, just leave," Areum repeated, her voice flat, her eyes unwavering.

The nurse, her face contorted with rage, turned to Ma-ri. "Come on, Miss" she said, her voice sharp. "I’ll take you to the nurses station and make sure you are okay."

Ma-ri, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and triumph, gave Areum a final, lingering look, a silent promise of retribution. She was helped up by the nurse who took her out of the room, their footsteps echoing down the hallway.

The door slammed shut, leaving Areum alone in the sterile silence of the hospital room. She sighed, her body aching, her mind weary. She was tired of the drama, tired of the lies, tired of the constant battle for survival.

She closed her eyes, her mind replaying the scene, the nurse’s words echoing in her ears. She had always cared about public perception, about maintaining a facade of niceness. Now she no longer cared, and promised to always be true to herself since she had nothing to lose, even if it meant being labeled as rude or difficult.

She did not regret her actions. She wouldn’t apologize for defending herself, for demanding respect. She wouldn’t allow anyone, not even a nurse, to bully her, to dictate her behavior.

She opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. She knew that she had made an enemy of the nurse, but she did not care. She had more important things to worry about, more serious situations to face.

She thought of Ma-ri, her manipulative tears, her calculated performance. She knew that Ma-ri was playing a game, that she was trying to undermine her, to turn people against her. But to Areum that was not even her top problem, she needed to find her way back to the top where she belonged.