CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: DROWNING—ZINNIA LAWRENCE IS PUSHED INTO THE POOL

Zinnia was hit on the back of her head and stopped in her tracks. She turned around, crossed her arms, and looked at Crystal.

"Don’t forget! You invited me. Since you love comparing yourself to others and outshining them so much, I was just being kind enough to accommodate you. Why are you so furious? Are you saying you’re right just because you’re ugly?"

Crystal was livid. She dashed in front of Zinnia and raised her hand to strike, but Zinnia quickly grabbed her wrist.

"That’s enough, Crystal!"

Crystal sneered. "So what if you captured everyone’s attention? Didn’t Jenson still dance with me? Zinnia, don’t you forget, if it weren’t for the Sutton Family, if it weren’t for me, you’d just be some wild girl living in the slums, completely unable to even meet Jenson. Ha, you heard the dress was left by Grandma, so you just wore it? Don’t you think you’re laughable? Is she your grandma? She’s *my* grandma! If it weren’t for my grandma’s old affection for yours, would Old Madam Forrest have ever cared for you? Would the Forrest Family have adopted you? Without my grandma, you are nothing!"

Crystal hissed angrily, while Zinnia clenched her teeth, her body trembling slightly.

"If thinking that way makes you feel superior, then go ahead," she said indifferently, shaking off Crystal’s hand.

Zinnia turned to leave once more, but Crystal loathed Zinnia’s aloof and disdainful demeanor.

What right did Zinnia have?

Crystal grabbed Zinnia again. "You stole my life to become Mrs. Forrest. Is it wrong for me to want it back? Jenson doesn’t love you; the person he has always loved is me! Me!"

Crystal was like a madwoman, clinging to her relentlessly.

The night wind rose, and Zinnia felt a piercing cold. She tried to shake Crystal off. "I already told you, think whatever you want! Let go! Do you want everyone to come out and watch this spectacle?"

Upon hearing this, Crystal finally calmed down.

Zinnia pulled her hand back and breathed a sigh of relief, but in the next second, she heard Crystal speak.

"It’s not that I want to think that way; it’s that Jenson really does love me more. Zinnia, do you dare test it? I dare!"

Zinnia frowned, still not comprehending what Crystal meant.

Crystal suddenly screamed and rammed into Zinnia. Zinnia’s body tilted, and with two loud splashes, both she and Crystal plunged into the nearby swimming pool.

Completely unprepared, Zinnia swallowed a couple of mouthfuls of water, and a cramp seized her calf. As she regained her composure and tried to swim up, her waist was suddenly weighed down. It was Crystal, clinging to her tightly in the water and dragging her down.

Zinnia had never expected Crystal to be this insane. She held her breath, kicking and pulling, but she couldn’t break free. Bubbles escaped from her mouth as the air in her chest dwindled.

This can’t go on. Zinnia clenched her fist and punched toward Crystal’s head.

But at that moment, Crystal also let go.

Survival instinct made Zinnia kick Crystal away and swim in the opposite direction, terrified of being entangled by her again. She didn’t see that as Crystal sank, a powerful figure was swimming toward them with the grace of a dragon.

When Zinnia’s calf cramped again and she turned her head, she saw Jenson holding Crystal and swimming up toward the light at the surface. An intense pain shot through Zinnia’s chest, but she couldn’t tell if it was from severe oxygen deprivation or something else.

She struggled to swim upward, but her leg kept cramping. Panic set in, and she choked on more water. Losing control of her body, Zinnia sank toward the deeper, darker bottom of the pool.

The water was so cold, so vast.

With her eyes wide open, she could no longer see Jenson or Crystal. She had been left here to face death alone.

Zinnia gave up the struggle. Tears rolled from the corners of her eyes as she closed them.

Brother, you said you would protect me, always protect me... You promised.

Jenson emerged from the water holding Crystal, about to drop her. But Crystal clung to him tightly, crying, "My baby, my baby... Zinnia kicked my stomach, my baby..."

Crystal had just recently shown signs of a miscarriage, and Jenson froze, his movement to turn back to the pool ceasing.

He had seen it all.

SPLASH! SPLASH! Two other people jumped into the pool.

Zinnia was an excellent swimmer. In truth, she didn’t need to be rescued and could have made it to the surface on her own.

"Jenson, what are you still doing here? Hurry and take Crystal back inside! Call a doctor, quickly!" Mandy Lowe urged anxiously. Jenson picked up Crystal and quickly left.

He didn’t see that right behind him, Zinnia was being carried out of the water, her face pale and lifeless.

After a few forceful presses on her chest, Zinnia suddenly choked and coughed up water. Leaning against the person behind her, she was completely bewildered as her near-death memories flashed back. Through her blurred vision, she saw the image of Jenson carrying Crystal and swiftly walking away.

He didn’t look back.

"Zinnia! You’re faking it, aren’t you? You’re such a good swimmer. Hey, say something." The person who had rescued Zinnia tapped her on the face. Zinnia came to her senses and looked at him.

She was somewhat surprised to see it was Finn Quinn. He was Jenson’s friend. The Quinn and Sutton families were longtime friends, so Finn had always treated Crystal like a sister. In contrast, he deeply disdained Zinnia, believing she was a gold-digger who had climbed into Jenson’s bed and was wasting his potential.

"Thank you... cough, cough." Zinnia expressed her gratitude. Regardless of his motives, he had saved her, and she was genuinely thankful.

Finn just scoffed, ruffling his wet hair. "Don’t thank me. I wasn’t trying to save you, just acting out of humanitarian spirit. If I had known it was you, I wouldn’t have jumped in! Are you really okay?"

He looked at her with disdain. Zinnia gave a self-mocking laugh. "A scourge is meant to last a thousand years. What could possibly happen to me?"

She was already in a wretched state and had no desire to solicit sympathy from someone who despised her.

Finn snorted, pushed her away slightly, and stood up to leave. Zinnia said nothing more.

There were still onlookers gathered around. Simon Sutton frowned, staring sternly at Zinnia. "Zinnia, you pushed Crystal in, didn’t you? You’re truly... Ugh, forget it. You’re not welcome here. Just go."

He then turned to apologize to the surrounding guests. "My apologies for the fright. Please, everyone, come back inside. I’ll offer a personal apology over drinks."

He ushered everyone away, leaving Zinnia to kneel alone by the poolside, soaked to the bone.

Still, a servant who couldn’t bear to watch ran over discreetly and tossed Zinnia a large bath towel. "Miss Lawrence, you should leave quickly."

Zinnia thanked her, wrapped the towel around herself, and stumbled away.

Upstairs, in Crystal’s room, several servants and Mandy were bustling around Crystal. One brought hot water, another dried her hair, while others asked about her condition. Crystal leaned pitifully against Mandy, her head bowed as she clutched a cup of water. When Jenson saw she wasn’t seriously hurt, he turned to walk out.

Crystal suddenly raised her voice. "Mom, Zinnia pushed me into the water! She even dragged me under! I can’t swim, I was so scared! Zinnia wouldn’t save me. She hit my head and kicked me... It was horrible, so horrible... *Sob*, I thought I’d never see you again, Mom!"

Hearing this, Mandy shot to her feet, enraged. "This is attempted murder! Call the police! Mom will call them right now!"

Jenson’s steps halted abruptly. Seeing this, a flicker of a smile passed through Crystal’s eyes, and she began to cry even more intensely.

Jenson strode back and snatched the phone from Mandy’s hand.

Mandy looked at him in disbelief. "Jenson, what is the meaning of this!?"

Jenson replied coldly, "They fell into the pool together. No one saw Zinnia push anyone, so how can you call it attempted murder?"

Crystal looked at Jenson, hurt. "Jenson, you clearly saw it! You must have seen Zinnia hitting me in the water! How could you do this!?" Tears streamed down her face—partly an act, and partly genuine heartbreak.

She had been mentally prepared when she fell into the water. Naturally, she was far more composed than Zinnia, who had panicked the moment she choked on water. She had pulled Zinnia in with her only after seeing Jenson chase after them, and she had let Zinnia go only when she saw him swimming over.

She was certain that Jenson had seen Zinnia attack her.

But Crystal never imagined that even after seeing Zinnia’s vicious side, Jenson would still defend her without hesitation.

Crystal was burning with jealousy!

"I didn’t see anything. You were panicking from falling in the water and started hallucinating. Isn’t that right, Crystal?" Jenson approached the bed, looming over her.

He was asking her, but his tone was declarative. He was setting the official story, warning her that the matter was closed.

Crystal’s eyes were red. She tightened her grip on the cup and reached out to grasp Jenson’s sleeve. "If you stay with me, Jenson, I won’t pursue it. I’m just so scared."

"No, we have to call the police," Mandy said angrily, deeply dissatisfied.